There are not many exceptional holiday homes that can sleep sixteen guests in luxurious comfort on Suffolk’s East Coast, and certainly not many award-winning ones. The sensational Felixstowe House is the winner of the 2020-2021 Best Residential Interior in the East of England in the United Kingdom Property Awards. What an amazing accolade and this exclusive holiday home can be yours for a week or two! It is honestly a one-of-a-kind, clifftop, luxurious holiday home that boasts exceptional living and bedroom spaces, a superb indoor heated swimming pool complex, beautiful gardens and arguably some of the best views in Felixstowe. It is hard to beat and even your furry friends can enjoy this dreamy house. The house offers seven amazing bedrooms including a bespoke children’s bedroom with two sets of bunks. Two of the bedrooms enjoy a Jack and Jill bathroom but otherwise every bedroom boasts a stunning ensuite bathroom. With the pool complex, a movie room and a snooker room with a full sized table, you will not be short of things to do at Felixstowe House.

Felixstowe House is an excellent example of late Victorian architecture and one of the finest seaside properties in this region. With a prestigious, elevated position, it boasts incredible, uninterrupted sea views from the walled gardens and many of its rooms. The house was completely refurbished prior to winning the award and offers tasteful style, elegance and plenty of character. Every single room is very generous in size with the property being arranged over three floors.

On the lower floor, you will quickly discover the seriously impressive indoor swimming pool complex, a very popular spot. As well as the uniquely shaped pool, guests enjoy use of a sauna for relaxation, a wet room for changing and showering and a heated bench so that you can relax and enjoy the sea views. The open plan kitchen, dining and living area is equally impressive with a wonderful flow between the different spaces. The kitchen is hand crafted with a combination of marble and wooden worktops. The large central island is a focal point with five sumptuous stools sitting at the breakfast bar. This is an ideal spot for guests to enjoy chilled glasses of wine while keeping the chefs in your group company. There are three sinks, two of which enjoy Quooker boiling water taps and waste disposal units, a De Longhi coffee machine with a milk frother, a three oven gas AGA, an induction hob, microwave, fan oven and warming drawer, dishwasher, drinks fridge, another huge fridge, cafetiere and a larder cupboard. There is also a rear galley kitchen concealed by secret doors which is home to a dishwasher, another fridge, freezers with an ice making drawer, another sink and storage cupboards. What a treat to be cooking in this amazing kitchen! Perhaps you ought to arrange a private chef for some of your meals? The dining area is equally bright and beautiful, drowned in natural light and enjoying a beautiful parquet floor with dining for twelve. The gorgeous bay windows look out to the sea and the doors offer access to the terrace. On chilly nights you can light the gas, flame effect fire. The lavish living area is brimming with exquisite sofas and chairs in shades of ivory and moss green. Guests can listen to their favourite songtracks on the Sonos stereo speakers or watch a film on the smart television. There is another gas, flame effect fire for cosy evenings plus an electric keyboard for more entertainment.

As if these beautiful spaces were not enough, Felixstowe House also boasts a beautiful day room with lavish furnishings, a gas, flame effect fire, a small bar with a fridge and drinks cabinet and bi-fold doors which offer sea views and access to the terrace. The very attractive rug adds gorgeous little colour pops to the ivory tones. There is a door from the day room to the ultra impressive snooker room with its full sized snooker table, feature fireplace and occasional chairs. Even this rooms offers character and style! While waiting for your shot, you will be captivated by the garden and swimming pool views. Off the main entrance hall, you can settle down to a movie evening in the movie room. It boasts a large, wall mounted smart television with SkyQ, a blu-ray DVD player and surround sound. You can get comfy on the larger corner sofa and occasional chairs with the wood burning stove going for added atmosphere. The ground floor also boasts a laundry room and two cloakrooms.

A rather grand staircase takes you upstairs to the bedrooms and some further shared spaces including a library, a gaming area and a study. The seven bedrooms are spread over the first and second floors, all beautifully finished and offering luxurious spaces to enjoy the sleep of kings. The Captain’s Cabin is the master bedroom suite, a sensational, brilliantly lit room with a raised sleeping platform for the lavish super kingsize be. It also enjoys a sitting area, a desk and a smart television. The master’s dressing area is complete with a central island, a dressing table, wardrobes and a Juliette balcony overlooking the sea. The ensuite bathroom boasts a walk-in shower, a bath with a hand-held shower, his and hers sinks and electric underfloor heating. You will definitely be lingering is this impressive suite! Quarter Deck offers a zip and link bed that can either be set up as a superking or twin beds. This beautifully decorated room enjoys a feature fireplace and access to the Jack and Jill ensuite bathroom. The bathroom is shared with Brig, the children’s room with bespoke, built-in bunk beds sleeping four. It is such a fun room and the likely scene of midnight feasts and lots of giggles! Lazarette also enjoys flexible sleeping with a zip and link bed and an ensuite bathroom with a lovely roll-top bath and a shower. Finally, on this floor, is Bridge with its super kingsize bed, sitting area with a smart television, an ensuite bathroom with a freestanding bath and a walk-in shower and its breathtaking sea and garden views.

