Ickworth Hotel

We booked this hotel to celebrate our wedding anniversary, expecting a luxury experience that matched the premium price and the hotel's reputation as a destination for young families. Unfortunately, our stay fell well below expectations from start to finish. The only reason this is a 2-star review rather than 1 or 0 stars is because, after we raised the multiple serious concerns during our stay, management acknowledged the failings and refunded the cost of our stay. Customer service was consistently poor throughout. Almost every interaction involved delays, incorrect food or drink orders, or having to chase staff for assistance. Mistakes were rarely dealt with efficiently, and it felt as though the team lacked the training and organisation expected of a hotel with this level of prestige. The restaurant layout also created an uncomfortable atmosphere. As the kitchen is open directly onto one of the dining areas, guests can clearly hear conversations between staff. During our meals, it was difficult not to overhear staff discussing customers, which felt unprofessional and detracted from what should have been a relaxed dining experience. Our anniversary dinner was particularly disappointing. My wife's meal contained pieces of foil that had been cooked into the food. Although the kitchen remade the dish, it meant we ate separately. For what was meant to be a special celebration, this completely ruined the experience. Both of our meals were relatively average for the fine dining price tag. The most concerning issue occurred when we went to bed and discovered electrical copper wire shavings scattered all over the sheets and beneath the pillows. It appeared maintenance work had taken place after housekeeping had prepared the room, and no final inspection had been carried out before we checked in. As we were travelling with a baby, this represented a serious safety risk and was completely unacceptable. To make matters worse, the room itself was uncomfortable. Despite being advertised as having a king-size bed, it was not, the room was excessively warm, and the air conditioning sounded like a jet taking off. As a result, none of us had a particularly good night's sleep. One genuine highlight of the trip was the beautiful National Trust grounds surrounding the hotel. The estate is stunning, with excellent play areas for children and a lovely "Summer of Play" event that our family thoroughly enjoyed. However, it's important to recognise that these attractions are provided by the National Trust rather than The Ickworth Hotel itself and should not be confused with the hotel experience. By the following morning, we simply wanted to leave. We packed up and checked out well before the official check-out time because we couldn't wait to get home. While we appreciate that management ultimately took responsibility for our stay, refunded our booking, and appeared to take on board the feedback we shared in person at check-out, the overall experience was disjointed, stressful, and nowhere near the premium standard we expected. Sadly, we left feeling disappointed rather than relaxed, and we would not return or recommend the hotel based on our experience.

Amazing break for the three of us ( mum dad and 1 year old ) Room was great, food was amazing, swimming pool was perfect but what made it especially great was the staff. Shout out to lando and the two Maisies who were incredible. Would defo recommend to anyone with small kids,

The Ickworth positions itself as a luxury family hotel, and there are genuine highlights — the rooms are lovely, the kids club is excellent and the cinema is a nice touch. However, at close to £700 for one night, the overall experience falls short of what that price point should deliver. The hotel is clearly mid-refurbishment, and while the interior has been beautifully updated, the surrounding grounds haven't caught up. The gardens feel incomplete — the landscaping is unfinished, one of the play areas is in a state of disrepair and another remains closed off behind a fence. For a hotel that markets itself heavily on outdoor family activities, this is a noticeable gap. The pool, while usable, has no shallow end and very limited safety equipment for younger children — something worth being aware of for families with toddlers. The spa facilities are pleasant but come with an additional £25 per person charge for access to what is essentially a small outdoor terrace with a jacuzzi and sauna — an unexpected extra cost at this price level. Service in the garden was slow due to limited staff, and the main dining room felt unnecessarily cramped given the beautiful orangery was sitting empty — though when we asked to move, the team were happy to accommodate us. The Ickworth has real potential and the bones of a genuinely special family retreat are here. It just feels as though it has opened at full price before the full experience is ready to match. Worth watching for when the refurbishment is complete.

What an amazing afternoon tea we had at the Ickworth Hotel. It was superb! The atmosphere, surroundings and staff didn’t disappoint. Would thoroughly recommend a visit.

This must be somewhere amongst our 20th visit since our now adult children were babies! We have utterly fallen in love with this place and its staff, and its recent makeover has taken things to a new level. Historically whenever we have been on holiday anywhere, we’ve always been really glad to return to our beautiful home. NOT this time, our visit to Ickworth this time left us feeling borderline depressed to leave! The staff are simply amazing, and that’s EVERYONE we encountered, Not just reception, the waiting staff, the housemaids, even the kitchen staff for example would wave and smile as we and our inquisitive little one would watch them at work creating the amazing food they do!! The grounds are stunning, the staff are amazing, the food is amazing, the newly refurbished place is beautiful . We were staying just a few weeks after reopening after refurbishment, in 35 degree heatwave, so frankly my expectations were low, as I thought everything was stacked against them! My daughter’s expectation to the contrary was sky high! She’s always thoroughly enjoyed this place and to be returning as a family once again in adulthood was such an exciting prospect for her, that to these ends, she felt she could only therefore feel satisfied at best or more likely disappointed! She need not have worried! Her visit surpasses her expectations!!!! And that is extremely rare, when have we ever had high expectations of a place or experience that have been utterly surpassed!! In life you have people who leave negative reviews, and occasionally, I’ve felt it necessary to do so myself, but in a constructive way. And it’s fair to say that historically, I’ve had criticisms of this place, BUT anyone who criticises this place now, such would say more about THEM than this establishment! There are always times when something might not be fully on point, when you consider how many aspects of a hotel stay there are, pool, food, cleanliness, staff, facilities etc. etc. Any reasonable rational person will look at a stay in the round. And given this perspective, I simply cannot see how anyone could possibly leave anything other than 5 stars as it currently is.