Swan Hotel

Recently celebrating my birthday, my mum bought me a spa visit and afternoon tea at The Swan in Lavenham.
The spa is actually Weaver’s Spa and Shop, which is a separate entity to the Swan, and we had very different experiences at both.
When we finished our spa day, a lovely member of staff walked us through the many (many!) hallways through to The Swan’s restaurant — there is an outside walkway but, as it was raining, they were kind enough to take us this alternative route.
We were seated at a nice intimate sofa and table, very relaxed after our massages, and ordered our tea to go alongside the food. The tea arrived fairly quickly with some lovely crockery but there was a huge wait for the food, during which time we felt very neglected. The eventual explanation was that the staff Christmas party was also taking place in an adjoining room — fair for them to have a party, but it shouldn’t affect service this much!
The food itself was good, with a very tasty warm bakewell tart and meringue swans filled with cream. The scones were also delicious, with both fruit and apple & walnut flavours served. The sandwiches were a let down with very dry bread and seemed to be an afterthought compared to the delicate pastries and cakes.
We had a lovely time together but the afternoon tea didn’t add much to the experience overall. A bit of a shame.

This place is an fab. Delightful staff in a quaint Suffolk town. It must be said though that it is a very well to do place.
If you stay you simply must go for tea in the guildhall if you stay over or pop through lavenham

A great looking hotel but with the most inattentive staff. Lavenham is a quiet, quaint and historically significant town and worth a visit but steer clear of this pace. The staff here were young and spritely but with the least amount of enthusiasm I have ever seen in servers. We had empty glasses of wine our whole meal, they forgot bits from our dinner, they never came to check on us, we had to flag them down with flapping arms for the pudding menu and when the pudding arrived our table still had an empty wine bottle, empty wine glasses and our half eaten appetizers on it. It is a recession here right? We would’ve had 2 – 3 more bottles of wine if anyone had asked, and we would’ve had teas and coffees too if anyone cared to query. We addressed the management about our service and they apologised, the 5 waiters supposedly serving our table disappeared in embarrassment and we went back to a friends house and enjoyed some store bought wine and had a way better time!
Food was ok, too pricey for what you got. They are charging London prices for a standard meal. Don’t go.

Late mediaeval and Tudor wealth created the buildings which form this hotel.
Much up-​graded and improved in recent years. Used to be Forte-​owned and run by professional hoteliers. This part of England has a formidable history, but not as great as the local American sacrifice of its warriors in the air.
This former country inn is a USA memorial because it was a social hub near to the airfield of a bomber group of the 8^th AAF base at Lavenham of WW2.
B17 legends.
You visit hallowed ground in the bar where many aircrew never trod again. The Swan at Lavenham is now a premier country hotel with restaurant.
Outstanding menus and the choice complement an excursion to, or a stay in this part of Suffolk. Refined old bedrooms with modern attributes. Timbered Tudor English architecture. The prosperity of the mediaeval wool trade is still encountered in many Suffolk villages with the heritage of the merchants who commissioned their local churches, houses and their shop premises. We wonder at the skill of craftsmen who built the churches and can only imagine now their former early internal decoration and splendour.