First impressions

A 17th-century mansion set in 170 acres of grounds, this is a typical country house hotel, with the Union Jack flying proudly. As soon as we stepped out of the car, we were greeted by the attentive Brian, the hotel’s valet, unfazed by the inappropriateness of our less than exclusive car in the lavish surroundings. The hotel is four miles from East Grinstead, and its proximity to Gatwick attracts overnight guests.

Why it’s special

The hotel makes much of its connections to Shelley, whose family once lived in the house (with a copy of his poetry among the rather limited crime genre selection in the room.) The hotel opened a spa last year, which has become its main attraction. Apart from the bustling spa, there wasn’t much evidence of other guests - even the resident caged birds in the foyer kept out of sight for most of the visit; with the goldfish also roaming solo in the attractive Library bar, its walls lined with copies of old leather books. Still, the front-of-house service was excellent, with all our requests adhered to efficiently and quickly.

Alexander House Hotel, Turners Hill, West Sussex

Shelley's old family pile has a substanial spa and is well placed for Gatwick

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Hitting the sack

Our large room in the spa annexe was well-equipped, with classical music on entry, a mini hi-fi system and selection of CDs on hand, a generous wide-screen TV, and DVDs available to borrow. The room was decorated in rich chocolate colours and modern floral motif wallpaper, with a lounge zone complete with an averagely edible bowl of fruit. The bathroom was bigger than anyone’s ablutions could demand; with two sinks, a large bath in an elevated alcove decorated with a pretty leaf mural on the ceiling. The modern hi-tech shower cubicle had multi-angled water jets. The toiletries – an organic and sweet-smelling range called Zing – were some of the best in-house hotel products I’ve used.

Sampling the food

We ate in the Brasserie where, after a long wait (20 minutes) for drinks service in the adjoining bar area, each course arrived with haste. The food was average: a starter of scallops with minted pea puree lacked zing, followed by a perfectly adequate main course of fillet steak, accompanied by an aesthetically pleasing giant chip Jenga, and an acceptable passion-fruit cheesecake. The fruit salad was varied and vibrantly coloured though not necessarily seasonal. Perfect lunch food, perhaps, for spa day-trippers, but for a small luxury 4-star hotel, I expected better for dinner, although the hotel also has an a la carte restaurant. The Brasserie led into a large open area courtyard with a log fire pit, which suggested an al fresco lunch in fairer weather in my spa robe and slippers would be an appealing option. Again, the buffet breakfast was sufficient, including a tasty walnut bread, fruit and yoghurts; for supplementary items from the menu there was another long wait for service, with a disappointing end result – salty porridge.

Access all areas

There is at least one fully accessible bedroom; and the high standard of front of house service suggests needs would be accommodated as far as possible.

Added attractions

The hotel’s room folder highlights a nearby Cretan pot shop as one of the key local draws, but the main pull is the spa. Ranged over three floors, it offers an extensive range of treatments and gym classes. The changing rooms are vast and not at all crowded, with plentiful supplies of Zing products, and a same-sex-only sauna and steam room. Even with day spa goers, on the weekend we visited there were only 12 people using the facilities that include an outdoor hot tub in a pretty garden area.

What we think

A long list of specific packages make this affordable for a spa break, and the proximity of the spa hotel rooms to the spa left me without inhibition for padding down to the spa half-clothed.

Bottom Line

Prices start from £155 for single occupancy for a standard room. The one-night spa escape starts from £185, but check for seasonal offers.

Need to know

Alexander House Hotel, Turners Hill, West Sussex, RH10 4QD (01342 714914; www.alexanderhotels.co.uk)

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