The Ickworth

The pool was separate from the spa area so despite having robes and slippers you still had to get dressed otherwise you had a wet muddy walk back for your spa and food There was a baby and toddler swim class whilst we were in the pool and there were no free beds even if you could relax …. the entrance to the pool area had a muddy mat which once you had changed into your swim costume you had to walk over to get to the pool. The therapists at the spa and the treatment was excellent and made the experience. Food was lovely but due to a conference being catered for they were slow to clear our plates and enquire if we wanted further drinks/dessert.

There is beautiful scenery surrounding the spa/hotel, so plenty to do once you're finished in the spa.

Cannot fault the treatments the therapists were lovely and professional and really enjoyed that part of the afternoon. However there was not much of a welcome meet and greet and explanation of how the afternoon would go on arrival...we were directed to the lounge area where we were offered drinks (had to pay extra for these) not clear at the time! After the treatment the cream tea was a bit of a let down... Coffee arrived but then 10 further minutes passed before the scones arrived - I only ate one and decided to take the other fruit one home - disappointed when at home to cut into it to find it was almost raw inside and not cooked properly! Back at the site we decided to go for a swim - there was no one at the pool to ask about towels, robes etc - information stated that these were provided and although we managed to get a robe and towel no slippers were offered. Once in the pool area it was incredibly hot and busy with lots of children in the pool - not conducive to a relaxing pool experience and we could not hear each other speak so decided to abort this and go back to the lounge for a quieter calmer experience. In hindsight I would use the treatments again but not a great overall experience otherwise for the cost - this was a treat for my friend's 50th birthday and I came away apologising to her for the somewhat disjointed afternoon...

We felt it rather misleading that the hotel is listed on a spa break site when the only facility is a pool. We would have expected a sauna/steam room or hot tub which is what usually constitutes as a spa - we felt this should have been made clearer at the time of booking - it seems that the poor receptionist spends a lot of time explaining and apologising for the lack of spa facilities! The pool area was clean and changing rooms well equipped. The hotel is child-friendly so the pool was busy with families - be aware if you are looking for a relaxing couples break! We didn't have any treatments so cannot comment on the standard of service however the prices were quite high. We had breakfast which was great with an excellent selection of options including gluten free and dairy free alternatives.

This is not a spa. No welcome. Had to go outside to the pool. No sauna or other spa facilities. Staff in dining room were not welcoming and made mistakes with our order and sent embarrassed young staff to sort it out. Food poor value. Beauticians were great, really friendly and good at their jobs, helped us to,sort out the problems too, so can’t fault them.