It might not have the profile of Chewton Glen or the history of Cliveden, but South Lodge is up there with the country’s finest country house hotels – not least because of its 44,000sq ft spa with its bells, whistles and swimmable natural pond.
The heart of the hotel is an exceptionally cared-for manor, built in 1883 as an opulent family home. Within this, you’ll find two fine dining restaurants, a lounge and bar. It’s alluring enough to attract foodies, couples, hen parties and families, but large enough that its sense of space isn’t compromised. Here’s our lowdown on staying at South Lodge, located on the outskirts of London.
Don’t let its proximity to Gatwick fool you: South Lodge is found within the deepest Sussex countryside. Within its gates, there’s little sign of the real world. There’s simply 92 acres of grounds to explore – including a vineyard that will bear booze in a few years. Beyond that, it’s rolling hills as far as the eye can see. As is often the nature of the beast for countryside hotels, it’s not accessible by public transport alone. It relies on either a taxi or a once-an-hour bus from Horsham.
You’ll find 88 magnificent rooms here, each with different wow factors, from elegant furniture to prime views, to outdoor hot tubs. They’re individually in a creative style of traditional and contemporary. We loved the attention to detail within – an easy-to-use lighting controller that included a ‘master’ switch sorted out one of the most common gripes with hotel rooms.
The beds were heavenly to sleep in. There’s a pillow menu if you need – but the plump, fluffy pillows found atop the bed are already serious upgrades from most homes. The bathrooms come kitted out with Molton Brown, adding to the indulgence of a stay.
As one would not-so-secretly hope for, the interiors are full of dramatic mahogany and a traditional English style. It’s elevated by magnificent orchid displays dotted throughout the hotel; a florist’s dream. But don’t expect formal service to match. Instead, the staff balance their professionalism with a casual form that relaxes guests into the estate.
It would be remiss to call The Spa South Lodge’s piece de résistance, when the house itself is magnificent and the restaurants are top-class. But it’s certainly a major draw for both daytrippers on a spa break and hotel guests, especially as spa access is included until 2pm on the day of checkout. It’s a proper, premium spa area that has a myriad of options for a day-long circuit. Fancy lounging? Sweating? Swimming? The choice is yours. The glass-fronted sauna overlooks the swimmable pond, sun deck, and heated bubbling hydrotherapy pool outside – which itself has button-operated jets in various parts, like an adult’s aquatic playground.
The attention to detail is what marks this out as a true place of relaxation. When the lockers have exactly the right compartments (a bit for shoes, another bit for coats, another bit for bags) and are locked by pushing your wristband against it (what dark magic is this), you step into the spa area assured you’re in for a treat. It makes the odd foible more noticeable. Like, a loo within the spa area itself would be handy, and body lotion in the changing rooms would be expected at this level. But that might barely register as you float off after a day here.
Elsewhere, you’ll find tennis courts, a slick gym, a dedicated spin studio and a wide range of classes from yoga to aqua gym to tai chi. Most of these are included for hotel and spa guests.
There’ll be no rumbling tummies at South Lodge. There’s a choice of three restaurants, the main one being the three AA Rosette-awarded Camellia. It’s traditional English in style – both aesthetically and culinarily. At The Spa, there’s Botanica. Breakfast for hotel guests can be taken at either of these.
Botanica is more casual, particularly as those using the spa can stay in their robes and slippers to dine (yay). This is the only place where the usually excellent service slipped. The lag between ordering and receiving meant I wasn’t quite sure if we’d been forgotten or food is served to a leisurely schedule. It turned out to be the latter, but the spiced butternut squash on sourdough was certainly worth the wait.
For a special dinner treat, there’s Ben Wilkinson at The Pass: an intimate, contemporary tasting menu restaurant where the 28 diners can see into the kitchen as Wilkinson and his small team work their magic.
Even my mum, who’s particular about her meals, gave in to the spirit of the occasion and found herself feasting on the delicately-flavoured ajo blanco, chantrelle, sea leek and asparagus risotto, and celeriac dish that was brought out with a squash ball-sized black truffle. Arriving in its glass jar, it was generously shaved on top for the occasion. My accompanying wines were an aromatic Grand Cru Schoenenbourg Riesling and a well-balanced Refosk from Piquentum in Istria. They were adventurous in choice, refined in finish, and understated enough that they complemented rather than overpowered the seven courses. Divine
Double rooms B&B from around £395. Visit the South Lodge website.
