Nestled away in woodlands on the outskirts of Ipswich lies the classy and sophisticated Milsoms Kesgrave Hall, a four Star Boutique country style Hotel and restaurant set within beautiful Suffolk Countryside. Part of the Milsom’s hotel group which has a history dating back to the early 1950’s with the purchase of a tea room which now forms one of the iconic properties within the group. Milsom Hotels are family owned and strive to offer a premier hospitality experience, with thanks to the high calibre of staff they train and employ. It is refreshing to stay at a hotel from a family run group as I feel this can often help to maintain uniqueness and sense of style, with a real focus on service and the individual customer experience.
Opened in 2008, Kesgrave Hall offers 23 en suite rooms, some with bathtubs set in the rooms, walk in showers, king sized beds to ensure a comfortable stay. All rooms contain fluffy towels, dressing gowns, cosy quilts, super soft pillows and crisp white linen to help encourage a great night’s sleep. In the spacious modern bathrooms complimentary spa products are available to use and takeaway. I stayed in a superior room which are larger than the standard sized rooms, and have comfortable super king size beds for that added bit of luxury. I was really impressed by my room which also included two sofas and had so much space.
Tea and coffee, soft drinks and biscuits are provided in the rooms and complimentary superfast wifi is available throughout the hotel. If you enjoy a relaxed night in your hotel room you will be in luck as all Tv’s in the rooms offer full SKY HD TV packages so there are plenty of films and channels to watch. For me it was a great place to retire after dinner and drinks and enjoy a bit of Bridget Jones Diary.
Family friendly all-day dining is on offer at Kesgrave Hall and this can be enjoyed both indoors or outdoors, as the hotel’s heated terrace ensures you can enjoy alfresco dining all year round. The restaurant at Kesgrave Hall is modern, relaxed and super comfortable over looking beautifully manicured lawns.
Next to the restaurant is a more traditionally styled relaxation room with huge velvet sofas, high ceilings and beautiful artwork on the walls. This is the ideal space to relax and sip some delicious drinks before or after your meal.
The restaurant menu offers a great range of sophisticated and tempting meal options from steak, pan fried guinea fowl to fresh fish followed by a fabulous range of desserts. During my stay I opted for crispy halloumi, harissa mayonnaise, chickpeas, pomegranate, and mint to start, wild mushroom ravioli, celeriac, chestnuts and baby spinach, herb mascarpone for my main and mango meringue cheesecake, mossy’s yoghurt, mango sorbet to finish. Unlike other restaurants you write down your order at the table on a notepad and simply hand it to a member of staff when you are ready. Everything thereafter is then served to you at your table. I appreciated the attentive the waiting staff, my guest and I were never kept waiting, they cleverly seemed to anticipate the perfect moment when you may want a drink top up or help with the menu.
The stylish restaurant bar retains original features is granite topped with huge ornate mirrors, and pretty views looking out across the terrace. There is an extensive wine list with a delicious range of cocktails. My guest and I enjoyed a glass of champagne at the start of our evening and a few cheeky cosmopolitans at the end.
For those interested in a private dining experience for a celebration, work event or special occasion there are two great spaces available for private function hire. The Bunker is a separate dining space set apart from the main hotel restaurant which caters for up to 18 people and has its own terrace and private satellite kitchen. Alternatively, The Mess is located on the ground floor of the hotel and has space for 24 people and includes state of the art audio equipment and has views out over the gardens from the French windows. The Hangar is a purpose-built space at the rear of the hotel which can cater for much larger numbers and is a very popular choice for weddings and larger scale events.
Throughout the year Kesgrave Hall put on some fantastic events so it is worth keeping up to date on their website. The Beertopia festival is coming up in March 2020. Now in its third year offering two nights of craft beers, ales, prosecco and live music, happening on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th.
At the moment the one thing missing from Kesgrave Hall is a spa. Treatments are always something I like to enjoy where possible on my weekends away. However, the good news is that a spa build is currently underway and the Kesgrave Hall Spa be launching on the 28th March which will help take the hotel offering to another level. The wooden clad spa will have a light and airy feel with bi-folding doors that will lead out to a decked area with a log burner, comfy seating and a hot tub. The spa will comprise of five double treatment rooms, ideal if you wish to have a couple treatment! There will be a full treatment menu and a range of spa packages to choose from. I am looking forward to going back to Milsoms Kesgrave Hall when the spa opens to take a look and try it out for myself.
Kesgrave Hall certainly offers a sophisticated, yet relaxed and intimate hotel and dining experience. If you are looking for a classy country getaway, Milsoms Kesgrave Hall is a bit of a gem.
Milsoms Kesgrave Hall
Hall Road
Kesgrave
Ipswich
IP5 2PU
United Kingdom
