Perfectly situated in the centre of Horsham with ample parking nearby (charged, but reasonable) in…read morea multi-story car park. We arrived at reception and our booking email was taken by the young lady at the desk, obviously busy on the 'phone. She didn't say a word until she had finished her conversation with a friend. She informed her friend that she had customers and put the 'phone down. She should have done that as we arrived. OK, that is my only gripe. Our room was on the fourth floor. Very large room with the usual amenities of TV, coffee/tea making facilities. Plenty of hanging space and a nice, clean bathroom. After a nice shower we were off to our friends 50th birthday celebrations. Suitably imbibed, we returned to our room. Grateful for that really comfy bed and sufficient pillows. A great nights sleep. Even though the hotel was full, because of a conference in the town, it was totally quiet. Other than our reception on arrival, an extremely pleasant stay.

Jolly Good Time It's…read morebeen a while since our memorable visit, but I'm writing this review of GRAVETYE MANOR in the memory of my mother who passed away just three months ago. Having her own colorful English-style gardens in suburban America for most of her life---on a much MUCH smaller scale, of course---and being an exceptional cook--- Gravetye was one of the particularly wonderful highlights of our road trip. That, and seeing the Queen. (Later, below.) It was while looking through my photos of England and Scotland, that I came across those that I'd taken of our visit to Gravetye. Wondering if there might be reviews of this country estate from anyone on Yelp, I found not even one. The "press" link on their site showed several accolades from a number of publications, so I decided to write one, too. I'm sure that this magnificent manor is well-known throughout the U.K., but by probably only a handful of visitors from across the pond. Gravetye deserved a least a single Yelp mention from a smitten Yankee. Our schedule that day was to arrive before nightfall at a destination further south, but heading down the M23 I spotted a highway sign reading that the East Grinstead exit was just ahead. That name rang a bell. Quickly scanning my notes, sure enough, it was where Gravetye Manor was located. "Anyone ready to eat?" My husband and my parents were all enthusiastically in favor. "Well, be prepared for one heck of a meal. Turn off here." (I wasn't driving. Yikes, no !) Traveling plans included 4 to 8 points of interest to visit each day on a leisurely, un-rushed day-time road tour. I also noted little side-trips, and only if it might fit into our schedule, would we detour. Gravetye Manor was one of those. (Per Gourmet magazine it was one of the finest country inns/restaurants in Great Britain and Europe. This would be one unforgettable experience. It was.) Taking country roads, we arrived at the entry. Like driving through a park, with lawns, trees and shrubs lining the winding drive, after half of a mile the circa 1598 manor comes into full view. This is one old house. Already decently attired---but for comfortable road touring---we hoped we'd pass inspection. Greeted with approving smiles--whew---we were graciously welcomed and led into a spacious wood-paneled, vaulted-ceiling dining room. Every course was perfectly prepared and perfectly delectable---starters, salads, and entrees of two beef, one chicken, and one rabbit. (Not me. I'll never eat bunnies.) And desserts? Almost too beautiful to eat. But, of course, we did. And the wines were excellent recommendations. Something that we'd never experienced before, however, but one that left a delightfully lasting impression, was the line of probably eight white-shirted and black-slacked or skirted servers standing along the wall near our table. Quiet as church mice, facing straight ahead and about a foot apart with hands behind their backs, at-the-ready and providing anything needed for luncheon guests at the seven or eight white linen-covered tables. I couldn't help but imagine that this is what it must feel like to be an aristocrat or a royal, famished---and ready to dig in---after a morning of polo matches (ah, yes), or a hunt (uh, never). The manor, the food, the gardens, the lush inviting grounds---all spectacular and highly recommended. To stay here is a bit pricey, however, so having had previously arranged and paid for accomodations elsewhere, we saved ourselves a quid or two. (tee-hee) Now, on to the Queen. (And Queen Mum, too.) There we were---like typical tourists doing what typical tourists are obliged to do---waiting to observe the "changing of the guard" at Buckingham Palace. ...wait... Is this part of it? Two 1940-ish shiny tone-on-tone gray luxury motorcars---each one nearly as long as a schoolbus---pulled into the courtyard and drove slowly along the wrought iron fencing, past the crowd of us commoners. Crikey! HRH waving from the window. Mum, too, from the car just behind. Unprepared, I quickly snapped a few pictures. But because this ceremony "bonus" was a total surprise---and I hadn't set my camera for closer shots---I could only hope they'd turn out. Not. All out-of-focus. WE know who these obscured images are, but to anyone else looking at these photos, they could be just two blurry-faced British ladies in big fancy hats. Oh, well . . .

