insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 07 - September 2015 | Page 76

GETAWAYS A luxurious hidden gem... Park House Hotel by Charlie Durban As we entered the gravelled courtyard, flanked by the buildings that make up the Park House Hotel estate, my first impression was how beautifully picturesque the setting was. The main house shone crisply in the sunshine, a beautiful building, housing the reception, where we were invited in with a warm welcoming smile and heartfelt greeting. While the details of our stay and spa treatments were finalised, we were given a short tour of the house which boasts a delightful orangerie, looking over manicured lawns, borders, recreational areas and the South Downs in the distance. Used for afternoon teas, functions, or relaxing with an aperitif before dinner, it is a quintessentially English setting; light, homely and pristine. As we walked across the courtyard to our room, I once again marvelled at the meticulousness of the buildings, and as we entered the foyer of South Downs Cottage, which housed our room, we could have been the first people to stay here. Our room followed the trend: crisp, clean and tastefully considered, yet far from clinical, it had a warm, fresh feeling. The room itself offered a generous lounge, private patio with seating and a lovely green garden area, while the bedroom offered a plump king size bed, seating and internet television. sun terraces and loungers, seating and a changing room. Refreshments are served all day from the bar and there are complimentary teas, robes and towels and excellent dining options. There are twelve en-suite bedrooms in the main hotel building, six in South Downs Cottage, two in Polo Cottage and one in Bay Tree Cottage. Each of the spacious rooms at Park House Hotel have been individually designed and decorated to reflect a luxurious and elegant English country house feel, most with stunning views of the West Sussex countryside. The spa's facilities include a stunning 15-metre mother-of-pearl indoor swimming pool with marble entry shower, spa pool and a swimming lane; saunas, steam rooms, four treatment rooms including one double room, a relaxation room and gym & fitness studio. If that’s not enough to keep you busy (and relaxed), there are also two traditional grass tennis courts, a bowls lawn, croquet lawn, a 9-hole putting green and a 6-hole Par 3 golf course (The Oaks). After a short lounge on our patio, it was time for some exploration. We had passed the PH2O Spa on the way to our room; the purpose built facility boasts both indoor and outdoor pools – the latter is a heated swimming pool for the summer months, with 76 The spa building is a masterpiece, expertly designed and finished. I could go on about the architecture all day, with no justice served, only to urge you to see for yourself. It offers the