Retreat East

Retreat East Reviews

Retreat East

Brick Kiln Farm, Sandy Lane, Hemingstone, IP6 9QE, United KingdomView Hotel Details
Retreat East
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1 night

Retreat East Guest Reviews

4.4/5
Very Good
40 Reviews
Verified reviews
Location4.4
Amenities4.4
Service4.4
Cleanliness4.4
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Positive reviews(39)
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Negative reviews(1)
Lorraine B
Checked in Aug 2024
Couples
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on Aug 23, 2024
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.
Response from Property: Thank you for your fantastic review! We're delighted that you enjoyed our secluded retreat, with its trails, bikes, and spa, as well as the nearby Ipswich. It's great to hear you had such an outstanding experience at The Great Barn—returning for a second dinner is the best compliment! We’re glad the vegetable consommé and other dishes impressed you, and we’ll share your kind words with the team. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!
Guest User
Checked in Oct 2024
Other
2.0/5
Posted on Oct 29, 2024
Visited Retreat East Spa for the first and probably last time. Went with my sister for our rescheduled birthday treat. Our first date was cancelled on the day due to staffing emergencies. We were compensated with an additional 30 minute facial treatment, which was a nice add on, but sadly the treatments I had were not worth the 'free' upgrade. My sister thoroughly enjoyed her treatments with Emma, but mine were OK. I feel always disappointed when going for spa treatments as the whole experience really comes down to how experienced and good the massage therapist is. Spa facilities were not great, very small changing room with no showers. Steam room smelt funny and mouldy, with water coming up to your ankles. Had one hour to use just a steam room and sauna. Cold showers were out of order. No area to wait in between so left sitting in our robes in a small walk way from the main dining hall. The spa reception was also in the main dining hall which was a little odd as well. Afternoon tea was OK but they had tried too hard with the food to make it fancy, that it looked better than it tasted. Also a bit of an odd experience sitting in our robes when everyone else was in their normal clothes, as it is also open to the public and hotel guests. Private hottub we didn't even get in. The water looked scummy and disgusting and wasn't even hot. We had one hour use of it, but decided to get changed and go home! The whole day felt a bit muddled and not the luxury spa experience we were expecting. Very disappointing when it has so much potential in such an idyllic countryside setting. It might be a better experience staying over here, but definitely wouldn't recommend the spa.
Guest User
Checked in Sep 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on Sep 26, 2024
A two night stay in The Burrow with two friends. It was fabulous. The Burrow is really cute! Has a fully functional kitchen, a seating area and a gorgeous little breakfast snug. Two bedrooms with en-suite either side and a decking area with a table and chairs. Impeccably clean. Dinner in the restaurant was superb. Healthy, decent portions and great service. Continental breakfast the next day was deliciously fresh, with cereal, fruit, croissant, toast and cold meat. We weren't rushed at all and could have whiled away our day over breakfast alone. Had the mini retreat spa treatment which was divine. I cannot fault this place and want to return as soon as possible.
Phoebe H
Checked in Sep 2024
Couples
4.0/5
Very Good
Posted on Sep 18, 2024
We had a lovely stay at Retreat East. Pros: Spa treatment was 10/10 Food was delicious Reception very helpful and pleasant Comfortable bed Evening meal couldn’t be faulted including time of service and waitering staff. Lovely walks Cons: Very slow food service (breakfast & lunch). At lunch it took 45mins to get a club sandwich & poached eggs on toast… which made it then very close to using the complimentary spa facilities. When we sat down for lunch it felt that staff avoided coming over to take our order. Outside tables were left with dirty plates, cups, and glasses outside. I was excited to see the allotment garden but it looked very neglected - many weeds. Complimentary spa was nice, but it was odd having to walk outside past people eating in your towels to get to the hot tub.
