A part of my heart has fallen in love with Suffolk recently. You know the main thing I love about it? It has loads to do and pretty villages to visit, but it’s not too touristy. Other UK holiday hotspots can feel overcrowded and gimmicky. Suffolk is a breath of fresh air.
If you want to be in the heart of Suffolk, close to some of the main attractions but still experience peace and quiet – White House Lodges is for you.
Suffolk holiday cottages with a difference
This place is carefully curated for travellers looking for a little piece of luxury. The accommodation is well thought out and tastefully decorated, with all the mod cons you’d expect from a high-end stay.
And if you’re a little tired of hot tubs and fancy something a little different, White House Lodges is a unique experience. They’ve swapped the usual hot tubs for a sauna and a cinema room instead – and boy, does it feel like a real treat.
They’ve also got a really fascinating library in the cinema room and some games you can play. And if you’re someone who likes to work out on holiday, there’s a small gym (dumbbells ranging in weight, a bike and cross trainer type machine).
It’s nice to know you’re staying somewhere that’s custom-built to be holiday accommodation, and has a reception to cater to your every need. After a long journey, it was an easy, no-fuss check-in. The grounds are lovely and quiet, with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside.
We actually didn’t bring our dogs, but let me tell you – this place is properly dog-friendly. Some of the cottages have secure, enclosed gardens, and the staff seem very relaxed with canine visitors. I’d definitely bring my dogs here next time. So if you’re on the hunt for dog-friendly holiday cottages in Suffolk, White House lodges tick all the boxes.
The Content Wolf Travel Rating Score 57.5/60
- Service – 10
- Uniqueness – 10
- Location – 8
- Comfort – 10
- Cleanliness – 10
- Facilities – 9.5
Location
You can’t walk to a shop, you do need a car to drive everywhere, but that means it’s lovely and quiet, and you feel like you can truly escape from the world. Plus, there are loads of attractions and towns within 10-15 minutes.
Four-bed Suffolk holiday cottage with enclosed garden – Napier Lodge
If you’re looking for somewhere to stay for a holiday in Suffolk with a small group, Napier Lodge is the absolute dream. It has four nicely spaced-out bedrooms (three king-sized beds and one twin room with two single beds) and a lovely communal living area where you can socialise. The floor space is huge, so there’s plenty of room for everyone.
The garden is also a decent size and it’s enclosed, which is ideal for kiddies and dogs. We had some very relaxing evenings gazing out into the garden and we were lucky enough to spot two baby deers walking past the back of the garden – it was quite magical!
The kitchen is well kitted out with some helpful touches like a bottle of rapeseed oil for cooking (so you don’t have to go out and buy a £8 bottle of olive oil just to be able to cook). There’s a large dining table where we were able to enjoy a special dinner cooked by local Suffolk private chef Mark Weeks.
There’s a large sofa and a TV with Netflix access. Each bedroom (aside from the twin room the kids slept in) has its own en suite shower room. There’s also an accessible shower next to the twin room.
The standard of the decor and furnishings at White House is impeccable. Each room had its own colour scheme and was beautifully decorated with luxurious bedding and colourful paintings.
Facilities
As I mentioned earlier, White House Lodges has some unique facilities. It was so nice to be able to enjoy the luxury of a sauna. I’d say hot tubs are social and relaxing, but saunas feel much more soothing and therapeutic. There’s also a shower right next to the sauna so you can shower and change before heading back to your holiday cottage. Other facilities include a small gym (it’s basic, but you’ve at least got the option to do a workout) and a cinema/games room. You book a slot in the cinema room so that you can enjoy private viewing.
Things to do
We visited White House Lodges for four nights, so we had three full days of exploring. Here’s what we managed to pack into our visit.
Southwold
I’ve not visited the beaches in Suffolk before, so I was keen to get down to the coast and see what the seaside towns are like. Southwold didn’t disappoint. We avoided the amusement side and headed to the quieter sand dunes for some downtime on the beach. It wasn’t warm enough for basking in the sun or anything, but the kids loved running up and down the sand dunes. We didn’t venture into the town, but it looked like it had a good selection of cafes and restaurants when we drove through.
Halesworth
We loved this charming market town. It’s quite a quirky place with alternative shops and lovely cafes. Our favourite was The Black Dog Deli, which was recommended to us by the lovely team at White House Lodges. They do an excellent brunch here, and there are loads of delicious sweet treats, including cronuts (croissants/doughnuts)! We really enjoyed browsing the little independent shops here. It’s well worth a visit.
Framlingham
We didn’t spend too much time here; it was just a quick stop-off. It’s a cute little market town with lots of lovely shops to enjoy. From a wonderful children’s toy and book shop to delis and an enormous bakery, there’s lots to enjoy here. We picked up some fresh pasta and sweet treats from the bakery. I noticed there were a few nice cafes too. We’ll probably spend a bit more time here on our next trip to Suffolk.
Africa Alive
Africa Alive is only 30 minutes from White House Lodges. We stopped off for a bit of brunch at The Suffolk Jungle Room (at the Wissett Plough) on the way. Their breakfast isn’t cheap, but it’s one of the best veggie breakfasts I’ve had. They’ve got a nice outside area, and it’s really quiet and located in a quaint village.
We then headed to Africa Alive which and had a wonderful time there. It’s more relaxing than Colchester Zoo and there are lots of green areas and paths to walk around. We managed to get really close to a giraffe and also watch them being fed.
Colchester Zoo
The last time we went to Suffolk we went to Colchester Zoo. It’s not too far from White House Lodges so I thought I’d mention it here. But for this trip, we decided to try Africa Alive instead, as it was a lot nearer and offered a slightly different experience. Colchester Zoo is your typical zoo experience, and it can be quite busy during peak times.
Jimmy’s Farm
Jimmy’s Farm is about 50 minutes from White House Lodges, but it’s well worth the trip. And if you live down south you could do it on the journey home. It has a wide selection of unusual and unique animals, including farm animals but also animals like meerkats, armadillos, snakes, crocodiles and monkeys! There’s an excellent play area and bouncy balloon for the kids to jump about on, and the restaurant there is pretty decent, too. All in all, we had a very enjoyable day here.
Suffolk Private Chef Mark Weeks
As I mentioned earlier, we booked a private chef experience at White House Lodges with professional chef Mark Weeks. We enjoyed a seven-course menu in the comfort of Napier Lodge (which was perfect for hosting a private chef and very well-equipped). I’ll be writing about our private chef experience in a separate article. But if you want to book him for your trip, click here.
Interested in staying at White House Lodges? Get in touch here.
Please note I received a discounted stay. #ad
