A Hideaway Retreat

Richard and Gail were very welcoming.We arrived in a winter downpour.Richard came out to the car with umbrellas to show us to the entrance of the B & B . The layout was as exactly described on the web site. The Garden room was spacious enough for a one night stay.It was good to have a sofa to watch TV ,rather than having to sit on the bed. The kitchenette/dining area was very important to us as we wanted to have a snack supper rather than go out.So we were able to heat some soup and make toast without difficultly. The outside temperature was hovering around zero/plus 1C. The radiators were on maximum ,however we were a little chilly. The bathroom was well appointed and spacious, although the shower cabinet probably needs re-vamping. The electric shower was passable but needs upgrading.There was a hand grip for the shower but ideally there would have been a non slip mat as well. The continental breakfast would have fed 4 or even 5 people!! I am Coeliac ( gluten free diet) I had told the owners that I would bring my own cereal and bread. They kindly provided (per person).A yogurt,fresh fruit salad, choice of cereal, sliced brown bread, a roll,a croissant, a plate of ham,cheese and tomato plus orange juice,milk, spread,jam and marmalade plus either tea or instant coffee. They also provided packets of supermarket gluten free scotch pancakes/flapjacks and chocolate muffins . To avoid waste and unnecessary work it might be helpful to have a menu to choose from on the night of arrival. We would have no hesitation in staying at the Hideaway again in the future.

Four of us have recently spent three nights at this B&B accommodation. We had scanned the reviews before booking, and the star rating was positive, so we booked and headed of to the Hideaway Retreat. What to say? Positives: Spacious rooms, very clean and well equipped. Warm, with heating that the occupant could adjust Very pleasant landlord, cheery and keen to chat and please. Good off road parking. Good WiFi Good shower and large bathroom (we knew when we booked that our room was not en suite, but the sole use bathroom was just along a short corridor and around d a corner. Not a problem) Negatives: Only a Continental breakfast. I see on other reviews the owners state, in answer to this comment, that it's clear on booking that it's a continental breakfast. We cannot be 100% certain, but it seems really unlikely if we had been told on booking, that it was a continental breakfast, that we would have booked. As a group of 4 friends we meet 2 or 3 times a year, all over GB, and always use B&B accommodation. In over 20 years of doing this, this is the first time ever that a B&B has not provided a cooked breakfast. Continental breakfast? I've eaten many of them...on the continent. They contain various yoghurts, plates of different sliced meats and various cheeses. Various fruit juices, hard boiled eggs, pastries and assorted fresh fruit. As such, for me, this was not a continental breakfast. A couple of wafer thin slices of ham and cheese, half an egg and half a tomato, with two sliced grapes doesn't for me, meet that definition. There had been mention somewhere in the written material, of a breakfast menu! No evidence of this, nor any offer of a cooked alternative. It states clearly in all the promotional material that there are fresh home made cakes and tea on arrival...... No! Didn't see that. The toilet was extremely difficult to flush. Sometimes it wouldn't oblige at all. Garden views? I fear not. We were in the garden room, and outside our window was 6 foot high larch lap fencing. Hardly a view. I also wondered why, when there was a path that gave short and easy access to the accommodation across the front of the house, that visitors are obliged to pull their bags and cases around the street corner to a side gate. Hideaway Retreat?? Not an overly apt name for a bungalow, on a busy road and set in a housing estate. No point in going on. We do B&B a lot, Our expectations are based on over 100 B&B stays. This alas wasn't what we expect. Sorry

Lovely warm welcome from two kindly people. Fresh milk provided for tea/coffee in room, and use of fridge available in kitchen opposite. Bed perfectly comfortable, and shower facilities fine albeit in a small closet. No cooked breakfast offered, but a Swiss style one of wafer thin ham, Cheese slices, grapes & tomato, along with juice, cereals, toast , croissants with homemade marmalade & jam.

We have just spent 2 nights in the Poppy Room and it was so peaceful and clean - our hosts Gail and Richard could not have been more pleasant and helpful, Thank you very much and we will be back if we go that way again.

I spent 9-13th May 2018 at the Hideaway Retreat 53 Anthony Close Colchester UK. Although I have been here several times in the past I was very happy to see the additional facilities. A self serve kitchen has been built and equipped with facilities for customers to cook their own breakfast as well as bring in later meals to warm/cook up in the microwave or in the oven. This new addition is very useful for anyone like me on business trip to get up and cook whatever breakfast they like from the available supplies and get on with the day’s job/activities There is still available provision of breakfast if any customer wants a cooked breakfast The reception and warm friendship from the owners are rich values any customer will surely enjoy throughout their stay at this retreat. I will return whenever I am in Colchester and I recommend this to anyone who wants a place that provides value for money. I feel at home and believe others would too Dr Alfred Okonkwo FRCS 14 May 2018