Ickworth Hotel

Amazing place, very friendly staff,professional,extremely helpful,nothing was too much trouble for them. I went here as a surprise birthday present with my son, daughter in law and 2grandchildren, from we arrived until we left we had a fantastic time . Food was excellent. What does this place do well, I would say everything, the cater well for children my 2 grandchildren are a bit fussy eaters but the ate everything they choose from the menu. We decided to to eat out side one night but it got a bit to cold before we finished our meal and the waiter moved us to an inside table. Keep up the good work everyone.

I had a booking for afternoon tea on Sunday, one of our party was gluten-free. The main issue of the afternoon was the rebooked gluten-free tea. The sandwiches that came out were like rusks and rock hard. we advised the waiter who took them away to speak to the chef he then came back out to advise us that gluten-free bread is dry than usual bread as my friend is gluten-free, he and his wife were fully aware that it can be dry, but this was exceptionally stale Whilst I was speaking the waiter to cut me short and said you have to expect dry bread. Then offered David a gluten-free burger bun which David accepted The waiter then returned with a burger bun without any fillingson a plate and asked him to feel how hard it was. We declined and went without any sandwiches. For the rest of us, I have the following observations My fruit scone had one Sultana bang in the middle and three on the outside The carrot cake had used so much baking powder that one bite rendered my teeth and tongue to chalk We had to ask for jam I understand on TripAdvisor that this is normal to ask for jam to go with the scones. I have not come across this before. The sandwiches had very thin fillings and the whole tea was beige On a positive note, the millionaire shortbread although tiny was delicious and the younger members of the waiting staff were fabulous When we went to pay, we had already prepaid for two of the teas and we were charged again. This was then pointed out and two were removed despite the lack of food provided for the gluten-free member of the party. The lady on the till was less than sympathetic, rather rude and reluctantly charged half for the gluten free This was fair, however on returning home we then read TripAdvisor and it seems that nothing has been learned from feedback provided I have dined at many places for afternoon tea and this was by far the worst, and very disappointing for an afternoon out. When is the manager going to act on these reviews???

My partner booked a stay at The Ickworth Hotel for my birthday and son, expecting a special and relaxing experience, but it was anything but. The service was poor—my room wasn’t cleaned, and the staff seemed uninterested in providing proper hospitality. I was repeatedly asked what room I was in while simply walking around, and staff kept reiterating the cost of things in a way that felt unnecessary and patronizing. It was hard not to notice how differently I was treated compared to other guests. On top of that, the hygiene was shocking. The first night, I found hair in my food. I also discovered hair on my baby’s bottle and even ended up with hair in my mouth after using a hotel towel. The hair was blonde, and I am black women with black hair, so it clearly wasn’t mine. For a supposedly high-end hotel, this level of uncleanliness is unacceptable. The most dangerous issue was their careless attitude toward my child’s allergy. I specifically requested oat milk because he has a cow’s milk protein allergy, yet they gave me cow’s milk. If I hadn’t tasted it first, it could have made him seriously ill. To make things worse, when I brought this up to the manager (Beth/Bethan/Bethany) , she refused to take responsibility, claiming she asked the staff and since no one admitted to it, there was nothing she could do. This kind of dismissal is completely unacceptable when it comes to food safety and guest well-being. To top it all off, the bar staff were inconsistent. I asked for an Amaretto Sour, and they refused to make it, saying it wasn’t on the menu—even though the menu specifically says to ask if you want a cocktail that isn’t listed. The next day, I asked again, and this time, they made it with no issue. It just showed how disorganized and unhelpful the staff could be. Overall, what was meant to be a special birthday trip turned into a stressful and uncomfortable experience. Whether this treatment was due to poor training or something more concerning, I can’t say—but I do know that I won’t be returning and wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone.

We have just returned from a family holiday staying in one of the self catering apartments on site. Having read the reviews before we went, we knew that there were a lot of areas that needed improving. That said, we weren’t quite expecting there to be as great a need for improvement as there was in reality. The biggest disappointment was food. We had booked breakfast which was abysmal. There are continental style buffet tables laid out in the hallway between the dining room and orangerie where most guests are seated for breakfast which is quite awkward manoeuvring between other guests. Food on offer on the buffet tables includes granola decanted into a glass jar (which comes from a packet and is clumped together) and museli along with boxes of cereals such as coco pops, rice krispies, etc. they do provide some seeds such as chia and pumpkin, jams, butters, breads etc for toasting, yogurts and fruit. Fruit selection was really poor and was going off most days. The hot selection of breakfast food should have been quite appetising but in reality it was cold and soggy. We heard several guests complaining to the waiting staff each morning - who did confirm the eggs, sausages, etc. had been sitting out since 7:30 that morning and weren't being replenished. We tried several items on the hot food breakfast menu but sadly it was all very bland, soggy and cold - pancakes, waffles, eggs, etc. One morning for example a single waffle would arrive on a saucer from the kitchen with berry compot and another morning you would receive several on a larger plate - there was a lack of consistency. We did not eat dinner at the hotel because we had read other reviews, had poor breakfast over several mornings and had walked past dinner being served on the first evening which looked like a pretty dry, small, burger from what was quite an expensive food menu - if you do stay here I would advise to eat in one of the many nice pubs for the same price or less. The hotel is very dated and communal areas aren't kept particularly clean. Our accommodation was suitable for pets so perhaps the main hotel bedrooms or other rooms in the self catering area are of a higher standard but from what we can review - carpets and sofas stained, missing crockery and cutlery, a very small fridge with no freezer compartment, a lot of bugs and spiders in the apartment (it was very warm and so windows were open upon our arrival which probably brought in a lot of bugs). Beds were clean and comfortable, showers were good with hot water, cleaners replenished towels and cleaned our area. Staff were friendly but young with little say over the areas that need changing and improving. The Ickworth Estate is beautiful with wonderful areas for the children to play - we hired bikes from the National Trust kiosk on two separate days and completed the trails, took a picnic and really enjoyed it. Played tennis and used the pool. The pool itself was clean but the changing area was very dirty and rundown. We stayed outside peak times therefore we were not unhappy with the price paid for dog friendly accommodation on what is a lovely National Trust estate, but we wish we had not paid for breakfast and done our own in the little kitchenette in our apartment - we could not justify the prices that they charge for school holiday times or for the food. Overall, we won't be back to the hotel but the estate is lovely.

Was brought the spa day package for an 25th anniversary. I was lovely from start to finish. Beautiful surroundings, staff so welcoming and all so friendly. I had a treatment book with my husband who decided to pass up on the opportunity and relax in the lounge with a cup of tea.The staff were so kind and extended my appointment so I could have both . Wonderful facial and body scrub. They were so kind and even phoned reception to move back our lunch reservation time for us. Food was amazing, lovely choice of food. Also a lovely touch of free pots of tea while enjoying your day . Pool area wonderful, good changing facilities. We went in the afternoon as a much quieter time. The whole place felt laidback , loved the fact there were wellies on the doorstep and tennis rackets near the back entrance. Really made you feel welcome. This visit has really made me want to do the day again and stay over next time .