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.

Me and my partner had such a lovely time staying at the Retreat East. When we arrived, the staff were so helpful checking in us and providing us with a tour. The cabin was incredibly clean, with a cute welcome basket given too! It was beyond peaceful. The staff were also so friendly at breakfast and the food was delicious! We had a great time.

We stayed for 2 nights in The Coop. Lovely room, spacious with nice decor & comfy bed. As for the downsides, while appearing to have a full kitchen (& plenty of space to do so) it’s just a toaster, fridge & sink - there’s no way to heat up food which is a complete miss & just quite frustrating. The outdoor bath is lovely but the decking is green & covered with algae, the outdoor furniture + cushions were green & no one would want to sit on them. As for the bathroom, there’s no space or shelf for you to put any make up or skin care on & there’s a rainfall shower but no separate hose for when you don’t want to wash your hair. Given the price tag, £350 per night, I don’t think it’s good enough to have blankets from Dunelm & fake plastic green trellis up in the outdoor space or supply such a small amount of firewood (enough for 2/3 hrs) & then charge for more. In addition, the included breakfast was a poor continental offering of croissants, bread, cheese and yogurts. Again, for £350 a night, everywhere else I’ve stayed would include a hot breakfast buffet or made to order dishes. Lastly, I’d tried to contact the “spa” to book in via email ahead of our stay but got no response past my first email so we didn’t experience. All the staff were lovely & kind but unfortunately, for the price, Retreat East feels a little rough round the edge compared to similar properties like Farmstead Lodges, The Pig, The Ffolkes etc.

We booked a 2 night stay. Communication was good and on arrival the receptionist was extremely friendly and helpful. We stayed in a shepherds hut, which has everything you need in a compact package. The first night we at at the restaurant on site, they use locally sourced ingredients, both the food and service were excellent. Our package also included continental breakfast, again the service and quality were excellent.

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.

Had a wonderful time at Retreat East from start to finish. Booking the venue for our event was easy and no detail was left. The team did a fantastic job in exceeding our expectations, They were efficient and helpful on the day whilst bringing our event to life. Couldn't think of a better venue for an event. I will definitely be returning to this venue and would highly recommend.