He knows every nook, every inch; indeed it’s all he has known as a home. And yet still he finds the building and its grounds to be a constant source of inspiration. Like their predecessors stretching back over five centuries, Michael and his wife, Christine, treat the building as a living entity, and have gently developed the hotel over the years. Seckford Hall is grand and stately in the best traditions of a Tudor mansion, but it’s the details – often the product of extension and addition over the centuries – that make for such a fascinating hotel.

“The building has a fascinating history, dating right back to Tudor times” explains Michael Bunn. “Ralph Harwood purchased the hall which was in a terrible state in 1939 and he began his restoration work, with the aim of turning the building into a hotel. But in 1940 the Hall was claimed by the MOD and commanded troops.  It was not until 1949 that Seckford Hall actually became a Hotel. In February 1951 my father purchased the hotel from Sir Ralph, and here I am today still running the family hotel!”

The family owned 32-bedroom hotel which employs 100 staff has seem some changes over the years, and over the past year, a  refurbishment and bedroom upgrade for the Hotel in Woodbridge has paid dividends when it achieved four star status by both the AA and Visit Britain.

"Seckford Hall is in a unique position in that it is a family business with very strong local ties and a proven track record of commitment to the community,  commented Michael Bunn. "But the business is also central to the bigger tourism picture providing Suffolk with a quality hotel which attracts both the business and leisure traveller.”