The Guinness Arms, Icklingham, Suffolk

We love the fact that there are so many places to walk and enjoy nature right on your doorstep.

The Guinness Arms is located in the charming Suffolk village of Icklingham, close to Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket.
By car: 2 hours from Birmingham or London, 40 minutes from Cambridge. Onsite parking is available at the hotel.
By train: Bury St Edmunds station is around 15 minutes away by car, with direct services to Ipswich (30 mins), Cambridge (45 minutes) and Norwich (1 hour 20 mins). thetrainline.com

The Guinness Arms is perfect for couples or families looking for a weekend stay close to Thetford Forest. We love the bold prints and bespoke metal chandeliers in the dining room, with large doors opening onto the patio in summer.

You can stroll from the garden all the way down to the gentle river Lark. The pub has a kids menu and the two largest rooms, Lulu and Bunny, have a fold-out bed if you are travelling with young ones.

• Restaurant
• Bar
• Terrace
• Garden
• Parking
• Free Wi-Fi
• Pets allowed on request

Each room is named after a member of the Guinness family, and styled accordingly, with Alec's room full of theatrical items and Bunny's home to gardening designs and photography. The best room is Lulu's, created by the fashion designer herself, with a hand-painted mural and a distinctive four-poster bed.

Alec, Garech, Kenelm, Walter, Daphne, Lindy, Bunny, Lulu
Facilities include: Free Wi-Fi, TV, telephone, work space, tea and coffee-making facilities, dressing gowns, iron, luxury eco-friendly toiletries

The menu is down-to-earth but of a very high standard. The 'Red Lion burger', named after the pub's previous incarnation, is excellent.

The Guinmess Arms: À la carte high-end pub food, modern cuisine. Breakfast served daily, lunch and dinner Tues-Sat, Sunday lunch only. Mains from £11.50