We arrive at the East Wing of the National Trust property, feeling very special. It soon becomes clear that children are not tolerated here: they are welcomed with open arms. ‘We are hands on hoteliers here, Dave the manager tells me, ‘We don't sit behind our desks.’
Dave shows us to our beautiful room which overlooks the 1,800 acres of National Trust parkland. My little boy lept on the extensive selection of DVDs available, and I was delighted to see that the bathroom, complete with armchair and sofa, was so huge that it could double as an office, while my toddler slept in the huge, comfortable bed.
There appears to be little compromise here. Couples get their fill of romance: a view of the sun setting over the rotunda, a huge glass of good wine in hand, with the prospect of a large bath tub to sink into. Yet, at the same time, kids get to enjoy nightly cinema showings, an Ofsted-registered crèche that only closes only Christmas day, as well as an onsite adventure playground and swimming pool. And who wouldn’t love free jelly at supper?
In the sunshine-filled conservatory, my boy and me met two discerning bankers with their baby over breakfast who proclaimed: ‘The Ickworth is much better than the Four Seasons’. They loved the food, comfortable lounges where little ones are welcome and that their one-year-old was allowed to take toys and books from the play area to their room.
This last feature is a godsend to parents struggling to squeeze everything into their suitcases, but is just one example of how the Ickworth offers something special to families. The staff happily washed our clothes which had got muddy on our outings, I saw one of them make a date to clean the pool with a five year old and older guests with dogs happily hanging out with resident teenagers.
We made use of the Tesco Express just down the road to stock up with nappies and juice, but had just a couple of gripes: there’s no fridge, or child locks on the windows.
We made a date to go swimming with a woman with three kids under five – the fact that she looked so relaxed, despite the youngest being just two months old was testament to the special atmosphere that prevails at this place. We took a lovely cycle ride through the grounds and, picnicking in a shelter near the lake, my son eagerly announced that he wanted to spend all his holidays here. With its pool room, cinema showings and Wii, I could easily see it easily entertaining him for the next ten years.
The website reads: ‘The East Wing at Ickworth in Suffolk was home to the Hervey family for almost 200 years. It has now been transformed into one of the most remarkable luxury family-friendly hotels the UK has ever seen’. My boy and me would have to agree.
www.ickworthhotel.co.uk
www.luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk
Posts
