Swan

We have stayed in the Swan Hotel for many years and were drawn to it for its famous old world charm and character. The rich and famous of the recent past-enjoyed the shabby chic informal but comforting private spaces with English-Country manor charm. The Swan Hotel now has less charm and appeal then a tacky and low class- motel or Travel Lodge. This place has now been stripped and the soul removed. Plastic wood look floor through a tight little corridor to a bland reception with eye level cheap wall lights blinding your entrance, antiques and rustic charm gone and replaced with tasteless blocks of wood for coffee tables. Staff were in your face as you would find in a Turkish street market and the rooms have lost their individuality. Shocking- the one thing that made The Swan in Lavenham, unique has been murdered!

Unique Quality: All the unique qualities that made this hotel a beautiful and gently charming traditional and stylishly elegant hotel has been removed. The outstanding characteristics of this accommodation now is the rape of a once elegant hotel and lack of understanding of it's history-the new owners lack when they refurbished the hotel.

Directions: High Street. Lavenham

This is a very nice place to stay; every modern convenience is provided without compromising the authentic timber-framed atmosphere. It's also very quiet. Even in the high season there's little traffic passing through the center of town.
Breakfast is lovely, but dinner isn't. The food all looks very pretty, garnished and drizzled with all manner of artistic flourishes, but the taste and the prices are disappointing. The service manages to be intrusive and slow at the same time.

The Swan Hotel is one of Lavenham's most striking buildings, a large black and white timber framed building in the High Street. It dates from 1400, and is full of heavy crooked beams, open firplaces and high, vaulted ceilings. It has a calm, quiet feel to it, and even if you don't get the opportunity to stay in one of the beautiful rooms, you can enjoy dinner in the restaurant with its minstrels gallery, Afternoon Tea in the Garden Bar or sample some of the local ales, such as Adnams, in the Old Bar.

There are 51 rooms to choose from, each of which is named after different local villages.

The Swan is not a cheap place to stay - a single room starts from about 90 UK pounds sterling, a double from 140 UK pounds sterling and a suite starts from 210 UK pounds sterling. Dinner, bed and breakfast packages are available and it would be worth checking the website to see if any special rates are on offer.

Unique Quality: The Swan has a very calm and quiet atmosphere. It would make a great venue for a romantic break.

Directions: The Swan is at the bottom of the High Street, on the right hand side as you face up hill.