Response from Property: Thank you for sharing your feedback about your stay at Retreat East! We're delighted to hear that you had a lovely experience overall and appreciated many aspects of your visit, from the relaxing spa treatments to the delicious food and scenic walks. We’re sorry to learn about the delays during breakfast and lunch service. Your comments are invaluable, and we’ll ensure the team addresses these concerns so future guests have a smoother dining experience. We also appreciate your remarks about the outdoor tables and allotment garden, and we’ll work on improving these areas for a more polished experience. We hope to welcome you back soon!
Scoty28
Checked in Aug 2024
Family
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on Aug 28, 2024
Enjoyed a relaxing night away with my daughter in a cosy shepherds hut. We took advantage of all the benefits included in the overnight price. The half hour slots in the outdoor hot tub, and the sauna area gave us privacy to enjoy the experience together. Peaceful to chill out in our robes afterwards, sitting outside our cabin overlooking the fields. Dinner in the Great Barn was delicious and well presented (we had Guinea fowl breast with a spring roll filled with leg, served with lentils and apricots). Following morning, we enjoyed croissants and muffins at an outdoor table before using the complimentary hire bikes to cycle for lunch at the farm shop at Alder Carr. A really lovely stay that felt like more than just a night away.
Response from Property: Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that you and your daughter had such a relaxing and memorable stay in our cosy shepherd's hut. It's great that you made the most of all the amenities included, from the private hot tub and sauna experience to the peaceful moments overlooking the fields. We're also thrilled that you enjoyed your dinner at the Great Barn, especially the Guinea fowl—our chefs will be pleased to hear your kind words! It sounds like you had a perfect morning as well. We're so glad that your stay felt like more than just a night away, and we hope to welcome you both back for another relaxing retreat soon!
Karen J
Checked in Aug 2024
Family
4.0/5
Very Good
Posted on Aug 20, 2024
I booked the Farmhouse for my sisters Hen party, there were 5 of us so needed the biggest accommodation on offer Accommodation The Farmhouse is very quaint with lots of original features but there are a few things that made it disappointing for us. First of all three of the bedrooms are decorated really nicely but the fourth bedroom, which has two single beds is in the smallest room and painted the most horrible dark green, this makes it really oppressive especially as one of the beds is right in front of the window. Because of this my daughter and my niece wouldn't stay in it so ended up sharing with me and my sister. this isn't really acceptable especially as my daughter had paid the same as everyone else for the house. Secondly the house is fall of spiders and spider webs. No one expects there not to be the odd spider in an old house but they have obviously been there a long time and never cleaned up Finally, whilst we were blessed to have lovely warm weather it also meant the bedrooms were very hot. Only one bedroom had a window that opened whilst ours had three broken window panes that was clearly too costly to replace so covered it over with a sheet of perspex rendering the window permanently sealed shut Restaurant The food was really nice, especially afternoon tea but the service was soooooo slow, even though it was fairly empty it was always a wait time of around 30 plus minutes, for every meal, whatever we asked for. Seemed to be very short on staff as was quite difficult to find anyone. Spa /Yoga We had booked the Spa day package which was really lovely. especially the treatments, the ladies were knowledgable in the service they provided and we all throughly enjoyed the day. On the Sunday we had booked Yoga in the meadow, this was heavenly and the instructor was excellent, even adapting the moves to help my daughter who had hurt her foot Overall we had a fantastic time we just felt it was let down by the conditions of the house and restaurant service
Response from Property: Thank you for your detailed feedback. We're glad to hear that you had a fantastic time overall and enjoyed the spa treatments, yoga sessions, and meals. We appreciate your kind words about the Farmhouse's charm and original features. We’re sorry to hear that some aspects of your stay didn’t meet expectations. We take your comments about the bedroom decor, cleanliness, and window issues seriously, and we’ll work on addressing these concerns to improve our guest experience. We also apologise for the delays in service at the restaurant and will ensure we review our staffing to provide more efficient service. Thank you again for choosing us for such a special occasion. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for an even better experience in the future.