Had a great lunch here in the restaurant today. The gardens are looking beautiful as the spring…read moreweather has finally turned up. I think the quality of the food is getting better and the new owner continues to put his heart into the business.

This hotel is the best in Guildford, not only because of its amenities ... like a pool, Air…read moreconditioning, spa, underground parking, nicely appointed modern rooms; But, it's all about the people ... they have an amazing staff. Very professional and personal ... just to call out two of the front desk team: Anissa B and Genny T, helped us with not only fine tuning our checking and booking future dates, but also acting as concierges, helping us find services in the near vicinity ... they did all of this with speed and a professional approach. You can not go wrong booking and staying here.

After doing plenty of research into Gatwick hotels and parking I fortunately stumbled accross the…read moreGables Guesthouse. They provide comfortable, basic accomodation near to Gatwick, plus will drive you to the airport in the morning. They also provide airport parking for around £4 per night. We stayed here for an early morning departure and left at around 5.30 am. They do a breakfast buffet from a more civilised time around 7am but as we were leaving before that they gave us a basket of breakfast containing croissants and jam, plus there were tea and coffee making facilities in the room. The rooms are quite old fashioned but clean and the staff were very nice. If you are leaving for the airport later in the day (I think after 10am) you have to make your own way there, plus we had to get back by ourselves. Cost us around £74 for the night and a weeks parking so worked out at fantastic value compared to the cheapest airport hotels. I would definitely stay here for an early morning departure again.

Charming English cottage in the charming English countryside across the charming Atlantic Ocean…read morefrom where I live. I had an overnight at nearby Gatwick Airport and I didn't want to go site seeing. I wanted to rest, eat, rest some more, eat a little more, and then fly home. This place was perfect. It's pretty adorable to boot. Here's what you get: a room, shared bathroom but there's two and it's huge and nice, FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST cooked to order (and I cannot stress this enough because it's bacon, sausage, eggs, griddle tomatoes, toast and homemade marmalade), transfers to and from the airport, tea in your room, a garden with plenty of cute seats, and finally--a great pub withing walking distance. Super sweet family owned. There's parking if you are a driver. The rooms are up a fairly steep set of stairs so if you're a smidgen impaired, you might call first. I booked through hotels.com for 45 pounds (65 USD depending on the day). It was perfect.

I love this place! I had a layover that was initially supposed to be for 16 hours and opted to…read moreleave the airport to stay here instead of the two pricier airport hotels . This hotel is 10 minute cab drive away from the gatwick international airport . Make sure to go to their website to get the cab service number they have a contract with if you are coming from the airport . Using the contracted service will save you about 50 percent off of standard cab fare . If I had used the service it would have cost about £10 each way from the airport . Also make sure to buy some snacks from a local Store / gas station as the hotel/ estate is pretty rural . It's weird it's close to the airport but it's far away from many amenities . The hotel has a limited selection of food and the kitchen closes at 8 or 9pm . I forget if it's 8 or 9:15 . It's something ridiculous . I came down 15 minutes before 10 because I had a feeling the kitchen would close earlier than your standard hotel in the US or other countries and I was right . I was Heart broken . The receptionist told me I could still order dominos which was horrible . But aside from the kitchen closing early which is how this place loses a star ...my overall stay was excellent . This 4 star hotel feels like a getaway at private estate owned by one of your wealthy British friends because it's a private estate that has been converted into a small hotel . It's an extremely charming place especially in December and the price per night is really easy on the wallet . Also the bar has a fabulous selections of gin! I wish I could have stayed longer !!!

