WHAT? WHERE?

the exterior of Hintlesham hall in Suffolk

First impressions count and when you drive up to Hintlesham Hall, a 16th century manor with an elegant peach-coloured Georgian façade, you can’t fail to be wowed. Look around you and the 175 acres of smart grounds are also guaranteed to make you smile – this really is the stuff of countryside escape dreams.

Absolute perfection… now if only Colin Firth could emerge shirtless from the lake!

The pretty hall, once owned by American chef and restauranteur Robert Carrier, is just 5 miles outside Ipswich, but it feels miles away from anywhere urban. The only sound you’ll hear is the birds singing and the occasional thwack of a golf ball being hit at the next door golf course. In fact, the location couldn’t be better. You’re a short drive into Ipswich and Hadleigh for shopping and culture, near to the northern edge of Constable Country for idyllic country walks, postcard-pretty villages and wool towns and boat trips down the river, and around half an hour to the Suffolk coast if you fancy a day on the beach.

If it’s period features you’re after, you’ll not be disappointed, because it’s like staying in a very luxurious and dust-free museum at Hintlesham Hall! There are wood-panelled rooms, grand marble fireplaces, ornate plasterwork ceilings, a wow-factor wooden staircase and four-posters in many of the rooms. Every time you open a door in the hall you’re greeted by yet more splendid decor. It’s a history-lover’s dream. Don’t be fooled though, historic doesn’t mean out of date. You’ll find all your mod cons here too with parking for electric cars, a small Elemis spa and smart bathrooms.

Outside, there are 175 acres to explore with beautiful tree-lined driveways, immaculate gardens and a picture-perfect lake with a waterfall. Backdrops for a stroll with your other half don’t get much more romantic than this. There’s also a croquet lawn and nearby golf course if you’re feeling sporty.

THE VIBE

Do you ever sit and watch TV shows like Downton Abbey and Bridgerton and wish life could be more like that (minus all the drama of course!)? We’re talking about smart dinners in the dining room where you get dressed to the nines every night, days spent taking leisurely strolls around stunning gardens and tea served in china teapots in elegant lounges while you read a book.

formal dining room with one long table in stately home Hintlesham Hall

Well, next time you’re lusting after the luxuries of the past, book yourself a stay at Hintlesham Hall, because in this sleepy corner of Suffolk, life is just like something out of a Jane Austen novel. We can’t think of anywhere better suited to escaping the crazy modern world and all its pressures than Hintlesham Hall, where your biggest stress will be deciding whether to enjoy afternoon tea in the gardens or book a massage in the spa.

smart historic lounge at Hintlesham Hall

The service here perfectly matches the traditional style. It’s old school service that makes you feel like a VIP. The staff couldn’t do enough for us during our stay and we felt like they genuinely wanted us to have an exceptional stay and that they were proud of where they worked. Carson, the butler, couldn’t have done it any better!

SCOFF & QUAFF

The food was the star of the show for us at Hintlesham Hall, and that’s really saying something as the service and sublime setting were second to none! Carriers Restaurant is simply stunning, with tables decked out in fine white linen and romantic candles. It’s a really elegant option for a special occasion or luxurious treat. It’s such a joy to eat somewhere so formal and that gives five-star service and fine dining such respect.

We ate from the à la carte menu and kicked things off with a crab tartlet with katsu curry sauce (the perfect combination of flavours), and a ham hock and baby veg terrine with black bread (which just melted in the mouth and came with a divine sweet local honey drizzle).

For the main event I chose breast and leg of poussin with pea purée and parmesan potato terrine. It was delicious – the chicken just fell off the bone and the vegetables on the side were so flavoursome. My husband went for the Masterchef-sounding beef fillet, beef shin bon bon, celeriac purée, dauphinoise potato and crispy parsnip. He ordered it rare and it came cooked to perfection. The flavours, I’m told, were powerful but in a good way and he could taste every element working together in perfect harmony.

dessert at Carriers restaurant hintlesham hall

Multiple courses at dinner are definitely the Hintlesham way – this is not a place for dieting or just having salad! So we loosened our belts and finished off in style with a Mont Blanc for me (a meringue cup with vanilla and chestnut creams, sable and mulled blackberries) and a cheese plate for my savoury-loving husband. Both were incredible.

