Fabulous stay for 4 nights at Martley Hall. This is a spectacular and very comfortable base for a family holiday (we were 30). The equipment and furniture is excellent and the games, garden and swimmi... See more
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Gardener's Cottage is a perfect weekend getaway in beautiful surroundings for peace and quiet. Great location, easy walk to the high Street for dinner or along the river. Great for watching wi... See more
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Booked Old Lakenham for three nights to celebrate my 60th birthday with 24 friends, and loved every minute, the house exceeding all our expectations. Just 50 minutes from London, it's the perfect part... See more
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We stayed at Abbey House for three nights, 22 of us for a 70th birthday celebration. We can absolutely recommend it. It took us a while to be able to navigate this house with its nine bedrooms, l... See more
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Company details
Written by the company
Group Retreats provides large-group high-end accommodation in unique and beautiful country houses. Recognising that large groups often struggle to find appropriate accommodation and that luxury housing for such groups was in short supply, we set out to find the perfect country homes for our customers to enjoy. Our vision is not only to provide your group with a comfortable stay, but to give you an unforgettable experience of staying in a quintessential English country home. You will discover unique settings for a family break, corporate function or a milestone celebration; which you can enjoy in your own way. Typically, our properties are large historic listed buildings with extensive grounds and beautiful gardens. Swimming pools and spas are features in most of our places, along with games rooms packed with snooker, pool and other games. Our properties are generally in quiet, isolated locations, surrounded by countryside – perfect for exploring. At Group Retreats we can help you plan an unforgettable trip.
Contact info
23 Lower Brook Street, IP4 1AQ, Ipswich, United Kingdom
- 01473 597897
- enquiries@groupretreats.co.uk
- groupretreats.co.uk
4.8
Excellent
510 reviews
No recent history of asking for reviews
This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative
Replied to 100% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 24 hours
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Absolutely great experience
Absolutely great experience
I stayed at Timberley Farm for a pre Christmas get together, it was the best weekend we could have had. Amazing house with everything we needed including fabulous Christmas decorations with a super large tree!
I’d love to return some day.
7 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Lesley,
Thank you for your review.
It's great to hear that you and your group had a wonderful time at Timberley Farm, and had everything you needed in the property.
We would love to welcome you back in the future.
Kind Regards
Lia
We had a brilliant weekend away!
We had a brilliant weekend away with all the family! We stayed at Glentworth Hall just before Christmas as a family get together. The house was well-equipped with everything needed to cook a large meal for 22 people. Lots of space for the whole family to enjoy, and share. We will be booking again. Thank you :)
7 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Charlie,
Thank you for your lovely review of your time at Glentworth Hall.
I'm so pleased to hear that you and your family enjoyed your time at the property.
We look forward to welcoming you back in the near future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Great stay in the amazing mansion
Great stay in the amazing mansion
Timberley farm
6 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Fred,
Thank you for your review.
I'm so pleased to hear that you and your group had a great stay at Timberley Farm.
We would love to welcome you back again in the future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Had an amazing stay
Had an amazing stay. The property was perfect for a big family gathering to celebrate my father’s 60th birthday. The house was beautiful and very clean and tidy.
3 January 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Emma,
Thank you for your review.
I'm so pleased to hear that you and your group enjoyed celebrating your Father's 60th at one of our properties.
We would love to welcome you back again in the future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Fawley Court
Recently stayed at Fawley Court for a large family gathering. The building was absolutely stunning and we had an amazing time. We will be sure to stay again.
14 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Ben,
Thank you for your review.
It's great to hear that you and your group had a wonderful time at Fawley Court. I certainly agree that the property is stunning and so I'm really pleased you mentioned this.
We are looking forward to welcoming you back to Fawley Court or one of our other properties again in the future.
Kind Regards
Lia
What an amazing stay!
We stayed at Abbey House for a family get together and it was flawless from start to finish! The building is absolutely beautiful and has amazing facilities and Group Retreats customer services is great, all of our question were answered and they were really helpful. Can’t wait to book again next year!
12 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear AHBmars,
Thank you for your review of Abbey House.
I certainly agree that Abbey House is a beautiful property, and provides guests with some great facilities, so I am pleased that you and your group were able to make use of these.
I look forward to being able to welcome you back again in the near future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Recently booked Fawley Court for a…80th Birthday weekend!
Recently booked Fawley Court for a family 80th Birthday celebration. Fantastic accommodation with a large banquet hall with ample space for our party of 30. Electric car chargers were a bonus.
13 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Edward,
Than you for your lovely review of Fawley Court.
It's great to hear that you and your family enjoyed your time at the property, and I'm pleased to hear that the 80th birthday celebrations went well.
I hope to be able to welcome you back to Fawley Court or one of our other properties again in the future.
Kind Regards
Lia
New Year’s Family Getaway
Wonderful break with family!
We booked as a central meeting point for our family to spend NY together and the property did not disappoint!
