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
Company replied
While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more
To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more
Created with AI, based on recent reviews
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.
23 Lower Brook Street, IP4 1AQ, Ipswich, United Kingdom
Replied to 100% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 24 hours
How this company uses Trustpilot
See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.
We stayed at the house Friday - Monday for a gathering of 18 people from start to finish was just perfect no it was spectacular very well organized and very informative thank you group retreats Chloe and hope the house and the grounds are amazing the pool area is unreal and the hot tub was just perfect to carry on socializing and drinking we just didn’t want to leave I would defiantly recommend this property in fact that every one was blown away by this amazing house and grounds. We had a private chef Philleep yummy food was served and did not disappoint food was bang on then we had the big British roast came for BBq And the food was decent everything was perfect yummy food beautiful grounds and to top it the weather was scorching so thank you abbey house its was unreal just amazing.
Just back from staying at Fawley Court in Hereford and what a wonderful place. The house and grounds are stunning and the pool is a great size.
It accommodated my 30 guests well in what were mostly spacious rooms although some are not ensuite with some areas having 3 rooms sharing a bathroom.
The great hall is fabulous for getting a large group together and we used Christines Catering in Hereford to cook a meal for us one night which was amazing.
We also ran a group laser clay shooting session using Oaker Wood Leisure who did a great job.
Lots of nice walk available from the house and the surrounding gardens are amazing.
Will definitely go again in future.
We booked Milton House for a 2 day corporate small team event and it was just perfect. Lovely facilities and grounds, great location and well maintained. The games room is a good space for meetings as their is a screen and seating available.

Reply from Group Retreats
Our stay at Timberley House in February 2026 for my Nan and Grandad's 60th Wedding Anniversary was extremely disappointing and nowhere near the standard advertised. The biggest issue was the heating — the games room had no heating whatsoever during our entire stay, making it completely unusable despite being promoted as one of the property’s main features.
The main house was also inadequately heated throughout the daytime, leaving members of our group, including elderly guests, sitting indoors wearing scarves and gloves just to stay warm. This was completely unacceptable and made the property very uncomfortable to stay in.
What made the situation even worse was the complete lack of communication. We contacted the caretaker during our stay to report these problems and received no response at all. Being ignored while dealing with such basic issues was incredibly frustrating.
To make matters worse, there was also a leak at the property, and the only attempt to deal with it was to place towels on the floor. This was hardly an appropriate solution and further highlighted the poor standard of maintenance and response throughout the stay.
To add to this, we had been specifically told before arrival that we were not allowed to bring our own speakers because speakers were supposedly provided at the property. When we arrived, there were no speakers anywhere in the house. Yet another example of the property not matching what was promised.
While the company acknowledged the issues we experienced at Timberley House, their response completely missed the main point — there was no meaningful compensation offered for a stay that was severely impacted by multiple problems they have effectively admitted existed.
The company’s response focused entirely on what they may improve for future guests, such as adjusting heating times and providing portable heaters, but did nothing to properly address the disruption, discomfort, and inconvenience our group actually experienced.
Acknowledging problems after the fact is not the same as resolving them. For the amount paid, we expected a warm, functional property with responsive support, and unfortunately that is not what we received.
Overall, this experience fell well below expectations, especially considering the price paid. Unfortunately, I would not recommend staying here or using Group Retreats.

Reply from Group Retreats
My partner and I stayed at Caer Beris to celebrate our 30th birthday with all our closest friends. The setting was incredible, and we hosted a fantastic dinner party in the dining room. We were also lucky with perfect weather for the weekend, which meant we could enjoy swimming in both the lake and the pool on the grounds. Lia and the team were amazing throughout our stay. We couldn’t recommend the place highly enough, thank you to Lia and the whole team!

Reply from Group Retreats
We stayed at Holbecks House. What a beautiful home, grounds and general setting! Gaining access was simple, beds were made as requested and the hot tub was rumbling away for us to hop straight in. The interior was gorgeous, the patio had views of the countryside and the lawn was perfect for a sunny day.
Group Retreats sent us clear arrival and check out instructions as well as providing the number of a caretaker for any problems we might face.
I would highly recommend a stay here!

Reply from Group Retreats
Really impressed with Group Retreats - super responsive, good value properties. Would 100% recommend

Reply from Group Retreats
An incredible stay and great service. I even forgot some precious items in the room and the caretaker, Jamie, found and returned them within a couple of days! Would highly recommend

Reply from Group Retreats
Dear Chloe and the Group Retreats Team,
I just wanted to say a sincere thank you for the amazing stay we had at Caer Beris (Wales). It’s not only a gorgeous venue, but it proved to be the perfect place to bring our team of 22 people together. From the grand meals in the dining room to relaxed drinks by the hot tub and peaceful moments by the river, it created so many natural opportunities for connection and bonding.
As we were organising the trip, we really appreciated your patience and support in answering our many questions along the way. Your help made the entire process smooth and enjoyable.
We also used DineIndulge (private chef experience reccomended by GroupRetreats) which was great and we would recommend to anyone planning an event
And special thanks to Delaney , our home caretaker, who helped us while on site !!
Thank you again for everything—you helped make this a truly memorable experience.