We were invited to a 50th birthday party, some years ago, at Stanhill. So a good evening could be…read morehad we stayed overnight with breakfast. It was memorable in it's negative review, at the time. However, a few years have passed and we were flying out of Gatwick so I decided to give it another try. I am so glad we did. The room was modernised from the dirty room of a few years back. Very comfy bed and a modern bathroom. A drink was called for so down to the bar. This was a positive from the previous visit. However, it had changed. Gone was the wall display of various sized champagne bottles to a more simplified, beautiful, wood walls and that terrible glass roof was now obscured. We sat at the bar as there was a celebration going on in the main room. Service was so fast and friendly by a young lady and a barman. Yup, next time we fly from Gatwick then The Stanhill will have two guests. Nice, relaxing, overnight stay, thank you

I used to work here..........a long time ago…read more.. But this is where I met my (current ;0) boyfriend and we still obviously have a certain connection to that hotel. Our anniversary was due. I arranged a whole "back-to-the-roots" trip, including the Nutfield Priory Hotel as well (obviously) . The reception staff was completely new and they didnt know us, but I was shocked by the attitude of the receptionist when we did the check-in. No: how are you, how was your trip? Nothing! That was strange, cause the reception team used to be much more attentive and friendlier. (Later on I found out why he was so grumpy, but think he should have kept his personal problems to himself..) Anyway, we went to our room, all rooms are refurbished and are stunning! I have always known that they were lovely, but this time I saw them with "different" eyes, the eyes of a guest. Later we met some old friends in the bar, had a couple of drinks ( it was tea time, so we actually could have ordered cream tea with the most delicious scones and sandwiches as well, but we wanted something stronger;0) and chit-chatted about this and that. But all the time I was sooooo looking forward to having dinner in the Cloisters Restaurant. We were invited by the head chef himself ( he might be a good chef, but he is as well a perfect friend of ours) and I was so excited to see, if he could cook my/his favorite/famous risotto! Seriously, this is the BEST risotto EVER!!!! It is not always on the menu, but if you will ask for it ( tell them: Alex says HI) he is more than happy to cook it! Dinner was delicious, the risotto tasted as good as I remembered and the wines we drank just rounded the whole dining experience up. They even put: "Happy Anniversary" on our dessert plates. Nice touch.. The after dinner drinks were served in the library, oh those cozy chairs..... Breakfast is good. I was (positively) surprised to find a full-veggie breakfast on the menu, since that has always been the one thing missing! (in my humble opinion) So yes, some things have changed, some things are still the same. But, apart from the receptionist who checked us in, the staff is friendly, professional ( as always ;0), welcoming and they will most definitely go that "extra" mile for you, to make their guests happy!

