Large Cottages in Suffolk with Hot Tubs

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Karen - Verified booking

  My husband and I (plus our dog) enjoyed our stay at Fishpond House.

  It's comfortable, spacious and tastefully decorated. It's also in a beautiful setting, 'away from it all' but within easy reach of all the pretty Suffolk towns and villages worthy of a visit. The house itself is well equipped and the hot tub is a luxurious treat after a day of exploring the area. One thing I would say to anyone wishing to bring their dog is that you must be prepared to have him or her on a lead within the immediate grounds of the house as the whole area is open to neighbouring fields and meadows, some of which contain livestock. We were OK with this as our dog was pretty worn out from all the long walks each day. He was happy with a quick lead-visit to the garden for his bed-time ablutions, and we secured him to a sturdy post when we were in the hot tub. I'm really not sure what he made of the visiting turkeys and the peacock through the patio windows, but it was another reason he would only be allowed outside on a lead. I was quite surprised at how brave the turkeys are. In fact, they seem very comfortable in human company. I had the honour of some close-up chit-chat with them outside. My husband wasn't so keen, though. He couldn't understand how I could be so comfortable in their company! Proves we're all different! On the last day, on loading the car to depart, we'd left the front door open to come back and forth for bags, etc. Imagine the gasps of shock from the non-bird fancier when he discovered one of the turkeys had come inside the house to check we were leaving the place clan and tidy! This was followed by much hilarity as we tried to shoo her out!!! Thank goodness the dog was already locked in the car before this happened! The only thing missing for me was a dressing table mirror in the master bedroom. There was a big wall mirror behind the bathtub, but I prefer to sit down at a proper dressing table. I borrowed a chair from the desk on the landing so I could sit and dry my hair, do my make-up, etc. at the table near the window. It wasn't very easy with my small hand-held mirror, but I managed. We presumed the Freeview TV would give us all the normal TV channels but all we could get was on-demand programmes from BBC I-Player, etc. and Netflix. If it was something we were doing wrong, perhaps some instructions for future guests might be a good idea. All in all, though, we had a relaxing stay and would happily book again.

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• Beverly - Verified booking

  This is, no doubt, a lovely cottage and was spotlessly clean inside.

  However, we found attention to simple detail disappointing in the following areas. 1. The TV was found not to be connected to Freeview, and it took a few hours to find out why. The aerial amplifier, hidden away in the electrical cupboard, was switched off and, judging by a comment in the guest book, had been like this for some time. The TV has now been re-tuned and left like this for future guests. 2. The microwave oven is impossibly complicated. Could not find a manual for it either in the cottage or online. We got it going eventually but not sure how we did it! The oven was a little easier to understand but a manual here would have been appreciated. 3. The twin socket in the kitchen where the toaster is plugged in was loose. 4. The toilet roll holder in the downstairs toilet is either not fitted correctly or broken, causing the roll to fall off and on to the floor. 5. The extractor fan in the downstairs toilet was blocked inside and outside making it ineffective. We have cleared all of the detritus blocking up the inside, and have partially cleared the mesh on the outside. It now works a lot better than how we found it. 6. The pull-switch on the extractor fan in the kitchen does not turn the fan off. This is achieved (if you have very long arms) by switching off the isolation switch above it. 7. Three of the hot tub cover securing clips were broken. This does not meet with the safety rules that have been documented in the cottage manual. 8. The black anti-slip pads on the decking outside the door and outside the downstairs bedroom doors, and also two of the chairs outside, were disgustingly and liberally covered in bird poo. I realize this can happen in the country, but this mess had obviously been there for a long time. I hope the fact that we took the time to clean up this horrible mess meets with your approval! Pictures of "before and after" most of the above are available if you wish.... Not sure if you want this feedback published... I've answered yes, but it's up to you.... In case you're wondering, none of the above ruined our stay at Fishponds.... we had a lovely time thankyou.