Reply from Group Retreats
Stayed at Ashfield Place for a long weekend and had a wonderful time. It was the perfect location for my 1920s themed murder mystery party! Jason the caretaker was very responsive and quickly helped us to sort out the fuse box when the power in the kitchen tripped. Beds were lovely and it comfortably housed 27 people - will definitely come back!!

Reply from Group Retreats
Alward House was a fantastic stay, all our guests enjoyed their time at this stunning location. Very happy with everything and the support from the Group Retreats team. Thanks again!

Reply from Group Retreats
A family gathering to celebrate my daughter’s upcoming wedding. We had the best time the house was spacious and well equipped. The sun shone and the pool and hot tub were a blessing. We would defiantly go back.
Thank you group retreats for making the whole process run smoothly
Doreen

Reply from Group Retreats
A lovely guest house which has been refurbished to a high standard maintaining the elegance of an older building but with all modern conveniences. We had a family room which was really spacious as well as the large bathroom with lovely walk-in shower. The small fridge was a very useful extra. The check-in system worked perfectly.

Reply from Group Retreats
We booked Ashfield Place Farm for an extended family get together. The house was beautiful with lots of character, the reception rooms were great sizes especially the dining room where we enjoyed meals together. Huge fully equipped kitchen, amazing outdoor heating swimming pool, the kids absolutely loved it. The hot tub could do with a bit of maintenance on the jets but was great other than that. Bedrooms were of great sizes.
Jason the caretaker was very helpful and quick to respond to queries
We had an amazing stay, it just went too quick!
This is our second stay with group retreats and I’m sure there will be many more to come! Keep up the excellent work.

Reply from Group Retreats
Stayed at Stable Cottage (13th-17 April) It was an absolutely amazing stay. From the minute the booking was made we had amazing service from group retreats. They phoned me making sure I got all information required and if I need anything more information.
Then when me and my work colleagues arrived at the cottage it was beautiful. The whole house was clean and we had a basket in the kitchen filled with goodies. There’s a book to help you with information regarding the house and the local area.
So I would highly recommend Stable cottage and of course Group retreats. They are amazing.
I will highly recommend staying at Stables cottage as it was stunning.
So if I ever need a home for leisure or work again I will 100% look at more of group retreats homes.
Milton House
We stayed at Milton House as a group of 30. Seven families. The house was brilliant. The pool and pool area is so lovely and warm, the ground are huge and well kept and plenty of space for everyone to sleep and relax. Would highly recommend.

Reply from Group Retreats
Absolutely blissful time had at Ashfield Place Farm. 16 people gathered to celebrate a dear friends 60th. Everything in the house was wonderful from the enormous kitchen, amazing dining room, fabulous bedrooms, pool table and then topped off with the most beautiful gardens, pool, jacuzzi and tennis courts. The welcome basket was superb. My 2nd time at Ashfield and I’ll def be back in 2027. Jason, the caretaker was brilliant.

Reply from Group Retreats
I celebrated my 60th birthday with family at Fawley Court, South Herefordshire near Ross on Wye which was a central location to meet for those of us travelling from Manchester, London and Cornwall. Property is huge, immaculately clean and fresh. A real sense of occasion, style and prestige. Kitchen situated far from pool/ bbq area so took an age to transfer plates/ drinking glasses back and forth. A trolley and trays would work well. Dining Hall is grand for formalities but kitchen relatively small and no morning room to sit for informal breakfast etc. Some bedrooms are off annexes which is not clear from the floorplan. Remember to take your own shampoo/ shower gel. Cross the road to access the pond and formal gardens all of which are breathtaking. Recommend nearby 'Cottage of Content' for great food and warm welcome. I stayed 2 nights but wish it had been 3 (3 nights not available on my birthday week, even though booked 6-months in advance) Special mention to 'Ross' their man on location who is friendly and went 'above and beyond...' . Wouldn't hesitate to recommend Fawley Court, I would go back in a heartbeat. Enjoy!

Reply from Group Retreats
We had a fantastic time at Alward House. The house was very clean and tidy on arrival and housed us all. Our party didnt feel on top of each other at all. The walled garden which had the pool, hot tub and tennis court was fabulous! We were so lucky with the weather and we felt like we were abroad. It was lovely. Booking with Group Retreats was easy and they were on hand leading up the stay with any questions. We will definitely come back!

Reply from Group Retreats
The house and grounds are lovely and the kids enjoyed all the facilities such as the pool, games room and tennis courts. I highly recommend the house it made for a wonderful family gathering.
Aviva Frei

Reply from Group Retreats
Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.
Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. Labeled Verified, they’re about genuine experiences.
Learn more about other kinds of reviews.
We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.
Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.
Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.
Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.
Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.