Guest User
Checked in Jul 2024
Other
3.0/5
Posted on Jul 31, 2024
A long walk up partial gravel/dusty road from car park for our afternoon tea, which would be even worse in bad weather & was not nice in heat or heels. No sign to confirm which way to the main building from there & there was another track out of the car park which luckily we didn’t take. All seemed a bit hit & miss. Lovely surroundings, but we entered the barn & just stood waiting for someone to wander in, even though we were booked so they should have been aware we were due. Table was incredibly sticky, which apparently was due to being treated & it not being fully dry. I am vegetarian but only abstain from meat which I emphasised when booking. Instead of the lovely open salmon sandwich my hubby had, I got grated cheese on a bit of bread with the largest pile of sickly pickle I’ve ever seen. Really? Such a lack of effort. The wafer thin cucumber sandwich was just like eating dry bread, hardly visible cucumber & no moisture. The rest of the tea was really nice, though I don’t consider a square of sugared jelly appetising & I left it. On vacating our table we went to the desk & presented our gift card. The lady had to go to the bar area to verify/confirm it. A different lady returned with our card, tapped the screen for a bit, then went to go back to the bar area. I questioned why & she said the card needed to be verified or whatever. I queried why this wasn’t done on arrival & she said “we didn’t have your card”, & I confirmed I offered it on arrival but was told it wasn’t necessary. Having to go back & forth 3 times to verify it? All a bit of a faff & frankly annoying. It would have been nice also, to have had a fresh plate for desserts, as my plate had pickle all over it . A fresh knife for the scone as we had used ours on savouries. We asked for & were given them, but it’s just not considered beforehand. To relax with our cuppa after eating, a few magazines or newspapers would be great, which we’ve had at other venues. On leaving the site, a banner on the verge completely obscures the view to the right, so it’s impossible to see if a vehicle is coming. Sorry Retreat East, but you could do with being a bit sharper. Why didn’t we say something whilst there? Because we didn’t want to feel awkward on our treat from our son & it wouldn’t have altered the situation. I tried to send a private feedback message but there didn’t seem an option on the website.
Guest User
Checked in Jul 2024
Other
3.0/5
Posted on Jul 21, 2024
We're a couple who travel on a regular basis and stayed in many varied places in the UK. Congratulations for coming up with a unique style of accommodation and facilities which I'm sure will suite many people. I'm afraid our stay didn't leave us with a feeling of having enjoyed our experience. We arrived at lunch time so decided to visit the restaurant. We only wanted a light lunch as we had booked in for dinner. Between us we had a cheese and onion sandwich, club sandwich and 3 glasses of sparkling water. The price charged was £39:48, and the presentation left a lot to be desired, no garnish and we were sadly left with the impression they just couldn't be bothered. Because of our lunch experience we cancelled our dinner and went to a local pub for dinner. Unable to comment on comfort of accommodation as we unfortunately had to leave because of family issues.
Explorer17852842257
Checked in Jul 2024
Travel with friends
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on Jul 8, 2024
Lovely relaxing place to spend a weekend, the rooms are beautiful, food is excellent and the staff are outstanding, fabulous outdoor bath too. We got on the bikes supplied by Retreat East to explore, the countryside is gorgeous. You will love this place.
Guest User
Checked in Jun 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on Jun 17, 2024
I organised a weekend retreat for my running and wellness group and Retreat East delivered on all accounts. The accommodation was stunning, the food was delicious and the customer service went above and beyond to ensure we'd have a fantastic stay. Will happily return again.
Guest User
Checked in Jun 2024
Other
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on Jun 10, 2024
We had a lovely 2 night stay in a shepherd’s hut, we stayed in the cote which had a lovely view and felt very private with a pleasant decking area we enjoyed in the evening. The huts are small as you’d expect, the beds are super comfy and there were some nice touches to welcome you in. We loved the bookable exclusive use of the gym, hot tub and the sauna/steam room, this was great. We ate lunch and dinner at the great barn, the food was tasty and the breakfast was nice. All the staff were great but especially Richard whose presence made everything run smoothly, he was attentive and bought a professional but very personable feel to our visit, you felt like you were in good hands. Thanks for an enjoyable stay 😊
Guest User
Checked in Jun 2024
Couples
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on Jun 10, 2024
Just returned from our first stay at Retreat East. An amazing venue, the barn we had (Granary) was spotless, large and very comfortable with a small enclosed area where our dog could safely go about her business. Everyone we met was very helpful and accommodating. All meals we had were also very tasty and of excellent quality. Its very secluded and the car park is a bit of a way from the barns and may benefit from some form of entry /exit system to ensure the cars are safe, but we didn’t experience any issues whilst we were there. A very good find and we will certainly return.