Communication was exceptional from start to finish and the Group Retreats team were fantastic - their local knowledge and “things to do” tips were greatly appreciated travelling with small children! Everyone should experience the luxury of one of their houses! I can’t wait to come back in the summer! Thank you!
30 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Emma,
Thank you for your really kind review.
I'm so glad to hear that your New Years celebrations at the property went well!
It's also great that you have mentioned the customer service at Group Retreats as our team work exceptionally hard to provide a high standard of customer care, so thank you for this.
I really hope to be able to welcome you back again in the near future.
Kind Regards
Lia
We booked to stay at Ashfield Place…
We booked to stay at Ashfield Place over Christmas and absolutely loved it! Was the recharge our family needed after a hectic year!
My son loved it and my wife was over the moon with how relaxed and friendly all the staff were in accommodating our needs.
The hot tub was awesome and the grounds complimented the whole stay experience.
We will definitely be returning!
23 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Mickey,
Thank you for your review of Ashfield Place Farm.
I'm really pleased to hear that you and your group enjoyed your time at the property, and made great use of the facilities provided.
We look forward to welcoming you back again in the future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Unforgettable stay ( First class experience)
Where do I begin!
Amazing stay at Glentworth Hall. Such a fabulous property.
Expectations were exceeded, not just with the property, with the customer experience from beginning to end. This company truly cares about it's guests. Regular updates, nothing was too much trouble. What an absolute gem the caretaker is too. Went above and beyond for our group. Seriously nothing was too much trouble. Not that we had any major concerns.
I do think it is incredibly sad when guests leave such negative comments as this has such a huge impact on bookings. I would highly recommend anyone booking through this company, to call them and speak to their staff. They are super helpful and extremely knowledgeable.
This is the second property we have had the pleasure of staying in with Group Retreats and will definitely be booking again.
I can't rate them high enough!
15 November 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Allison,
Thank you for your incredibly kind review of your time at Glentworth Hall.
I'm so pleased to hear that your expectations were exceeded with this property and the customer service you were provided with.
Our office team and caretaking team work very hard to ensure our guests have the most amazing experience, and so I will be sure to pass your feedback on.
I look forward to welcoming you back to Glentworth Hall or one of our other properties again in the near future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Glentworth Hall…
We recently stayed at Glentworth Hall with our entire family and could not have imagined a better stay.
The property was amazing and the entire process from initial booking, to arrival and leaving was seamless.
We are now planning and looking forward to future stays at their other properties.
2 January 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Liam,
Thank you for your lovely review of Glentworth Hall.
It's really positive to hear that you felt the entire booking process was seamless, as we try our best to ensure this is as stress free as possible for our guests.
We look forward to welcoming you and your group back to Glentworth Hall or one of our other properties again in the near future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Alward House, Salisbury - Christmas 2024
We recently stayed at Alward House near Salisbury for the Christmas week. The house and grounds were stunning and it felt a real treat and privilege to be able to stay in this magnificent house. The team at Group Retreats were very helpful at every step and the maintenance guy (Duane) was super helpful when we had a short power cut that stopped the flow of gas. Definitely recommend this beautiful house to others.
23 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Andrew,
Thank you for your lovely review of Alward House.
I am so pleased to hear that you felt the customer service provided was of a high standard, as we pride ourselves on this at Group Retreats. It's also great to hear that the unplanned power cut did not disrupt your stay, and that our caretaker was on hand to help.
We would love to welcome you and your group back to Alward House or one of our other properties again in the near future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Got all the extended family together…
Got all the extended family together for a pre Christmas gathering. been a long time since we all managed to be together in one place as there are so many of us but group retreats had a property with ample room for us all and it was great. We all agreed it was a real old fashioned traditional Christmas, long walks, playing games, eating together at the very large dining table, sitting in front of an open fire chatting. Property had everything we needed and more, couldn’t have been better. We’ve decided we will try to do it every year from now on. Thank you group retreats.
20 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Sean,
Thank you for your review.
I'm very pleased to hear that you and your group enjoyed your pre Christmas gathering at our property, and felt you had everything you needed.
We would love to welcome you back to one of our properties again in the future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Great House!
Great house! We can’t wait to come back! Big thanks to Allison and Lia for answering all our questions.
28 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Fiona,
Thank you for your very kind review.
I am pleased to hear that myself and Allison were able to answer any questions you had.
We are looking forward to hosting you and your group again at one of our properties in the future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Fantastic stay in early December at…
Fantastic stay in early December at Glentworth Hall. Special thanks to the caretaker for going above & beyond at our extra requests which really meant the world to us!
Beds were comfy & the kitchen had literally everything we needed. We will certainly be staying again in the future.
2 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Katie,
Thank you for your review of your time at Glentworth Hall.
Our caretaker at the property works very hard to ensure that our guests have a premium experience, and so I will be sure to pass on your feedback to him.