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• Julie - Verified booking

  We were very dissatisfied with the condition of The Abbey.

  It was extremely dirty when we arrived. One of the beds was completely full of black dog hair, inside and out! The entire house was filthy. Full of cobwebs, dust and dirt on all windowsills and shelves, with dead flies and bugs etc. Bath had scum mark, showers had a lot of black mould, the dishwasher was virtually breathing... the list is endless and we have many photos. The owner called the cleaning company they use who arrived a couple of hours later and she did the best she could but was also appalled at the condition of the property and apologised, she too took photos. We complained about the lack of wine glasses and the owner purchased some and brought them over promptly. This was Christmas break and when about to prepare our Christmas meal we noticed all the baking trays were unusable, they were beyond rusty and also mouldy. I called the owner again and he promptly went to purchase replacements. The cutlery drawer was full of crumbs and dirt and utensil drawer was full of black dust and dirt... it was very unpleasant. We had to put everything through the dishwasher and disinfect the drawers before we used anything. In all we were very uncomfortable there and felt the high rent paid for that time of year was completely inappropriate given the condition of the house There was a hot tub but we felt it very risky to use from a hygiene perspective given the condition of the rest of the property, so it was a perk we didn't benefit from. The stress and inconvenience we experienced and could have really done without. We would have left but with other members of the family arriving from the next day we didn't have anywhere else to go. Such a disappointment.

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• Julia - Verified booking

  I feel it is important to mention that we traveled as a family with two dogs.

  It is a lovely cottage but we have mixed feelings about some aspects of our stay. The property is a gorgeous two-story house, clean and cozy but encapsulated in privately owned farms so there are no pathways, no walking routes, and no fields to take your pets for a walk. The location is fairly quiet and almost tranquil as you might not see a single human for a whole day but you will see some free-roaming birds and let me say that those buggers are a loud bunch. We were woken up every morning around 5 am by pheasants and peacock shouting on the top of their lungs, one big bird was constantly knocking on second-floor window and waking up our daughter :) As already mentioned - there isn't anything around the property but there are quite a few large shops 20 min away, as well as a beach, nature reserve, smaller towns and farm shops. Also, please bear in mind that even though towels are included, you are not allowed to use them at the hot tub and should bring your own which I don't recall reading on the listing. Overall, there are quite a lot of rules you need to follow and some felt like overstretch but I won't comment on them. One thing, we were definitely perplexed is the selection of art on the walls as it is very peculiar and unusual ranging from 19th century engraving Marriage a la Mode to some aliens, butterfly spine and many more. Lastly, I would like to suggest to the owners to consider buying some kitchen essentials for guests to use as I can't imagine anyone bringing foil and cling film to their vacation.

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• Mandy - Verified booking

  Abbey Cottage is very beautiful, the size of the garden is huge & filled with many plants & trees.

  Our 3 dogs loved running round the Cottage & playing ball. The thatched roof is beautiful with its wolf & crown perched on top. Inside is a large beautiful kitchen filled with everything you could wish for, I never wanted to return home. Three large king-size bedrooms with lovely crisp clean bedding, two with en-suites bathrooms & a downstairs WC. The dining room adorns an old table & chairs in fitting with the period of the property. The lounge has two comfy sofas & an old wooden chest as centre piece. All rooms have a TV, so there's no reason to fight over the remote! There are two staircases, one easily accessible from the lounge & another that resembles mountain climbing by the kitchen. You will not believe the slope of the floors upstairs until you see it! Apart from the kitchen & bathrooms, which are modern. The rest of the property is kept more in keeping with the original features. The vast conservatory is so beautiful, I'd love to go back during the summer months to enjoy it! In the gardens is a meditation room that lights up beautiful at night, a summerhouse with a pool table, a table tennis table in the garden, a playroom wooden house & a Shepherds hut for extra guests. We had the best relaxing time, just remember to take slippers for the cold hard flooring & wellies for the morning dew outside.

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