The Suffolk Hotel

This booking was made via 3rd party, it allowed me book the hotel after 10pm and when I arrived to the hotel just after midnight, I found out that there was no access and no reception after 10pm. When I checked out, I also had a text to say I'll get a text on how to retrieve my key after hours, which I did not receive. I also got given an out of hours telephone number, to which nobody answered. Why would you allow bookings for a hotel after a certain time, if you know they're closed? Fast forward a week, customer services not helpful, so I started a charge back with my bank. The charge back was unsuccessful because they claimed that the opening hours were clearly written (they werent) and my bank agreed. So my question is, why do you allow bookings if the hotel is closed? I'm £63 down and never will I use this site again.

Room was good, breakfast was one of the best I’ve had , bed comfortable but the 4 rating and not a 5 is the pillows in both rooms were lumpy and uncomfortable. However it is odd to go to a hotel and have no bar or restaurant after 6.30 on a Sunday; wondering how it is classed as a hotel. Went to the Witherspoons opposite to get a bite to eat. To get your key you have to walk down an alley way which is very dark and as a single woman I would not be happy walking down there. Fortunately I was not alone but this alley way should definitely be better lit. Key is in an electronic key safe and the access code is sent via SMS; all very efficient. Good Illy coffee machine in the room, biscuits and even still and sparkling water.

Attending Heritage Live event at Audley End Hall (14 miles) away. Local accommodation booked, opted for Suffolk Hotel and pleased we did. Communication pre booking was good. Easy to understand and follow. Welcome at hotel and check in (room was available earky) very easy. Room was excellent, clean and had everything we needed for our overnight stay. Breakfast was excellent too and service to match.

We booked this hotel as part of a "Buy a Gift" package received as a 50th birthday present. We received instructions to go straight to the bar to check in. They don't have a reception area as such, but there is a very small reception desk by the front door. The staff member that greeted us was very nice and helpful and allowed us to check in an hour early. Our room was bright, modern and spacious with a very nicely decorated bathroom with large walk in shower. The floor looked as though it hadn't been swept/cleaned but overall the bathroom was very clean. Very comfortable bed, and even a large fan was provided in case the weather was hot (which is wasn't but still a nice touch). The room benefits from a coffee machine with pods provided, which was also a nice touch. Our room was No.1 and was located at the far end of the bulding (car park end) and so we didn't suffer from any noise from the bar downstairs. Our package included dinner and breakfast, so we booked into the restaurant for our evening meal. They had the England game on a huge projector in the restaurant and informed us we would be eating in the cafe attached to the bar. This wasn't an issue, as we wanted to watch the footie anyway), and the staff were accommodating when the match went to penalties, so we were a bit delayed getting to our table. One bugbear of mine is when a restaurant doesn't have items available and you are not told when you are given the menu. Unfortunately, the starter I ordered was one item that wasn't available. Then at breakfast next morning the same thing happened, when two items I asked for both were not available. Again, we were not told when we were seated. Other than that, the food was hot, well presented and good sized portions. The cooked breakfast was delicious too. We thought the selection of drinks available at the bar was very good and also prices were reasonable. I would also give the staff 10/10 as they were all very nice and helpful. Overall, a really nice stay and we would go back there. Just to add, the car park is at the rear of the hotel, it is a public car park and you have to pay but it was only £5.60 overnight so not a problem.

I got an email on the day we were going there giving an instruction that to get the key from ‘keysafe’ I had no idea what that meant. As such, I called a number it gave (if unsure) and it transferred me to a company servicing that particular premises. I asked the person what it meant. The individual didn’t know and promised that someone would call me. No call received. In the meantime, while driving, I asked our satnav to take us there - which it did. Thank you satnav! When we got there it was a pub and there was no reception. We asked someone at the bar, connected to said establishment, about the key and she seemed rather confused. Eventually we got our key and entered the room - which was excellent. Other than the TV which, for some weird reason, kept turning itself off. We weren’t too bothered because we just wanted to sleep. Which we did. The following evening we also slept - until about 4:30am, when the fire alarm went off. So we got dressed and plodded out to the fire exit area. Turns out a resident in the hotel was smoking in room! Can’t blame the hotel for that! All in all, my opinion of said hotel is that it did the difficult things really well and the easy things quite badly.

Having read some of the other reviews a couple of days before we travelled, I decided it would be safer to cancel, but having had assurances about the noise and the promise of a room upgrade we decided to risk it. Sadly a bad decision on my part. This is a pub with rooms, the music from pub dominates the whole place, it was still audible on the second floor but thankfully it stopped by 11.00 pm, only to start again at 8.00 am. Is music essential at breakfast, especially when it's the same old thing on a loop? Is this for the benefit of the staff or customers? Whilst the music was an irritant, the state of hygiene in the place was disgusting and unforgivable. Cobwebs everywhere, dead insects in the bathroom, I thought the toilet was bad until I lifted the toilet brush out to use it, absolutely gross. I found a broom and cleared the cobwebs (I should bill them for my time) but could do nothing with the squashed dead insects on the bedroom ceiling. As an apartment, it had a kitchen area, home to spiders the size of ping pong balls and a filthy oven. We tried to use the coffee machine but the long life milk was off and curdled. The cutlery consisted of one fork. But it got worse - we asked for extra pillows, examining them in the morning we found that under the pillow cases the pillows were absolutely filthy with brown and red stains, just vile. Daylight also gave us a view out of the windows, well it would have done but for the glazing of pidgeon poo and cobwebs on every window - surely a health hazard. We couldn't face another night there so had a day on the coast and checked out later that day. Haverhill has little to recommend it. There's a half decent "Turkish" restaurant and a Whetherspoons but otherwise only the usual High St. takeaways - they have officious PCSOs that pounce on you for taking 30 seconds on a yellow line to unload your case and a lack of parking adding to the joy. The car park at the rear of the hotel is completely unlit making paying for the parking difficult, and if you value your car think twice about leaving it in an unlit town centre car park - I was just glad mine was still there in the morning. I have photos of all this lack of cleanliness but I think I need to delete them and forget about it. The only reason for this not being a "terrible" is the attitude of the staff who seemed friendly and helpful at all times and the breakfast was good. Though how clean is the kitchen if the rest of the place is anything to go by? If loud music and squalor are your thing enjoy, otherwise think twice. I need another shower just writing about it.