A special place with a unique charm…read more I made a group booking at the Nutfield Priory for my family to celebrate my sister's 50th birthday. I explained my exact requirements over the phone and found the reservation process efficient. However, it is a centralised reservation centre for Hand Picked Hotels, and the person didn't seem to be very familiar with the hotel I was booking for. Check-in was fine, though the staff, who were mainly Eastern European females, were very stern, with no warmth or welcoming banter. My sister had her wedding reception there over twenty years ago and we had spent several New Year's Eves there. We have a certain empathy with the place, but were made to feel almost unwelcome as we stood about in silence, waiting for keys. Our rooms weren't all ready, so we headed for the Grand Hall, and after having to go and search a waiter, which annoyed me more than the sullen receptionists, ordered bar food. It was all excellent, and plentiful and freshly prepared. I recommend the savoury afternoon tea, if jams and creams and chocolates aren't to your taste. Or get two of each, which is what we did. The hotel has a lovely hushed charm about it, and even though the grounds have diminished in size over the years, the setting is beautiful and lush. I booked us into a Classic double, Executive double and a Suite. The Classic (for me) was small, but with a good size bathroom, and more than enough space for a short stay. If you aren't planning on staying in your room much, then these cheaper rooms are perfectly fine. The room overlooked the car park and hotel entrance, so check if there are any functions planned. Wedding guests can be particularly noisey in the evenings. The Executive double (for my parents) was in the main old building. It was quite dark (damson walls and high up small windows). It had a nice bathroom and huge bed. But comparing it to the Classic, it wasn't really worth the extra expense. The Suite (for my sister, husband and 8 year old daughter) was HUGE. Enormous sleigh bed, massive tassled four-seater knoll, plush armchairs, more than enough wardrobes, giant HD TV, tiled double bathroom with two large sinks and shower and tub. I requested an additional bed for my niece, which was made up with the same quality bedding. The panoramic views over the Sussex Downs was truly spectacular. For a special occasion or special treat, the Suites are the rooms to book. The hotel claims to have a spa. This is actually a sports centre, open to the general public, located a short walk from the hotel. But having said that, it is well maintained, not overly busy (when we used it), and offers a much friendlier welcome than the hotel. I wouldn't recommend getting changed in your hotel room walking there in a robe though and I wouldn't recommend aiming for a solitary swim at 1pm on a Saturday during the school holidays. But with careful timing the spa can be lovely. Also, post spa refreshments are best had back at the hotel if you don't fancy mixing with the good people of Reigate. The Nutfield Priory is a special place, with a unique charm and atmosphere. I look forward to checking in again.

London is an amazing city but every once in a while you need a reprieve from it's frenzied…read moreactivity, which can sometimes leave you fried and rattled. So, you get the idea of where I was coming from when I booked myself into a spa break at Lythe Hill. Now this isn't really my thing. Some beauty pampering can just seem like a waste of money to me and sometimes I just don't have the patience to sit still and endure a treatment. But I was in desperate need of some relaxation, so I gave it a try. Lythe Hill Hotel is just outside Haslemere, which is a short train journey from London. Take the briefest of tax journeys and you arrive at a number of small, lovely buildings set in amidst the trees and rolling hills of the Surrey countryside. ...Yes, you read me right, "buildings". So, this is not your typical hotel. An old Tudor house faces the road and this is where the restaurant and bar are located. The reception is a little further down driveway and to the right Ask for a password to access Internet, although it is quite a slow connection. ...You can also get there by helicopter, they have a helipad on the premises too! My building was down a little pathway to the left, next to a green by a "lake" - it's really more of a large pond, but very serene and relaxing. I loved it! My room was HUGE! I couldn't believe my luck! The bathroom was just as big too. I really don't think my pictures did the place justice. Decorated in neutral tones with painted wood panelling. I booked the place on special offer and really got value for money. Enter the front of the Tudor house and through a small narrow hallway you come to the bar which is in the modern extension of the building. It's small but adequate and overlooks the green and the "lake". The restaurant is split between 2 rooms. 1 is in the old building with dark wood panelling, the other is in the modern extension, again decorated in neutral tones. The waiting staff were excellent, friendly, charming and accommodating. The food was great too, although their weren't quite as good and their savory dishes. There's a decent selection of wines and the Maitre d' is happy to offer recommendations. The beauty spa is in a modern building further down from the Tudor house with a swmming pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, etc... The beauticians were young, diminutive and very pleasant. I have to admit some of the treatments I thought a waste of time but the Body Ritual was well worth it and achieved exactly what I wanted. De-stressed and untensed, I was reluctant to go back to London.

Frolicking in the English countryside. This property has so much to offer. We enjoyed our stay and…read morehad a great time. The spa and pool area are a nice bonus. There is a small gym where you can get a good workout. If you want the outdoors taking a walk is enjoyable with warmer weather. The pros and cons of this property. PRO onsite restaurant, gym, spa, sauna and steam room, parking, comfortable rooms and newly renovated. Staff is pleasant and friendly. They are hardworking responsive. CON limited menu at the restaurant and the pan fried chicken breast was under seasoned and needed to be cooked more to be considered fried. It's a nice location for a quiet getaway.