The Ickworth Hotel and Spa, set on the National Trust Ickworth estate near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, has reopened after a six-month closure and full refurbishment. It is one of five UK properties owned by Luxury Family Hotels (LFH), a brand that describes itself as ‘family-focused, not just family-friendly’.
Despite that tagline, the hotel looks elegant and grown-up, with soft furnishings that would not usually survive a family home. Its main selling point is childcare: an Ofsted-registered nursery where parents can drop off children while enjoying the spa.
First impressions and accommodation
The reviewer stayed in the two-bedroom Theodora suite (from £530 per night), which felt decadently large, with a spacious master bedroom, a generously sized children’s room, and a bathroom with twin sinks. The new interiors blend heritage references with a playful twist, such as horsey artwork and jazzy curtains.
The hotel provides a Bugaboo travel cot or bed guards on booking, plus toddler toilet seats, bathroom steps, baby monitors and a Yoto story box on request. A hobby horse, bubbles and a children’s book were a lovely surprise touch.
The in-laws stayed in one of the Cosy Rooms (from £205 per night), which are much smaller. Their only gripe was that the bed was two twins pushed together, creating a gap in the night. The hotel has a lift and ramp access, though there are a few steps up to the Theodora suite.
Grounds, facilities and childcare
The grounds include lawn games, a small playpark with musical instruments, a swing, a mini trampoline and a slide, plus a mud kitchen, a giant giraffe statue and two resident bunnies. For older children, there is a games room, a cinema in the basement and a tennis court.
The spa is set in a pretty walled garden, with a hot tub, sauna and steam room. There is also a pool with toys and floats provided during child-specific hours.
Every night’s stay includes two complimentary hours at the Four Bears Den, the hotel’s Ofsted-registered kids’ club for children aged three months to eight years, subject to pre-booking and availability. Parents fill in a form about their child in advance, and staff double-checked details at drop-off, including where an EpiPen would be kept and help with toilet training. The reviewer’s son was tearful at pick-up, though staff said they had managed to ‘distract him’.
Food, drink and minor drawbacks
The Conservatory restaurant is designed for families, with meals for all ages, high chairs, sippy cups, bibs and toddler-friendly cutlery. At 5pm, toddlers feast on complimentary crudités or colour until dinner. Grown-up dinner options include fish and chips, a burger, handmade pappardelle, cheese soufflé and pan-roasted trout, with desserts the real highlight.
On the second night, the grandparents babysat while the reviewer and her husband had a solo dinner at 8pm, when the restaurant was empty. The only downsides were staff turnover following the refurbishment, leading to longer waits for drinks and lunch, and some finishing touches needing refinement, such as a previous guest’s food left in the fridge and the toddler toilet seat and steps not being in the room on arrival.
Overall, The Ickworth ticked almost every box for a family holiday catering to every generation, feeling like a home-from-home with much nicer wallpaper. The environment is relaxed and not overly programmed. Give it a few weeks to find its feet after the refurbishment, and it is likely to be a hotel worth returning to.
