Suffolk and Essex
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Best Places to Stay in Essex
Despite the best efforts of reality television to portray Essex as party central for the loud and proud wannabe WAG brigade, the county has a great deal of beautiful rural countryside and masses of the best places to stay in Suffolk and Essex. We love the Milsom family's hotels which are comfortable, cossetting, fun places to stay and reflect the true Essex in all its glory.
The Maison Talbooth is a sumptuously comfortable hotel with quirky touches in the heart of beautiful Constable country, outside Colchester. Popular for exclusive use bookings and weekend parties, it has a heated outdoor pool complex, hearty log fires (gas, but good) and three luxurious suites with their own hot tubs.
Family and dog friendly, there is a lovely tennis court with good coaching available. A friendly, relaxed, welcoming, fun hotel.
Close to the Maison Talbooth is its sister hotel, Milsoms in Colchester. A boutique hotel of fifteen rooms with a lively brasserie and bar, it showcases local art and has old fashioned telephones with dials and corkscrew wires in the rooms.
Attention to detail in the bedrooms is good with wonderfully comfortable beds, lovely linen sheets and in the morning papers and coffee delivered to your room, ensuring that you will want to linger even longer in bed.
Essex Coastal Hotel
Opened in 1864 to put up passengers who had disembarked from boats from the continent, The Pier at Harwich is an absolute delight for anyone who loves the sea and boats.
Right on the harbour, its fresh, modern, nautical design and really great seafood restaurant make it a popular buzzy location with locals and guests alike.
Rooms at the front of the hotel have huge windows overlooking the harbour with big squashy armchairs thoughtfully provided so guests can sit and watch the shipping slip by.
Best Places to Stay in Suffolk
When people around the world imagine England, Suffolk is probably pretty close to what they see. Stuffed with some of the best places to stay, Suffolk's lovely villages are full of warmth and character with huge churches, mellow halls and large greens, bordered by half-timbered houses and thatched cottages.
It is intensely cosy and buccolic with a pleasant climate, lots of good places to stay and is not overcrowded like many of the Home Counties closer to London.
Surrounded by wide lawns and woodland, the friendly Kesgrave Hall near Woodbridge in Suffolk is confidently decorated with bold fabrics, tempered with warm wooden floors and muted wall colours.
A hugely welcoming hotel, the public areas are generous and sociable with great food and a lovely sunny terrace on the right day. A converted WWII hangar can be hired for parties and weddings.
Lavenham Hotels
Lavenham is a pretty medival village in Suffolk oozing charm and character. Two of our best places to stay in Suffolk and Essex are in Lavenham.
The Swan is a Lavenham institution with cosy bars and restaurants loved by locals and visitors alike. It isn't the grooviest spot in town with furnishings which, though recently updated, are still traditional verging on slightly dull.
Comfortable and homely, it offers visitors one of the greatest fixes of exposed beams and wonky walls anywhere in England.
Lavenham Priory, though strictly speaking a B & B as it has no restaurant, is also a great place to wake up under ancient exposed beams as well as enjoying inglenook fireplaces, four-poster beds and the snuggiest snug in the county.
Suffolk Coastal Hotels
The Swan Hotel in the centre of the popular holiday village of Southwold overlooks the large village square to one side and the sea to the other. Furnishings are traditional and comfortable and newspapers and coffee plentiful on Sunday mornings.
The bathroom of the Earl of Sandwich Room in Sutherland House, Southwold has a slipper bath in front of an open fire. Many people would visit for that alone. This boutique B & B is family run and serves excellent seafood.
The Crown & Castle in Orford is a simple yet stylish, great value hotel run by TV presenter and hospitality expert, Ruth Watson.
Browse through our list of the best places to stay in Suffolk and Essex and start to plan your stay. Please feel free to call or email a friendly guru for advice. Contact
The best hotels in Suffolk and Essex
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Maison Talbooth
Colchester, Suffolk and Essex
Quirky Essex hotel and spa in the heart of Constable country, with a pool and tennis. Luxurious suites, some with hot tubs. Popular for hen parties and exclusive use.
12 rooms from $338Exclusive offer - Summer Spa OfferSwimming Pool - Heated outdoor pool - year round!Birdwatching - Good birding near the hotel.Fishing - Excellent fishing nearby.Great walks - Good for walkers.Recommended by - Michelin Travel -
The Swan at Lavenham
Lavenham, Suffolk and Essex
A famous old coaching inn (1400) in a classic medieval town, with 45 ancient rooms done up in 20th luxury style. Touristy but an experience.
43 rooms from $314Sights nearby - Explore Lavenham one of the UK's finest mediaeval towns.Cooking classes - Culinary masterclasses available.Romantic - Good for couples.Four poster beds - For romantics.Recommended by - Sawdays, Travel Intelligence -
The Swan Hotel
Southwold, Suffolk and Essex
Fine traditional hotel on the market square in charming seaside Southwold - some seaviews. Well reviewed restaurant, great base for a seaside holiday, or a wedding.
42 rooms from $266Restaurant - Seasonal, locally sourced 2 AA Rosette diningSeaside - Ideal for a seaside holiday.Great walks - Good for walkers. -
Sutherland House
Southwold, Suffolk, Suffolk and Essex
Family-run boutique b&b and restaurant in a historic building in the centre of Southwold. Full of character, excellent seafood, a great base to stay in charming seaside village.
