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 West Sussex Hotels
Despite being extensively invaded by the Romans, and more recently Londoners snapping up second homes, West Sussex has thankfully retained plenty of its character. The South Downs are a wooded ripple across the middle of the county, offering good walking and views to the coast, where creeks and harbours hide waterside villages and the odd ice cream van. Classic events like horseracing and the Festival of Speed at Goodwood or the polo at Cowdray Park are tempered by simpler pleasures such as walking in woods carpeted with bluebells or having a beer in a fine country pub. In this varied landscape, places to hang your hat are also a mixed bunch. Left over from days when folk went shrimping in Bognor for their annual escape, there is a sea of no-nonsense coastal guesthouses that do a brisk trade for the bucket-and-spade brigade. At the other end of the scale, five-star country piles abound, where former Lords and Ladies peer from their canvas haunts at corporate types having a pow-wow or girlfriends relaxing into the fluffy robes of a spa package. And, except for Brighton, which deserves a list all to itself, the green, pleasant countryside is where our top ten hotels were discovered; interestingly none are by the sea. The hotels are listed by price category and their order bears no reflection on our preference.
 Reviews by Marcus Waring |
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| Luxury: An imposing country mansion where you might just as easily bump into Poirot or Posh |
| Location: TURNERS HILL; close to Crawley and Gatwick airport and set in 170 acres of parkland. |
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| The high ceilings and classic feel of the handsome old building blend seamlessly with the new wing, which expanded the tally of well-furnished rooms to 38 and added an impressive spa and pool. We like the excellent staff and less formal Reflections Brasserie, where the Monkfish with Thai red curry sauce is superb. Finish with a liqueur by the fire in the Library in winter and burn off breakfast exploring the numerous trails of the undulating estate. |
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| Luxury: Oak-panelled cosiness and fine dining |
| Location: CUCKFIELD; close to vineyards and gardens worth a visit |
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| If you like your floors uneven and your windows lead-lined, Ockenden is an Elizabethan manor house full of yellow walls, dark beams and quiet nooks. Head for the odd-sounding Raymond, a corner-room where the magnificent four-poster is offset by a flatscreen TV. The restaurant serves excellent food, especially the venison, and the wine list is dangerously extensive. The conservatory overlooks the terraced lawns and the New England Reserve nearby is good for stretching legs. |
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| Mid Price: Laid-back restaurant-with-rooms with Michelin-starred food |
| Location: WEST STOKE; 3.5 miles from Chichester, in countryside. |
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| Renovated by its current owners, Rowland (cheerful and rotund, in baggy shorts and Chelsea boots year round) and Mary Leach, this large, white Georgian mansion has much to recommend it, not least its funky/glamourous interior and the much-praised, Michelin starred cooking of Darren Brown, served in the former ballroom. Bedrooms are elegant spaces decorated with French antiques and unframed canvasses by local artists, with fresh flowers and huge beds dressed in Egyptian cotton. Attractive garden. Deservedly popular. |
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| Mid Price: Contemporary yet cosy restaurant with rooms in a charming waterside spot |
| Location: SIDLESHAM; near Chichester, with views across Pagham Harbour |
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| A stylish waterside hideaway at pretty Sidlesham Quay with its old houses and wonderful natural harbour, Despite the spanking new makeover of a 350 year old pub, you’ll find the Crab and Lobster a cosy, romantic place, with its cream painted or bare brick walls, open fire and neat dining area, in which to hole up for a night or two. There are four bedrooms, one with telescope for a better view of the salt marsh and woodland with watery creeks stretching to the distant sea and the tempting menu includes fresh fish and shellfish brought to the door by local fishermen. |
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| Mid Price: A traditional family house with timeless floral décor |
| Location: BEPTON; set in lovely, peaceful grounds, at the foot of the South Downs |
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| This atmospheric family house has kept it’s spirit – after reading the papers in the Drawing room for ten minutes you want to tell the staff to take the rest of the day off. The bar, full of pictures of visiting Thespians and polo players, has window seats looking out over two lawn tennis courts, a small golf course and the tree-lined ridge of the Downs. There is a heated outdoor pool and the showers are seriously invigorating. |
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| Mid Price: As close as you’ll get, in a b&b, to the romance of the Orient Express |
| Location: PETWORTH; just south of town on the A285 |
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| For sheer novelty, the Old Railway Station is hard to beat for a b&b. The Waiting Room and Parcels Office of the attractive station itself (closed by Dr Beeching in the 1960s) make a great colonial style sitting and breakfast room. There are two pretty bedrooms here, but most people head for those in the three wooden carriages parked in the sidings. Breakfast can be served in the carriage or, in clement weather, on the sleepy station platform overlooking the grassy track and old brick bridge. |
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| Mid Price: two compact, luxurious suites with contemporary chic in a clever little annexe |
| Location: MIDHURST; just outside the market town, Cowdray Park over the road |
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| A pair of quiet, stylish sanctuaries set in the charming village of Easebourne, this is a B&B with designer credentials. The garden is ideal for summer drinks and the house is only a scenic five-minute drive from the Halfway Bridge Inn, a country pub with excellent fish and game dishes. But save room for Felicity’s legendary breakfast, where hand-cooked muesli and slices of fresh fruit are chased by the best eggs and bacon in the county. |
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