A Stylish Small Hotel - The Crown at Woodbridge

Located in the heart of Woodbridge is a lovely, boutique hotel called The Crown at Woodbridge. The Crown, sister to The Swan at Lavenham, has a similar ambience - both located in the hub of things but when you walk inside, it is a wonderfully different world. A couple of weekends back we spent a night at The Crown and had a wonderful experience - the hospitality was on par with the best in the business and the dining excellent.

The hotel's decor had a coastal theme, quite understandably. The colour palette included colours of the sea and the sand. Key spaces were accessorised with art and pieces that reflected a seaside theme - wooden oars, sketches and models of sea life, wooden pitchforks and even a skiff (it was hanging from the ceiling near the bar).

The Room

The hotel has ten individually designed rooms, all of them fully serviced and with en-suite bathrooms, underfloor heating, tea & coffee making facilities, satellite television and other mod cons. We stayed in Room Seven which was a lovely spacious room with a comfortable large bed and lots of storage space. The room was styled in a contemporary fashion in muted colour tones which set a very relaxing mood.  A dividing wall separated the bed from the entrance which had the storage spaces and a desk. I liked this aspect of the room design. Little touches like the melt-in-the-mouth handmade cookies and lots of reading material were well appreciated.

We visited the hotel in March and it was unusually warm in the night. There are no air conditioners in the hotel rooms as it is a listed building and AC units are not allowed. Thankfully a fan had been provided by the hotel staff which was very thoughtful. We had a bit of an issue with some noise from outside. The hotel is in the very heart of Woodbridge - right where Cumberland Street, Thoroughfare, Church & Quay Street merge. We were woken up by some shouting outside but it soon subsided and we eventually managed to get some good sleep.

The bathroom was very spacious with a freestanding bath and a separate shower area. Toiletries from Ren, bathrobes, towels and slippers were provided.

Overall, a very nice, well-appointed and clean room.

Dining at The Crown Restaurant

We were booked in for dinner in the evening and when we arrived there were already many people in the restaurant. Not surprising as it is a 2AA Rosette restaurant and is also recommended in the Michelin guide. We were shown to our table and given the menus. Our order was taken as soon as we were ready. The service was unobtrusive and efficient throughout.

We enjoyed some marinated olives and sour dough bread while we waited for our starters to arrive. I opted for the 'Soup of the day' which was Celeriac soup - delicious and filling. My husband chose the caramelised onion tartlet with rocket salad. It was fantastic - great flavours - he said. For the main course, we both chose crispy cauliflower cheese croquettes with truffle cheese sauce, tender stem broccoli & parsley pesto. It was the only vegetarian option on the menu but we both enjoyed it. It was crunchy-outside and soft-inside, moreish and very filling. We were quite full after 2 courses (and an extra starter, courtesy the chef) but the right amount of break between courses meant that we did manage to share a sweet in the end - salted caramel chocolate delice, chocolate crumb & orange sorbet. A perfect way to end a lovely meal.

Breakfast choices were also good. The food was cooked well and delivered with friendly service.

We thoroughly enjoyed the dining experience - the food was beautifully prepared, the portion sizes generous and the service second to none.

Out and about

Woodbridge is about 8 miles from the coast, making it an excellent base to explore the Suffolk coast. Woodbridge also boasts of several attractions like the Woodbridge Museum, Buttrum's Mill and the beautiful Elmhurst Park etc. However, the top three things to do in Woodbridge would be visiting the Tide Mill Museum, visiting Sutton Hoo and indulging in some shopping in the town's vibrant shopping centre.

Related - Top 3 things to do in Woodbridge.

Book your stay

To make a reservation call The Crown at Woodbridge on 01394 384242, details can also be found on www.thecrownatwoodbridge.co.uk. B&B starts from £110 per room per night for two sharing and dinner B&B from £160 with an allowance of £30pp for food.

The Crown | The Thoroughfare, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1AD.
Phone | 01394 384242

We were hosted by The Crown at Woodbridge during our stay. All opinions, as always, remain our own.