We recently opted for a touch of luxury en famille at The Ickworth Hotel in Suffolk, and lovely it was too!
The hotel, set in the west wing of this amazing National Trust property and former home of the Hervey family, is simply an extraordinary setting, particularly in the early spring sunshine. As you roll through the main gates and across the Capability Brown landscape you begin to get a taster of what life with blue blood must have been like...for a few days we too can pretend.
As we pulled up and walked up the steps of the hotel we were greeted by a range of wellies, a clear indication that somebody has put some thought into what makes a good family break... so far the signs are good. The welcome was warm and friendly, as was the guide who took us to our rooms – a contemporary suite of rooms, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a separate corridor for baby Monty and a sitting area with a TV. It was more than we had expected and gave us more than adequate space for all 5 of us.
The rest of the hotel did not disappoint either. The glorious walled gardens, admittedly bathed in April sunshine, were the perfect place for the kids to hang out safely. The plethora of ride on toys, climbing frames (for all sizes), swings, trampoline and balls kept my brood entertained whilst Rob and I sipped tea, ate a cream tea and watched proudly for at least 5 minutes until the children realised that there were scones in the offing!
My 8 year old will tell you that his favourite part of our time away was the food which was varied, appealing and plentiful! He was particularly enthusiastic about the breakfast (a wide and varied choice that included pancakes and maple syrup) and the pudding at tea time...yes he has a very sweet tooth.
From my perspective the food was healthy, homemade and delicious, although I would say that the portions were too big (and therefore expensive) for our 1 year old and too small for the older two. I think there is room here to vary the portion sizes or I’m told by other mums that some of the other Von Essen Hotels have a buffet which would work too. I’d also say that we could have done with lunch being available a bit earlier as we’re at that stage where Baby Monty has passed his ‘golden moment’ by 11.30am!
Adult mealtimes however were a delight. The food delicious, the wine (too) moreish, the staff charming and the setting glorious. Of particular mention was our waiter who was eager to advise us on our choice of wine, his suggestion of the 2007 Tuscan “Bad Boy” ended up being a particularly memorable choice. We both went to bed having eaten far too much.
My one grumble about hotels has always been the fact that you end up being crammed sardine like in one bedroom, with nowhere to go after the kids have gone to bed. The solution of course is more expensive – interconnecting rooms and a baby listening service within a hotel which is small enough not to be too far away from your offspring. The receptionist raised a note of caution to remind us to switch off the baby listening device when we got upstairs...we wondered how often guests got caught out?
As for things to do, we hired bikes (plenty of choice, bike seats, sizes, helmets and all well maintained) and cycled for ages without leaving the safety of the estate; we ordered the most delicious picnic which we took to the walled vegetable garden (enormously memorable), swam and played tennis. I had a spa treatment (aahh) whilst the kids found the playroom and the Bears’ Den. Frankly we didn’t have time to leave Baby Monty with the carers in the Bears’ Den (2 hours of childcare is included in the price) although it was impressively well stocked and extremely clean.
All in all, my (minor) criticisms are nothing more than nit picking. This place is extremely impressive, as you would expect from the Von Essen chain, well thought out and, dare I say it, extremely family friendly. If you need a treat, then come here, relax and use all the facilities; you’ll leave feeling rested and that somehow your genetic lineage perhaps could have been bluer!
For more information visit The Ickworth Hotel website.
Thank you very much for the very kind words about the recent stay, here with us at the Hotel Ickworth, is very well received and I am pleased that you have such an enjoyable stay.
Posted by: travel recommendations | June 08, 2011 at 03:10 PM