Review of The Swan hotel in Lavenham Suffolk in 2023

I’m laying down a challenge here. I defy anyone to NOT feel relaxed after spending time at Lavenham’s Weavers’ House Spa. 

Part of The Hotel Folk, and latched to The Swan hotel (a few doors down), it's certainly not what you’d expect to find poked up an alleyway off the village high street. 

Bathed in neutrals, with soporific low lighting and a hum of gentle essential oils in the air, the setting’s lovely garden (including sunken hot tub), sun lounge, sauna and steam room, are a mere stage for the crowning glory of this place – its treatments. 

Great care has been taken in selecting products rooted in nature and wellbeing - the core list of experiences created to envelope spa-goers in a cocoon of comfort. 

Every tiny detail has been thought of...and delivered. Free, coded lockers await with the fluffiest (literally the nicest I’ve used in any spa) robe, towel, slippers, jewellery and swimwear bags. The changing rooms also offer a bevy of indulgent Temple Spa products to slather on your face and body.

After a smoothie in the downstairs lounge, guests are led up to their treatment suite. My Tribe517 The One experience (£125 for 90 minutes) with therapist Fi was nothing short of blissful. I mean, to be honest she could have just left me in the dimmed room atop the heated waterbed, under the thick, heavy, sleep-inducing duvet all afternoon and I’d have been delighted. 

The treatment sees a rich orange, avocado and vanilla oil, and white chocolate and coconut scrub being smoothed all over the body to soften skin and relieve tension. It’s so much more than a scrub. Fi really did get into all my pesky knots, and the treatment wasn’t at all scratchy.  

After a hot shower, a melting cream of avocado and cabbage seed oils, cocoa butter, orange, vanilla and helichrysum essential oils was applied, leaving me softer than a Mr Whippy. 

I’m not a fan of spas that make you eat carrot sticks and celery juice (hello, I’m here to be indulged). So imagine my utter joy at the fact treatments end with a little shot glass of sorbet (lemon, yum), followed by herbal tea and a locally-made macaron in the chillout zone! Now that really is a treat. 

As I slinked out the door into the early February sun, I was making a list of all the friends I could take with me for a girly day or...that special beast that is the spa break. 

It would be rude not to stay in Lavenham if you’re having a treatment here. The village has so much to offer, with fabulous independent shops, galleries, history and walks quite literally on the doorstep.  

And if you’re going to DO Lavenham, that stay has to be at The Swan. 

My visit was bookmarked by a couple visiting from Essex, whose laughter echoed through the entire (very capacious) ground floor lounge. “Don’t mind my wife” the gentleman told me. “She’s had a bit too much to drink!” 

READ MORE: A stay at one of Suffolk's most historic houses

I asked if they were having a nice stay (it looked that way) and they went on to list everything they’d loved about their mini break in Suffolk – from the wonderful hotel staff, to good food, and the fact someone had gone out of their way to fetch them a firmer pillow for their room. “Nothing is too much trouble for them here,” they told me. 

It’s impossible to gauge quite how magnificent the hotel is from the outside. Within, it is a warren of corridors and nooks. Of swirling staircases, tiny lead windows, stained glass, heavy beams and intricate oak doorways. 

There’s a garden, and terrace (surely packed in summer), a lounge that goes on and on, warmed by multiple fireplaces and supplied with enough magazine and paper fodder to have you settled for an afternoon, and a very well-stocked bar. 

I stayed in one of the suites – the Churchyard – which can be made up as a double or twin. It was more than comfortable, with a just-right (for me) mattress, pillows you can properly sink your head into, and a huge lounge area with a dining table and the kind of sofa you could easily fall asleep in. 

Temple Spa toiletries are provided in the sparkling clean vintage bathroom with rainforest shower – including make-up towels (more places need these!). But I did feel some of the grout work could do with a bit of a refresh. 

All told, a romantic, unique place to rest your head. 

Dining is available in The Mess Call or The Gallery, though I think they should do away with The Mess Call (which I, frankly, found a bit cold and soulless) and stick with their guns on The Gallery restaurant – one of the most historic and beautiful dining halls in the East of England. 

The split-level eatery is all crisp white linen and sparkling glasses, and was packed on a Sunday night. We were very well looked after by Trevor, who was the perfect gentleman and could be seen swanning (‘scuse the pun) around the room chatting with all the guests. 

You’ll find a menu with roots in fine British ingredients here, and nods to classic European cooking. Highlights included a rich terrine of the kitchen’s own corned beef, freckled with tiny pieces of cornichon, and served with a sweet homemade salad cream, whipped herb butter and soldiers. The chicken Kiev, with its thin golden crust and generous garlicky filling, was better than we’ve had anywhere else (so juicy). And an orange-infused dark chocolate mousse, sheened with mirror glaze and served with orange jelly and charred orange segments definitely had the wow factor! 

The only thing I’d point out is the dining room is rather quiet. I’d love for management to push the music level a little...though some probably prefer the peace! 

We went to bed absolutely bursting and I’m happy to report that, although I’ve been told the hotel (well, much of Lavenham) is haunted...we had no spectral visitors overnight. Nor, despite being beside the road, were we woken up by traffic, thanks to secondary glazing and thick window dressings. 

READ MORE: Our review of Lavenham Blue Vintage Tea Rooms

Breakfast offers a bit of something for everyone, including an impressive spread of cereals, yoghurts with compote, warm pastries, fruit salad pots and juices, with some interesting additions to the hot menu alongside a traditional English ‘fry up’. From shakshuka (Middle Eastern-style baked eggs) to ricotta hot cakes and sourdough with smashed avocado, chilli and feta. 

Portions are generous, and you’ll be well stoked to get out and explore all that Lavenham and the surrounding area has to offer! 

A midweek stay in a double room starts from £165 or £175 with breakfast. Until February 28 take advantage of a special offer of bed and breakfast with free dinner from a fixed menu. This offer is only available via the hotel website theswanatlavenham.co.uk where there are also details on how to book spa treatments, days and breaks.