A restaurant like this has the extensive wine list to match and we were impressed at how knowledgeable the serving staff were about all the different bottles. You can opt for a pairing service if you want to ensure your food and wine are perfectly aligned too. At the end of the evening we continued living the period drama dream and retired for tea and coffee in the lounge with relaxing background music. Hats off to head chef Jonathan Cole and his team for putting Carriers on the map as one of the best places to dine in Suffolk.

STAY

There are 32 bedrooms at Hintlesham, just the right number to make it feel boutiquey, but enough to allow for excellent larger hotel facilities like the Elemis spa with three treatment rooms and outdoor hot tub and fine dining restaurant. We love that every room here is different with its own unique look and feel too.

We stayed in a principal suite called The Cherry Orchard Suite, which is one of the most sought-after rooms, having been used by chef Robert Carrier as the kitchen for his cook school back in the Seventies and now transformed into a huge suite with spacious seating area and a mezzanine bedroom. It’s these quirky details that make a stay here so enjoyable. Some rooms have four posters, some have chandeliers and huge portraits, some have beams galore and others are more modern. It’s great fun to discover the personality of your room and feel the history of where you’re staying.

Our room was more than just aesthetically appealing. When we walked in, there was a gorgeous smell of black plum and rhubarb, adding to the sense of luxury and working perfectly with the name of the room. We were amazed by the size of the suite, with its huge vaulted ceiling and exposed beams and space to dance around if we so wished. The windows were beautifully dressed with posh pelmets and thick curtains and everything was a calming jade blue colour palette. We also really appreciated the little touches like plenty of tea and coffee facilities and the robe and slippers to pad around in.

Unsurprisingly we slept like babies in this peaceful space with its huge comfortable bed and woke to the sound of birds singing – the perfect start to a relaxed day in rural Suffolk.

KID-FRIENDLY?

Well-behaved children are welcome, but it’s not really somewhere you could relax with them or entertain them very well in our opinion. We think it’s much more suitable for an adults-only getaway. In true Downton style the children should really be in the nursery with the nanny after all!

AND DOGS TOO?

Yes, well-behaved dogs are welcome in certain rooms in the hotel by prior arrangement and at a cost of £15 per dog. Dogs aren’t permitted in any public spaces inside the hotel though.

DISABILITY ACCESS

Most of the public spaces are on the ground floor and are large enough that a wheelchair can easily move around. There is one wheelchair-friendly bedroom on the ground floor in the courtyard too, which has a specially adapted bathroom.

OUT & ABOUT

Hintlesham Hall regularly hosts amazing sell-out events such as immersive dinners, comedy nights and murder mystery events so keep an eye on the what’s on page to snap up tickets. It’s also a dreamy choice of wedding venue or private function space and as well as being able to host your celebration you can also stay on site and make the most of the next door golf club or spa the next day.

Outside of the hotel grounds, you’re ideally placed to enjoy some of the best tourist sights Suffolk has to offer, including the medieval wool towns and candy-coloured villages of Lavenham, Long Melford and Kersey and the many charming seaside towns such as Woodbridge and Southwold, where you can book in for an Adnam’s brewery tour. There’s also the National Trust’s Flatford Mill and Constable Country, Jimmy’s Farm, Framlingham Castle, Glemham Hall and Gardens and Snape Maltings, all just a short drive away.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: History buffs, solace seekers, and luxury lovers will be in their element here as will anyone who quite fancies themself as living like Lady Grantham for the day. Hintlesham Hall is an ideal option for a quiet rural retreat, a romantic break or a sophisticated catch-up with friends.

Not for: Families with young children might not feel that comfortable here even though the hotel is very welcoming. It would be rather tiring telling little ones to stop touching all the posh furniture and there’s not much in the way of plastic highchairs or toys to entertain here!

The damage: Rooms from £140 per night. Check out the many special offer packages on the website here.

Hintlesham Hall Hotel, George Street, Hintlesham, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP8 3NS.

Muddy reviews: Hintlesham Hall, Ipswich

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