Best Western Cedars Hotel

I have stayed in the Cedars more times than any other hotel anywhere. I used to work for the large corporation across the road and in spite of colleague's snobbery surrounding the hotel, I used to love it. I stayed recently for old time's sake with my wife having retired last year. It has changed hands. I checked the price on a hotel booking site and then called only to be quoted a much higher figure. I mentioned this and my quote was immediately discounted to the website price. The Covid 19 pandemic has been most unkind to this hotel and it has sadly gone downhill. A lot of the clientele are being paid for by the government (I was led to believe). I sincerely hope they can come through this pandemic and economic downturn and return this delightfully quaint and homely hotel to its former glory. less

We arrived at the Cedars for an Anniversary meal and stay. Alarm bells rang when the car park was deserted and the whole place looked empty. However, Tina on Reception welcomed us warmly and quickly explained the hotel was due for a major re-development (witness plans on the wall) She offered to put us in 'superior' room 19. I asked if the Bar was still open and Sean said he would open it for us! There was no one about and I quickly learnt, apart from Sean & Tina, there was a chef and one housekeeper and I only ever saw 5 guests, 2 of whom were put there by the local council, The Restaurant had been closed for months and there was only a short menu available in the Bar. we said we would return at 7pm. Superior room 19 was a shock! Although perfectly clean the mattress was 9 inches short of the divan and springs crunched as you lay on it. None of the radiators worked and there were patio doors leading to an overgrown garden and views of the past building works. When we arrived for dinner there were 2 meals out of the six available with rice. I ordered the Chilli and rice. Poor Sean returned to tell me the chef had no rice!! I said this was a Tricky review for me because I should give this hotel one star but Sean & Tina are doing such an excellent job in trying to keep customers coming in and satisfied while clearly this hotel is way past its sell by date, I must add, I do understand the difficulty the Owners must face in deciding when to go ahead with the re -development in the present climate but how long can this hotel continue at this level? I won't return until after the re-development........perhaps I'll be invited to the launch party? less

Me and my mum stayed here for a week whilst visiting family who live in Stowmarket and we would recommend this hotel. We paid just over £260 for a twin room for whole week, which we felt was very good value for money at only £37 per night. The location is very good as it is a quiet area of the town but only a few minutes drive to the local Tesco and 5 minutes drive to the train station or high street. There are a number of restaurants/pubs, takeaways, supermarkets as well as high street and charity shops only a short drive away. For entertainment, the Museum of East Anglia Life and a small cinema are local. A car is certainly recommended as public transport links are poor though trains do go fairly regularly to Ipswich, Norwich, Cambridge, Peterborough and London and stations on those lines. There are many lovely places to visit within an hours drive which are not on a train or bus route. Regarding the hotel, check in was reasonably quick and the staff were very hospitable and couldn't do enough for you. The bedroom, whilst slightly dated, was very clean and tidy with a modern TV, and tea/coffee making facilities as well as free wifi. Unfortunately, due to covid-19, we did not have a daily cleaner but as we were there a week, they did come in mid-week to clean and replace the towels, and bed sheets etc. We were told that if we needed anything such as more coffee or replacement towels, we only had to ask and even though staff numbers were limited, we were always able to find someone either at reception or in the bar. Foodwise, the hotel restaurant was closed due to covid, but there is a separate lounge bar which is open to the public as well as guests. The food here was very good and the staff great though it is a bit expensive for what is essentially pub food. We did have a very enjoyable evening here with family though. We didn't try the breakfast as we did feel £6 for a croissant and drink in a box was a bit steep, but the local pub, the Willow Tree, does some very nice, cheap breakfasts. Overall, we were very satisfied with our stay and will stay here again when next in Stowmarket. less

We've just returned from a 2 night stay at Cedars and had a marvellous time. We tend to have a weekend away in hotels every month or so and normally pay 3 or 4 times as much so were a little worried, especially after reading some of the reviews! Any worries proved to be unfounded; we stayed in one of the superior rooms [Number 8] and it was more than adequate. We loved the beautiful beams and olde worlde feel of our room and it was tucked away so quite quiet. The only noise we heard was from the people above, mainly squeaky floorboards, which just goes with the character of the hotel. The room and bathroom were spotlessly clean, which is very reassuring in these uncertain times. Plenty of toiletries, tea, coffee and biscuits and if you needed anything the staff were more than happy to supply it. The staff were fantastic too, especially Tina and the lady on duty Saturday evening. Nothing is too much trouble and we would not hesitate to stay again. less

The staff were very friendly and helpful. The hotel itself however, is in dire need of a makeover. Noisy pipes outside my room that sounded like drilling next door and seemed to sound when I was trying to sleep and it have a lay in. Not once did I manage a full nights sleep because of it. The food wasn't great, despite a high priced menu giving a false sense of quality. The room itself was very outdated, having said that, that basics were there. Ideally located, stone throw away from Stowmarket which saved my trip here being a total waste of time. Huge squashed spider that I managed to walk past everyday for 12 days... indicating that a vacuum wasn't on the high priority list of the staff. Leading me to believe, What else was going under the radar? less