I hope to be able to welcome you back to Glentworth Hall or one of our other properties again in the future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Lovely house with bags of character
Lovely house with bags of character. Great service, and communication. Would recommend, and will be booking again
19 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Ben,
Thank you for your kind review.
I'm so pleased to hear that you enjoyed your time at the property you stayed in, and felt you were provided with a good quality service from the team.
I look forward to welcoming you back to one of out other properties again in the future.
Kind Regards
Lia
Perfect old fashioned family christmas
Had an early Christmas with all the family, property stunning and the surroundings even more so. House had everything you could need, lovely and clean, beautifully decorated for Christmas, open fires and well appointed rooms. There were a few minor issues, nothing worth mentioning and a quick phone call and all was sorted with minimal fuss so no impact whatsoever on our experience. Have to thank all the staff at group retreats for making our stay so wonderful and stress free. Will definitely be back.
20 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Tina,
Thank you for your review.
I'm really pleased to hear that your Christmas celebrations at the property were enjoyed by all of your group, it sounds like you had a wonderful time.
Although I am unsure which property you stayed in, I do agree that all of our houses are beautiful and so it's great that you have mentioned this.
I look forward to welcoming you back again in the near future.
Kind Regards
Lia
I stayed at glentworth hall a week ago…
I stayed at glentworth hall a week ago and i found my stay appalling, the water pressure was horrible if multiple people used to showers at the same time, i had to use a bucket and re fill the bucket in the sink of the bathroom over and over just to keep my self clean and scratching the surface of just being hygienic. The house it self was beautiful but the floor was sticky on my arrival and barely keeping up with cleaning standards. I had found a foot cream, dentures and tweezers in between and underneath the seats in the cinema room. I had cut my self on my finger and went to the first aid kit and it did not have basic necessities such as plasters and bandages so i had to wrap my bleeding finger in an arm bandage. I had opened the draw in the kitchen to get a knife out and cut my self on a knife in the draw that did not have a handle, the house did no have basic requirements and poor cleaning standards.
17 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Your review is one of several from a single group-stay. We take all guest feedback seriously and regret that some aspects of your stay did not meet expectations. However, we must clarify that the decision to retain the damage deposit was based on significant damage caused during your stay, including smoking inside the property, which left an unpleasant odour and affected the comfort of the guests who came next. This type of damage is disrespectful, disruptive and requires extensive cleaning to restore the property to its original condition.
We want to reassure future guests that retaining the full damage deposit is an extremely rare occurrence—only 0.28% of our bookings have led to this action. In these cases, it is only when the damage clearly exceeds normal wear and tear. Our priority is to provide a pleasant, well-maintained environment for all guests, and we carefully manage the damage deposit process to ensure fairness.
We invite anyone reading this to review our other positive guest feedback, which reflects our commitment to quality and hospitality. We are a small family business which is proud of the experiences we’ve created for the majority of our guests and continue to strive for excellence in all that we do.
We had the best time ever
We had the best time ever! The house is amazing and the host was very responsive.
We can’t wait to come back in the summer for our next trip.
10 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Michael,
Thank you for your review.
I'm so pleased to hear that you and your group had a lovely time, and are looking to book again.
We look forward to welcoming you back!
Kind Regards
Lia
AVOID AT ALL COST!!!!!
I had an absolutely terrible experience .From the moment we arrived, it was clear that the place was not at all what we had expected. The customer service was nonexistent .The photos on the website were completely misleading, creating the illusion of a beautiful, well-maintained retreat space, when in reality, the property was run-down and neglected.
The rooms were outdated, and in desperate need of maintenance. It was clear that they hadn’t been properly cleaned or cared for in quite some time. The carpets were stained, the furniture was scratched and chipped, and the bathrooms were grimy with moldy corners. It was honestly one of the least clean places I’ve ever stayed. To make things worse, there was a constant musty odour throughout the house that was impossible to ignore. It made the entire stay uncomfortable. The misleading advertising, lack of cleanliness, terrible customer service, and unjust accusations made for a miserable retreat. I would strongly advise against booking this place—there are far better, cleaner, and more professional options available.
1 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from Group Retreats
Your review is one of several from a single group-stay. We take all guest feedback seriously and regret that some aspects of your stay did not meet expectations. However, we must clarify that the decision to retain the damage deposit was based on significant damage caused during your stay, including smoking inside the property, which left an unpleasant odour and affected the comfort of the guests who came next. This type of damage is disrespectful, disruptive and requires extensive cleaning to restore the property to its original condition.
We want to reassure future guests that retaining the full damage deposit is an extremely rare occurrence—only 0.28% of our bookings have led to this action. In these cases, it is only when the damage clearly exceeds normal wear and tear. Our priority is to provide a pleasant, well-maintained environment for all guests, and we carefully manage the damage deposit process to ensure fairness.
We invite anyone reading this to review our other positive guest feedback, which reflects our commitment to quality and hospitality. We are a small family business which is proud of the experiences we’ve created for the majority of our guests and continue to strive for excellence in all that we do.
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