Retreat East

Stayed in the farmhouse as a group of six girls in October as a long weekend together and whilst we enjoyed our weekend together we were a little bit disappointed with the accommodation. The farmhouse is lovely and understand it’s a very old building but several aspects of the house are completely filthy and need a clean. I emailed customer care when I got home over a month ago and haven’t heard anything back. Horrible cobwebs everywhere (which I understand could happen in an old building but this just clearly hasn’t been cleaned properly in a long time), cigarette bits outside the patio door, filthy remote control, water marks over all walls in the bathrooms and mould in the freezer. Sofas are also quite marked which doesn’t really scream the luxury retreat this is meant to be. There is a window smashed in one of the bedrooms as well and a huge crack in the floor in one of the bedrooms/ ceiling of the kitchen so you can hear everything in one room from below. I would say six adults is probably the max you can fit comfortably without being too cramped. We paid £15 each for breakfast each night of our stay which is not worth it for the continental option!!! The plates aren’t even big enough to fit a slice of toast on and there are very limited options and doesn’t even include a ‘proper coffee’ from the menu. Asked the staff several time to replenish the yogurts and everything was so slow. Some of the group ordered hot food for an additional cost which took 45 minutes to come and it wasn’t busy. Also ordered smoothies which took 30 mins to come as the bar staff had ‘lost the ticket’. So after already paying £15 for breakfast + £4 + £5 smoothie + hot food I noticed on check out they added 13.5% service charge when we received less than average service. I’m not surprised I didn’t hear back via email as when anything was raised to staff it didn’t seem urgent or looking to provide good customer service unfortunately. I would also advise not to come just for a spa day especially in colder months. There is no where to sit and wait apart from the restaurant when a group is in the sauna and steam room area you have to be quiet due to being right next to the treatment rooms.

Lovingly converted barns & outbuildings, make for a private & secluded retreat. Extensive walking trails, bikes on hand & even a small spa space, make staying on the grounds easy but near enough to good golf & the Ipswich towns nightlife & restaurants, to make this an ideal base for a holiday, mini break or event. The restaurant, The Great Barn is outstanding. We went back for a second dinner after a phenomenal first. The vegetable consume was the best i’ve ever had. Nice piece of Hake for my main & duck for my partner, perfectly matching sides, with the potato hey (which we had as a starter) standing out. Everyone very friendly.

We stayed at this resort for one night to celebrate our 10th anniversary, opting to spend a little more than usual for what we hoped would be a special experience. While the location is tranquil and picturesque, offering a peaceful retreat close to Ipswich, the overall experience fell short of our expectations given the price point. The resort seems to lack the warmth and attentive service that would make it feel truly worth the premium. Our one-bedroom barn accommodation was beautifully designed, with a charming four-poster bed and modern heating systems, but there were practical issues that impacted our comfort. The TV was awkwardly positioned, making it difficult to watch from either the sofa or the bed, and the absence of bedside tables left us scrambling for places to put drinks. Despite the impressive heating, we couldn’t adjust it, leading to an uncomfortably hot night. These small oversights detracted from what should have been a seamless, relaxing experience. The spa facilities were a significant disappointment and not what we’d expect from a premium resort. The limited amenities—a single steam room, sauna, hot tub, and one changing room—require advance booking for short 30-minute slots. Waiting in our dressing gowns in the middle of the restaurant between sessions was uncomfortable and awkward, and we were left standing at reception for 10 minutes before anyone attended to us, cutting into our session time with no sincere apology. The steam room had an unpleasant damp smell, and the hot tub water appeared unclean, with a creamy residue on the surface. While the massage I received was relaxing, the overall spa experience was underwhelming and not something I’d recommend for a special occasion. The restaurant had a cosy, romantic ambiance with fairy lights and a roaring fire, but the service didn’t match the setting. Despite being one of only a few tables, we found the staff inattentive, and the food was just average. At the end of the meal, we waited quite a while to receive the bill, which left us feeling underwhelmed. In summary, this resort has the potential to be truly special but is let down by a lack of attention to detail and customer care. Improving the basics—responsive service, well-thought-out facilities, and small moments of surprise and delight—would go a long way in making the experience worthy of the price and occasions it hopes to cater to.

DO NOT book Retreat East unless you are willing to have your fully paid for booking cancelled on you, and be ready to be lied to as to why. We made and paid for a weekend there, the reservation made nearly a year ago. With only a matter of weeks to go I received an email not even a phone call cancelling our booking. They are taking money for filming here, throwing out paid for reservations with no regard for their customers. I hope this doesn’t happen to anyone else. Beware booking weddings here! I dread to think what they would do. Appalling treatment, never have experienced anything so dreadful.

Very disappointed in the service. They just couldn’t get the basic’s right. We reserved a table (by the fire) someone was sitting there and the staff had no notice we reserved even though we had the email. They bring over coffees but just walked off and didn’t offer sugar, had to grab someone and ask. We ordered food, food was pretty good.. but asked for condiments.. didn’t bring over the ketchup so asked again, she brought the smallest little pot so had to ask again for more. Ordered another coffee, again no sugar. I felt like a massive inconvenience, and if I could have helped myself I would. It got very awkward. They then had the audacity to add a gratuity to the bill, needless to say we asked them to take it off. My sister had previously been with friends and said the service was poor but always like to judge for myself. We won’t be back. I will say, the lady in reception was so lovely, I didn’t know where the restaurant was and she actually walked me round and opened the door.. the people in the cafe should take hints and tips from her as she was fab!

From the moment we arrived we received a very warm welcome. Despite the hot tub being out of action (which really didn’t matter as it’s outside and the weather was awful) we enjoyed a special spa day. We were offered drinks on arrival and then throughout the day. Use of the spa facilities which consist of a large sauna and steam room. Due to an over night storm there was no hot water to the spa shower facility and so we were offered a room separate from the spa to shower which was excellent. The lunch was excellent quality in a lovely setting of the Great Barn. We then enjoyed our treatments which were generously extended to 90 minutes because of the hot tub / shower being out of action. The quality of the massage, and facial that my wife enjoyed, were exceptional. Emma and Amber are of the highest standard and explained clearly the process and were very professional. We have enjoyed such treatments around the world but this was of the highest standard. Thank you. A really enjoyable day.