Re: Winter 2015 | Page 43

We both came away from the table feeling like we had eaten a fantastic meal with excellent service. We have vowed to go back to dine again. photos of Hollywood legends that I had to stop and admire. My room was a Club and it did not disappoint. The view from my private balcony was stunning and the room was well appointed with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi (I do hate it when hotels charge you extra for this), a queen size bed and the usual facilities you would expect from a modern, quality hotel. The bathroom can make or break a room for me and this one didn’t disappoint. Nice toiletries, luxurious towels, a bath and a separate large walk in shower too. I was joined by my girlfriend Jo on this review and she is no stranger to fine hotels, having stayed in some of the best across the world. She was equally impressed with the cleanliness and quality of the furnishings but what caught her eye was the delicious welcome brownies which we both thought was a nice touch. Unfortunately time did not allow us to make best use of all the resort has to offer but as part of your room rate you can enjoy use of the Horsted Health Club & Spa. The state of the art gym has 50 exercise stations and two fully equipped aerobics studios that offer a range of classes. There is also a 20 metre heated indoor pool if you fancy a swim but if you are looking for something less energetic then there is the relaxing spa pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. The Health Club also accepts individual memberships so you can keep going again and again long after your stay. We had booked a table in the award winning Pavilion restaurant (they recently received their second AA Rosette) and were greeted by Maître d’ Sam who showed us to a window seat with those stunning views I mentioned earlier. Our waitress for the evening was Megan who was polite, attentive and bubbly whilst talking us through the menu as we sipped on a couple of G&Ts. Megan brought us some homemade artisan bread to get us started which was served with a delicious salted butter that I couldn’t get enough of. For starters I chose a the ham hock ballotine which arrived like a work of art, served with quails eggs, apple, pickles and a delicious mustard dressing. Jo chose asparagus which came with a hen’s egg (she loves eggs) and burnt onions and I’m guessing that it was good as he didn’t offer to share! Main courses arrived and Jo’s sirloin was served with shallots, leeks, fondant potato and some melt in your mouth beef cheek. I chose a 10oz ribeye steak which arrived on a board accompanied by a Jenga tower of homemade chips that I’m guessing were triple cooked and topped with a flat mushroom and roasted tomato. After that little lot we were quite satisfied but I am a sucker for cheese and so we ordered a selection to share. If I was going to be critical I would say that the cheese selection could have been a little more adventurous and the presentation lacked the same flair and wow factor that the rest of the meal showed. Don’t get me wrong it was a perfectly good cheese board but having been spoilt up to that point I had hoped for something with a little more panache. We both came away from the table feeling like we had eaten a fantastic meal with excellent service. We have vowed to go back to dine again. After a peaceful night’s sleep in a very comfy bed we headed back to the restaurant to try out breakfast. Like most hotels this was served buffet style and in an ‘eyes are bigger than my belly’ moment I managed to pile on a full ‘full English’. On checking out and exiting through the main door I was greeted by a full size statue of a gorilla that I hadn’t noticed on my way in. I’m sure there must be a story behind it but I haven’t found out why he’s there yet. The East Sussex National Resort is the perfect getaway destination if you want a quick battery recharge. It has it all; comfortable accommodation, great food, attentive service, beautiful surroundings and all the facilities you could want. I haven’t even talked about the two stunning championship golf courses either! If that wasn’t enough they also have a huge conferencing suite that can hold up to 400 so it is just as also a great venue for businesses and events. In the words of the great Arnold Schwarzenegger “I’ll be back” but if you would like to go then the team have put together a fantastic competition on page 81. B  y Jason Edge 41