GETAWAYS
WEST SUSSEX LUXURY 5-STAR BOUTIQUE HOTEL & SPA
ALEXANDER HOUSE
OVER AT insideKENT HQ, WE ARE BIG FANS OF THE FABULOUS ROWHILL GRANGE IN WILMINGTON, SO WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE TO VISIT ITS SISTER HOTEL, ALEXANDER HOUSE, WHICH IS SET IN 120 ACRES OF GLORIOUS SUSSEX COUNTRYSIDE, WE JUST HAD TO GO. ALEXANDER HOUSE, ONCE THE HOME TO THE POET SHELLEY, IS A LUXURY 5-STAR MANOR HOUSE WITH BEAUTIFUL VISTAS, A CHOICE OF RESTAURANTS, AN AWARDWINNING UTOPIA SPA AND ROOMS DESIGNED FOR ABSOLUTE COMFORT. BY ADAM READY
Friday arrived not soon enough after a long and hectic week in the office. I had been clock watching all day and as soon as the hands hit 5.30pm, my guest and I swiftly jumped into the car for a scenic drive over the Sussex border. We arrived in good time and were greeted on the gravel courtyard at the front of the house. Walking though the entrance to the reception desk you get to feel the full luxury on offer with the marble tiled floors and stylish but traditional décor. Each of the hotel rooms are individually designed with absolute luxury in mind and with painstaking attention to detail. Some rooms feature canopied four poster or sleigh beds fitted with deep-filled mattresses. All offer the finest Egyptian cotton sheets, plush pillows and personally selected designer fabrics. Expect to find strikingly opulent fabrics and helpful enhancements such as a flat screen television, iPod docking station, workstation, personal safe, plus a selection of books and magazines. Shortly after checking into our luxurious suite, my guest and I visited the Utopia Spa which boasts 25 treatment rooms, a hair salon, nail bar and pedicure station, exercise pool, hydrotherapy pool, bubble tubs, sauna, steam room, monsoon showers and gymnasium. So as you lounge by the pool, melt away under the monsoon showers or plunge into the hydrotherapy pool, you really will feel as though you have escaped to another world. I was absolutely bowled over by the spectacular Grecian-inspired interior of the spa. Here stands a little piece of ancient Greece in the countryside of Sussex which has to be seen to be believed. The pool is lined with carved columns and the lighting effect in the pitched ceiling on the warm stonework gives a relaxing ambiance, as there is no natural sunlight. The high-pressure jets of water in the hydrotherapy pool are designed to deeply penetrate the muscles in the back and shoulders. The centre of the pool is home to another jet which is designed to massage the low W"G'V????BBF?RVFvR?bF?R????2?&V?FRf?"W&fV7B&V??F????F?R7?2&?fFR?V?v&FV?v?F???WFF??"??BGV"2vV??26???V7F????b&V??F?????V?vW2?gFW"6??R?V6??VVFVB"e"??F?RWF??7vRfV?GW&VB&6?F??W"7V?FRF?vWB&VG?f?"?W"&W6W'fF???BF?RGv?&?6WGFR~( ?2&W7FW&?B?W?V7WF?fR6?Vb?&?'VFB?B??2FV?&?FRF?V?6V?fW2??W6??r???F?R&W7B&?GV6Rg&????6?7W?W'2?2vR6BB?W"F&?R6??RFV?v?FgV?6? :?2vW&R6W'fVBf????vVB'?v??FW&gV????V?FR'&VG2?v??6?vW&R??&R??R?????fW2??F?&Vv???W"?V????&FW&VBF?R'WGFW"??6?VB?'F??B?F?fR??'7FW"v?F?6?&???????6R?B7&"g&?GFW"?F?R??'7FW"v2g&W6??B6???VBF?W&fV7F???v?F?7&"g&?GFW'2F?F?Rf?"??B?wVW7Bv2WV????&W76VB'?F?R&&&?B6??6???:??&?7B?????B&&&?B&6??v?F?6&v??BG'Vff?RF?7B?f?"?W"???6?W'6R?vRFV6?FVBF?6?&RF?R??6?6??r?&?7B6?FVV'&??B?b7W76W?&VB&VVbv?F?V?v?6?7&wW2?7&?VWGFR?FF?W2?B&?6?G'Vff?R6V6R??B'&?fVB???&vR6????r&?&Bf?"?W"v?FW"F?6'fR?B6W'fS??RF?Bw&VB??"&W6V?F??r?B6?vV??v?F?F?R&W77W&R?bGv?fW'??V?w'???????W'2v?F??rv?F?7WF?W'?????B?F?Rf?f?"?bF?R&VVbv2????r?BvV?BfW'???6V?v?F?F?RG'Vff?R6V6R???v6?VBF?v?v?F?&?GF?R?b??&V2??v&FR??V??FR7W????V?F??#???G2?fbF?F?RFV?B~( ?2F??2v2?V??v??( ?B&Rf?&vWGF??rf?"???rF??R?f?"?W"&R?FW76W'B?vRvW&R6W'fVB???6?ffVR?6R7&V?6??W2( 2???7BF??7WFRF?VB?F?&?V?BW??7B??7&VF?&?R?V???v2fW'???FW&W7FVB??6???rF?R?7F6???6?Vff?:???W7B2F?R?V?R&??6VB?F?R6?Vff?:?v2?v?B?BFV?6FR?B6W'fVBv?F??7F6????6R7&V???wVW7B?Bv??FW&gV?v?&??b'B???FS?F?R?6VB?V???7W&B?B??&?67W2v?F?6??6??FR?6?R?B?'6?????r?F?Rv?F??r7Ffbv2??&RF??66????FF??r?B?&v??6VB?W"WF?Bf?W'2?B6?ffVW2??F?R6??f?'F&?R??V?vRF?6V?BF?F?R&V6WF???&V?F?R?W?B??&???rvR?VFVBF?v?f?"?v?B6??F??V?F?'&V?f7B??F?R&Vf?V7F???2&W7FW&?B&Vf?&Rv???rf?"7v???BW6??rF?R?WFF??"??BGV"?gFW"W6??rF?R7f6??F?W2?vR&???VB?W'6V?fW2??f?"#R???WFR&6???V6??B6??V?FW"?76vR?F??2v2fW'?&V????r?B&V?G&VBF?V?B?W"7F?B?W??FW"??W6R?2vR6?V6?VB?WB?Bv?VBF??W"6"?wVW7G27F'FVBF?'&?fRf?"?gFW&????vVFF??r?B???WrF?W?v?V?B??&RV??????r?W?W&?V?6R?b?fWF??R??W??FW"??W6R??FV?bWF??7GW&?W'2????V7Bw&??7FVBvW7B7W76W?$?EB3C"sC?B&W6W'fF???4?W??FW&??W6R?6??V?wwr??W??FW&??FV?2?6??V???wwr???6?FV?V?F?v???R?6??V??????