Guest User
Checked in Jun 2024
Couples
5.0/5
Outstanding
Posted on Jun 8, 2024
A lovely relaxing stay, it’s very peaceful and the staff and very welcoming. The afternoon tea was wonderful and the food is of a high standard. We stayed in the piggery which has its own courtyard and is quite spacious. If you need peace and quiet and want to escape for a few days it’s perfect.
Guest User
Checked in Jun 2024
Other
4.0/5
Very Good
Posted on Jun 1, 2024
This is a lovely place to stay. All staff are chatty, friendly and helpful. We did have to ask if we could have new cushions for the outside seating area as they were soaking wet. Maybe they should have a place for these to be stored in the huts as the swing chair cushion had started to turn green. Also as it’s such a beautiful venue, although some bits looked a bit tired, I couldn’t work out why there is white sheeting around different outside areas when they could have used fake greenery, it just didn’t look nice.
Guest User
Checked in May 2024
Other
3.0/5
Posted on May 31, 2024
Summary: Lovely, quiet, peaceful location. Ideal for a quick getaway break and some R&R. But, price and atmosphere just take that edge off. Average, not exceptional. Food: We chose to eat locally rather than at Retreat East, except for breakfast which was pleasant but pricey for what it was. £9 for a bacon sandwich is something you’d expect to find in a fancy London restaurant, not here. A shame. Atmosphere: Sadly, the atmosphere is lacking a little something. It feels a little soulless; somewhat formulaic and generic. Where’s the view into the fields from the bathtub? The personal welcoming touches? The little things to say “you’re here, in the countryside… now relax and enjoy”. They could make so much more of this. Facilities: Facilities are fine - sauna is especially lovely - but the requirement to book a 30 minute slot (that’s your allowance) felt a little too disciplined for a couple wanting to relax and go with the flow. It plays into the very formulaic, less personal feel to Retreat East. It’s a shame. Now, don’t get me wrong, I see why they do it, but when it’s not overly busy it’s a shame the rules are enforced. I also didn’t realise there was a small gym until checking out, a shame it wasn’t mentioned before. Accommodation: The accommodation was lovely. Bed very comfy and we slept like logs. The outdoor bath was a real plus. Very private and tranquil and one of the reasons we booked this particular accommodation. Cleanliness: While generally very clean throughout, it was a shame to notice under the bed seemingly hadn’t been cleaned in a long time with lots of dust rolls. Fortunately I only noticed as I went to retrieve an escaped AirPod before checking out, but not what you expect for premium accommodation. Car parking: The car park is a short walk away and there’s a bit of a fuss about not parking on site overnight. Even the suggestion of a £50 fine in the welcome brochure. However, we found people tended to park on site closer to the accommodation overnight and the rules are seemingly not enforced. We stuck to the rules, of course. They have EV charging, including a Tesla fast charger nearer to the accommodation and there’s also accessible parking but note that most pathways are gravel which could be tricky for wheelchair users. Pricing: We got the midweek price deal which was still a little steep all things considered. We’d be happy to pay this price for a little more soul and greater freedom around facility use. Summary: Difficult to rate this one. The price doesn’t quite match the experience, a little steep when cleanliness and facilities are taken into account. The price of food also not helping here. But, still a lovely site in a nice countryside location where you do truly feel able to relax. I wouldn’t knock it, and I’d certainly come back. I just hope they can make it feel a bit more special, a bit more personal and less formulaic. That way, they might just help it find its soul. It’s just missing that extra some