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.

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.

We had high hopes for Retreat East as a venue for a significant family event, given our previous stays. However, our experience with their service has been nothing short of appalling. We arranged an in-person visit to discuss hosting our event and made a considerable effort to get there, bringing my partner and our newborn along. Retreat East isn’t exactly somewhere you just “pop in”—it involved time off work and a three-hour round trip for us. Upon arrival, we were told that the events manager, Caitlyn, wasn’t there—she had simply forgotten about the meeting. No apology, no explanation, no attempt to rectify the situation. Thinking this must be a one-off mistake, I followed up with Leyton, their commercial director, expecting at least some form of acknowledgment. Instead, I was completely ignored. No response, no accountability—just silence. Retreat East is undeniably a beautiful venue, and we’ve enjoyed staying there before. But while the accommodation might be 4-star, the service is firmly in the 1-star category. Their brand promises a premium experience, yet their actual service is completely misaligned with that image. No doubt they’ll respond to this review with a generic insincere “We’re sorry you feel this way” message, but if you look at other negative reviews—both here and elsewhere—you’ll notice a consistent theme: poor service, lack of accountability, and an unwillingness to improve. Unfortunately, our experience was just another example of that. Very disappointing, and I’d strongly caution anyone considering them for an event.

Worst service given then expected to add service to bill !!! Food good, drinks expensive, service awful .. it was as if the waitresses didn’t want to be there, no smiles no pleasantries, it was an effort for them to serve us. Surroundings lovely but let down by sullen waitresses