The Ickworth Hotel

Went as a treat for afternoon tea. We were seated in the conservatory which upon entering looks lovely, close up however is a different matter. We were shown to our table which was very scratched, felt sticky and stained covers on the chairs. We ordered drinks and 2 afternoon teas, which had been paid for in advance. After 20 minutes we had to ask if our drinks were coming. Food was average, certainly not worth the price tag, cheese in a sandwich felt as if it had been left out of the fridge and gone rubbery. Lots of young inexperienced waiting staff, no real sign of a dress code or training evident. Disappointing to say the least. Cost with 1 glass of wine £84! We will not be returning, expected so much more.

The food at the Ickworth was truly disappointing. It is not a cheap hotel (£310 a night) and the whole place needed a lot of love. But in particular the food and service was very poor. The food/drink staff were all very young and clearly had not been trained properly, they did not know what to do and were at time incompetent (dropping a tray of glasses over my 2 year old). Multiple times food came that was not what was on the menu with no warning or information. Service was slow and inattentive. The atmosphere was drab with no attempt to do anything than have an open room. In every eating location there were bottles of cleaner and rags left on the side in view of dinners, often alongside menus/cutlery etc that was a complete mess. Our meal on the Saturday night was awful - cheese soufflé that tasted like scrambled egg with a tiny bit of cheese, lemon sole fillet that had not been gutted properly so some of the guts were still present. Green been that were swimming in harissa and totally inedible. Side dishes that came 15 minutes after the mains. I could go on (to be fair after we complained they did refund all of the food for the meal). Such a shame as the grounds are amazing and the reception staff were also very friendly and looked after us well

Shabby and failing to be chic.We had attentive serviceand the staff well and truly make this place but considering the price they charge for a stay on a weekend the venue is truly worn and torn and in need of a serious bit of maintenance.First there is the cosmetic aspects: black mould in the shower/bathroom silicone (we stayed in the Lodge), curtains that weren't hanging on their curtain rings properly, a leak in the spa treatment room dripping brown water into the shower from the ceiling. Ironing board but no iron (we stayed in the Lodge which is a good 15 min walk from the main hotel and they refused to send anyone over between 8pm and 9am. So crinkled shirt it was....)Secondly - there are the down right dangerous and negligent health and safety aspects. The uneven car park concrete which has now caused thousands of pounds of damage to the underside of our car and is a major hazard to pedestrians too. Why they hadn't bothered to mark this hazard with a traffic cone is pure negligence. Management seemed well aware this was a recurring issue too but were unwilling to take responsibility - and it appears can't be bothered to rectify it either. They tried to tell us they were a charity but make no mistake the place is run by the same folks who own the Athenaeum and is for-profit (sure the National Trust may have leased them the wing but the day to day running is the Luxury Family Hotel group). The parking here is really abysmal and it gets very crowded on weekends so you are forced to go to the alternative customer carparking by the butlers quarters"/maintenance workshops.I know management will respond to say we weren't forced to park there - but why have a concrete surface car park designated as a car park when it's clearly a hazard? Just stick a traffic cone there if you haven't quite got the budget to repair it

What a fabulous find this hotel was. We stayed for just one night whilst visiting the area for a wedding. The hotel is beautiful, the staff were so nice it was a real shame we had such a brief stay.There's so much to do here, especially for kids, they really do cater for little ones so well, lots of activities to keep them engaged, and plenty for mum and dad too! We will certainly be coming back for a longer stay some time soon.

The concept (family-orientated luxury break) is great, but £3,000 for a three night stay for two adults plus 5yo and 2yo is too much. Food was not good and the price did not match the standard of accommodation; lumpy mattresses, small beds, stains across the soft furnishings, water leaking in through the roof and windows. Faded grandeur of the ancestral family estate repeating itself.

Had a great stay. It is a truly family friendly place and the nursery and children's library were a big hit with our little girl. The grounds and building itself are stunning and service was great. Pool was nice and warm with lots of floaties.Dinner was excellent, lunch a bit limited so would advise going out for it. Afternoon tea needs to be booked in advance. They say dogs aren't allowed off lead but there are safe places to let them off nearby. Changing facilities at the pool a bit limited and access involves going outside so using the robes probably the best option.

Went for Sunday lunch, staff friendly and food delicious, only slight downfall was the wait on mains, watching other tables meals come out before ours who ordered later slightly disappointing, also dessert order not correct but we ate it anyway. The staff though as mentioned were great, apologetic and understanding.

Interesting building, fantastic grounds, other than that a bit shabby, rundown, slack service, cleaning and security. Having said all that, the sun shone so I enjoyed it.

Went for a spa treatment and cream tea (part of a package.) The place was delightful and we were made very welcome and offered free tea or coffee as part of the package.Facial and back massage were wonderful and so relaxing.We also got a free upgrade to afternoon tea as one of our therapists was not available, so we had to have our treatments separately. But that was no bother. Lovely to sit in the drawing room and contemplate the gardens, or read a book in the library.Can recommend tea in the conservatory. Everyone was so helpful and friendly. Will definitely return.

We stayed at the Ickworth for 3 nights as a family of 3. The hotel was nice - our room was spacious and well-catered for for our baby (travel cot and blankets) but no facilities to prep formula. The staff were very attentive and helpful. The hotel's decor seems a little faded in parts which could add to its charm. The hotel comes into its own because of the wide array of child-friendly activities best suited to toddlers and young children: there are three film screenings per day to suit all age-ranges. There is a table tennis table and the children's library is fantastic. The grounds surrounding the hotel encourage children to explore nature and enjoy facilities like their trampoline.We swam in the swimming pool twice. The water temperature was ideal for our baby and we enjoyed the calm atmosphere during our swims.The grounds around the hotel are brilliant. There are three or four different walking trails to do. We enjoyed doing a big walk exploring the area and spotting all the sheep in the fields nearby - sometimes walking through a flock of sheep in our path The local church in the area is well-worth a visit.We ate at the Ickworth restaurant for dinner twice during our stay. The food was average; there was a nice selection and variety of dishes. However, we felt the prices were far too inflated and expensive. A burger (the cheapest dish on the menu) was £19! We felt the service was a little slow despite the restaurant not being particularly busy. We were put in the restaurant part of the hotel rather than the family-friendly conservatory and felt we'd been left out slightly when we were in this room.We'd eat there again if the service was quicker and the prices were cheaper.