Outside, there’s a third of an acre to potter and wander. But you’ll need to look up to find the real garden. The roof garden is less horticulture, more party culture. Toast the views from 82 feet in the air, north towards the River Orwell and the iconic Orwell Bridge, east to the docks at Felixstowe and south towards Holbrook.
Spaces here are big, bountiful and beautiful. Pick from seven floors. First stop, the main living area. That’s the entire first floor. Find a comfy sofa, magic up a movie, shoot some pool and just flop around with a cake and coffee. Be together, be alone, mix, mingle, be single. It’s your call here.
Ride the lift (yes, lift) to the entertainment floor for old-school enjoyment in the shape of retro computer games – a Nintendo Wii and a Xbox, plus two separate 42” screens. Check out the renovation pictures and soak up the views of the Shotley Peninsula.
There are cinema rooms and cinema rooms, but this is the real deal. Theatre-style, tiered seating… this is the big-screen made real. Just add popcorn. For further fun, there’s even a karaoke machine to help you wail away the evenings. This is unique, five-star frivolity.
Décor here is swish and modern. Wide landing areas, soft armchairs and coloured artwork amp up the impact. Go anywhere and be stunned by tall windows that complement the unique shape of the tower and flood the spaces with light. Sky Tower is unconventional, massive and mad as a bag of spanners.
Cook, eat and chat all within one beautifully appointed area. Prepare your meals on three electric fan ovens with ceramic hobs and eat around the 18-seater dining table or up on the terrace if you prefer al-fresco.
Slide out from the kitchen through the French doors to the garden; living here has an easy, inside-out flow. If you’d prefer to be waited on than wait for pans to boil, summon our chefs and let them dish up something delicious while you get horizontal on the roof terrace. They’ll even load the dishwashers.
Head out to The Boot at Freston, a newly renovated rural gem. Expect delicious food from the kitchen garden and local ales from the bar. At the Butt and Oyster, moored boats line ‘The Hard’, cottages decorate the landscape and Lowestoft skate with capers and roasted tomatoes sits on your plate. Wash it down with Adnam’s ales.
For two-AA rosette dining, head to the Salthouse Eaterie, where cuisine has a modern British influence. It’s quirky and eclectic with a boutique-style contemporary dining room. Soak up the harbour views as you tuck into your Gressingham duck breast or 28-day-aged Angus Cross ribeye steak with 25 chips.
The entertainment keeps on coming, even in the bedrooms. Relax and choose a channel from your TV. It’s like your favourite boutique hotel, with guests you pick yourself. Nine bedrooms over three floors help accommodate individual families. Each floor has a master with en-suite shower and two further twin rooms.
On the second floor, bedroom one sleeps two in a kingsize with en-suite shower room. Bedroom two offers two singles with the option of zip-and-link to create a superking, and two singles in bedroom three. There’s a shared bathroom for rooms two and three with tub shower.
That’s a formula that’s replicated exactly on floors three and four. Whichever room you choose, you’ll find deep mattresses, crisp cotton sheets and a deep sleep. Wake to the call of the birds and the pull of croissants and coffee in the country air.
