Park House Hotel
What We Love
- The grounds are home to tennis courts, a croquet lawn, a bowling green, a golf course and an outdoor pool (all free to use)
- Dining on classic British dishes flavored with herbs grown in the kitchen garden
What To Know
- A car is recommended in these parts; the hotel is a 20-minute cab ride from the nearest train station
- The closest town (for shops, pubs and restaurants) is a 40-minute walk
- The heated outdoor pool is open from April through September (weather permitting)
- Sublime spa is located next to the hotel in a converted barn
Amenities
- Bar
- Free WiFi
- Golf Course
- Gym
- Handicap Accessible
- Parking On Site
- Pet-friendly
- Pool
- Restaurant
- Room Service
- Spa
Overview
The Look
Set in a sleepy village in West Sussex, less than a two-hour drive from London, Park House Hotel is a country pad that delivers a Best of British experience in spades. The crunchy gravel drive leads to a cozy lobby complete with wellington boots and walking maps, the drawing room hums with the sound of a crackling fire and clinking china teacups, and the manicured grounds are home to a croquet lawn, tennis courts, a six-hole golf course and a heated outdoor pool. The family-run property was a high society hot spot in the 1950s, attracting Indian maharajas who would play polo at nearby Cowdray Park. Now it attracts urbanites with a taste for the great outdoors, a penchant for country pursuits and a need for some rural R&R.
Bed and Bath
The light-flooded rooms are comfortingly traditional and are kitted out with lacquered furniture, sink-into armchairs and chaise longues. The overall feel is calming, but the fabrics are busy: Bold floral flourishes are everywhere, from the bedding and walls to the curtains that frame views of the grounds and South Downs National Park. Quirky room layouts are a jumble of nooks, crannies, alcoves and oak beam ceilings, all harking back to the hotel’s former life as a farmhouse. Bathrooms feature separate tubs and showers and are stocked with Aromatherapy Associates products.
Beyond
You could quite happily reach a state of bucolic seclusion without leaving the grounds of the hotel. For active types, the tennis courts, six-hole golf course, croquet lawn, bowling green and outdoor pool are all free to use from the end of April through September (weather permitting). The PH2O spa is housed in a separate outbuilding, and the facilities (indoor pool, sauna, steam room, smart gym and mini–foot spas) are top-notch. In the evening you’re encouraged to help yourself to a pre-dinner drink from the honor system bar and dine in the glass conservatory restaurant overlooking the grounds. Classic English dishes (flavored with herbs and greens from the kitchen garden) dominate the menu, and the drink list features wines from West Sussex vineyards
How to Get There
Reviews
We stayed for the weekend with friends joining us for the Saturday night . We stayed in a cottage which was wonderfully equipped and nicely decorated with lots of space and a nice little garden. The service was friendly and efficient, room service particularly speedy.
The restaurant had a fantastic wine list and even though it was busy the service was very efficient . A nice varied menu and good quality food . The day menu is also excellent giving flexibility if you are staying a while . Afternoon tea on the terrace to the sound of people playing tennis and other sports was quintessentially English .
The spa is wonderful with great facilities and good range of treatments with excellent therapists .
Overall a great place to stay and enjoy the countryside , vineyards and sights
Lovely place, lovely food and service. A bit of a mix up at lunch but staff are very friendly and relaxed so all good. Great massages and spa treatments. Pools, inside and out are very clean as is the whole hotel itself. Golf course is a little gem. Only 6 greens but great quality putting surfaces. Nicely laid out. Can go around as a pitch and putt but can also play as longer 9 iron, wedge par threes. Should have a spinner to dry pool wear in changing rooms and should have option of communal sauna and steam rooms.
We have just stayed at this wonderful hotel for the first time and have had the most wonderful stay. The hotel is beautifully decorated with excellent facilities, lovely food, a great spa, great gardens and the best grass tennis courts ever. The staff were amazing, nothing is too much trouble. We had a beautiful serene room and a fabulous restful stay. We can’t wait to come back!