3 rooms from $225Restaurant - Recommended.Full of character - Many original features including pargetted ceilings and foot wide elm floorboards dating back to the 1450s!Seaside - Ideal for a seaside holiday. -
The Crown, Stoke by Nayland
Nr Colchester, Suffolk and Essex
Popular bar/restaurant in an old village inn in Constable country with separate boutique accommodation. Good views across open countryside, great food.
11 rooms from $209 -
The Crown and Castle
Orford, Suffolk, Suffolk and Essex
TV hotelier Ruth Watson's own excellent hotel in village centre, next to the castle, with seaviews on Suffolk Coast, good value with decent restaurant.
18 rooms from $209Restrictions on children - No children under 4, not under 8 in restaurantViews - You can choose seaviews or castle viewsSailing - Can be booked nearby.Seaside - Ideal for a seaside holiday.Recommended by - Good Hotel Guide, Sawdays -
Kesgrave Hall
Ipswich, Suffolk and Essex
Good food, good service, and a good night's sleep in a handsome Georgian house. Bustling bar and brassiere, lovely sunny terrace & family-friendly relaxed atmosphere.
23 rooms from $201Exclusive offer - Step into Summer OfferGreat walks - Good for walkers.Sights nearby - Well located for major sights. -
Tuddenham Mill
Tuddenham, Suffolk and Essex
Converted watermill with top notch contemporary interiors and a serene pond-side location. Large rooms and beds and walk in showers, excellent food, a comfortable escape from the city.
15 rooms from $201Sights nearby - Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds are close by -
The Crown at Woodbridge
Woodbridge, Suffolk and Essex
Well known, chic Woodbridge gastropub with rooms, close to Sutton Hoo, in a charming Suffolk village of cafes and boutiques. Good food and local ales.
10 rooms from $201Restaurant - Gastropub foodSights nearby - Sutton Hoo treasures are two miles awayRecommended by - Good Hotel Guide, Sawdays -
Salthouse Harbour Hotel
Ipswich, Suffolk and Essex
Contemporary funky hotel in a converted salt warehouse on the waterfront of Ipswich Harbour, filled with modern art. Good restaurant, ideal for stealing away.
70 rooms from $201Views - Views of Ipswich harbourSailing - Can be booked nearby.Lively - Hip and happening.Recommended by - Good Hotel Guide -
The Wentworth
Aldeburgh, Suffolk and Essex
Traditional seaside hotel with regular fans and a timeless appeal, with seaviews and gardens and a terrace in front of a shingle beach. Comfortably unhip.
35 rooms from $201Views - Sea views from many rooms, binoculars providedGreat walks - Plenty of country and beach walks.Birdwatching - Number of bird reserves close by.Sailing - Can be booked nearby.Recommended by - Good Hotel Guide -
Lavenham Priory
Lavenham, Sudbury, Suffolk and Essex
Romantic B&B in a historic timber-framed 13th century Benedictine Priory, complete with herb garden and exceptional public rooms. No restaurant, but good local eateries.
6 rooms from $193Local markets - Lavenham Village, excellent for crafts, gifts and antiquesRestrictions on children - No children under 10Full of characterRomantic - Good for couples. -
The Pier at Harwich
Harwich, Suffolk and Essex
Characterful waterfront hotel and fish restaurant, busy and buzzy, in a converted pub in the harbour, with great quayside views.
14 rooms from $188Exclusive offer - Step into SummerViews - Great views over the busy harbourFull of characterLively - Hip and happening.Recommended by - Good Hotel Guide, Travel Intelligence -
Milsoms
Colchester, Suffolk and Essex
Where the River Stour meanders through Constable country in beautiful Dedham Vale, eat, drink and stay, at this boutique Hotel with a vibrant bar and lively brasserie serving excellent food. Close by is sister hotel Maison Talbooth with spa, swimming pool and tennis court
15 rooms from $185Exclusive offer - Step into Summer OfferSights nearby - Flatford Mill and Munnings Museum close byGreat walks - Good for walkers. -
The Sun Inn
Dedham, Suffolk and Essex
Charming old coaching inn in Constable's village of Dedham, opposite the church he used to paint. Just 5 rooms, beautifully appointed, some with four posters.
7 rooms from $169Four poster beds - For romantics.Great walks - Good for walkers.Recommended by - Good Hotel Guide, Sawdays -
The Black Lion Hotel
Long Melford, Suffolk, Suffolk and Essex
Historic inn with extensive dining and imaginative bedrooms in a classic English village, overlooking the green, and great for antiques hunting.
10 rooms from $161Local markets - Long Melford has a great antiques emporium and plenty of craftsSights nearby - Two stately homes within walking distance -
The Mistley Thorn
Mistley, Suffolk and Essex
Popular restaurant with rooms on the Stour Estuary with great food and good local walking. Simple rooms but good value, especially with dinner.
7 rooms from $145Restaurant - Recommended.Views - Some rooms have views of the River StourBirdwatching - Bird sanctuary nearbyGreat walks - Lovely estuary walks -
Holbecks House
Ipswich, Suffolk and Essex
Fabulous views and spacious, well-equipped bedrooms in this popular B & B set amidst romantic gardens and beautiful countryside.
3 rooms from $129