The second floor is home to the gaming area where there are comfy beanbags as well as XBox and Playstation, the likely place to find your teens if they are not in the pool. There is a study area and the final two bedrooms, Crows Nest and Forecastle. Crows Nest boasts a kingsize bed, a balcony with panoramic sea views, a feature fireplace and an ensuite shower room. Forecastle is tucked away with a super kingsize bed, occasional chairs, an ensuite shower room and an archway leading to a dressing room. You might have to be careful not to get lost in this fabulous house!

Felixstowe House’s landscaped gardens do not disappoint. With spectacular, panoramic sea views, the gardens enjoy complete privacy and welcome tranquility. The raised terrace enjoys a top notch gas barbecue for alfresco dining along with outdoor furniture and luxury loungers. Children enjoy the play area with its slide, swings and climbing frame. The house has direct access to a path leading to the seafront promenade where you will find some pubs and restaurants lining the walk to the seafront.

This magnificent holiday home offers a self-catering stay like none other. With exquisite interiors, an impressive amount of treats, guests will certainly not want to leave!

Felixstowe House enjoys a fabulous elevated position in Felixstowe with stunning sea views. Nestled between the Orwell and Deben rivers, Felixstowe is a charming Edwardian seaside town though the Old Felixstowe goes back to Roman times. At low tide it is possible to glimpse the remains of a Roman fort from Jacob’s Ladder. The town became popular following a visit from the then German Imperial family in 1891, along with the Felixstowe Spa and the building of the pier and railway link. The town’s Cliff Gardens have recently been restored with unusual planting, historical features and structures. They were originally private gardens. The two mile promenade features many cafes, restaurants and attractions as well as colourful beach huts. For some family fun, you can try your luck on the slot machines and games on the pier or amusement arcades. Further up the hill, you will discover the big name stores and boutiques, craft shops and independent shops. At the northern end of the town you will find the delightful fishing and sailing hamlet of Felixstowe Ferry. Visitors enjoy walks along the River Deben or enjoying afternoon tea on the cliff tops. You can take a little foot ferry for a trip to Bawdsey.

If you head south from Felixstowe House you can visit the unique Landguard Peninsula with its 18th century fort, a well-preserved coastal defence. You can stroll along the boardwalk at the nature reserve which is home to a rich diversity of fauna and flora.

If you head north and inland, you will come to Woodbridge, known as the ‘gem’ in Suffolk’s crown. It has been named as the best place to live in the East of England! The beautiful and vibrant market town on the banks of the River Deben offers excellent shopping, superb pubs and wonderful restaurants as well as numerous activities indoors and outdoors. It is situated roughly 8 miles from the sea and is close to some major archaeological sites of the Anglo-Saxon period, including the Sutton Hoo burial ship. The town’s tide mill is a very successful tourist attraction. It was one of the first tide mills in the country and unquestionably the last working one, operating for well over 800 years. The mill has a fascinating history. The earliest record of a tide mill is in 1170 when it was owned by the Augustinian Priors until Henry VIII confiscated it. In 1793, the present mill was built in the site of the earlier ones. It was opened to the public in 1973 and restoration work has brought it back into use as a fully working tide mill. Thanks to a huge National Lottery grant and fundraising, Sutton Hoo is transforming the way that we tell the story of one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. The National Trust manages the hauntingly beautiful 255 acre estate with its far-reaching views over the River Deben. Visitors can walk around the Royal Burial Ground and discover the incredible story of the the ship burial of an Anglo-Saxon King and his treasured possessions.  

Further north still is the quaint village of Aldeburgh. Aldeburgh offers highly distinctive architecture, much charm, a welcoming ambience and a delightful beach. Famous for its connection with the composer Benjamin Britten, it boasts a stunning ‘Scallop’ sculpture on the beach which is 4 metres high and is inscribed with the words ‘I hear those voices that will not be drowned’ from Britten’s famous opera Grimes. There is an annual Aldeburgh Festival which takes place in June and was originally founded by Benjamin Brittan. You can visit The Red House where he stayed for part of his life. You can buy the freshest of catches at the fisherman’s huts on the beach for your alfresco supper or visit the numerous art galleries.

Thorpeness is a magical, mystical village where you will find The Meare, an artificially created, Peter Pan themed boating lake. The landings and tiny islands have Peter Pan names such as  ‘The Pirate’s Lair’ and ‘Wendy’s Island’. Visitors can hire rowing boats and enjoy family rowing on the water. Thorpeness Golf Club is regarded as one of Suffolk’s finest with 18 holes and par 70, just a stone’s throw from the beach.