Cottesmore Golf And Country

“I want more, of The Cottesmore”

Tucked away in the Sussex countryside like a well-kept secret that someone has accidentally left the door open to, Cottesmore Hotel & Country Club turned out to be one of those stays that gently reminds you why you bothered leaving the house in the first place. My accommodation for the evening was… more

Tucked away in the Sussex countryside like a well-kept secret that someone has accidentally left the door open to, Cottesmore Hotel & Country Club turned out to be one of those stays that gently reminds you why you bothered leaving the house in the first place. My accommodation for the evening was Room 25, perched on the first floor and occupying a rather smug corner position overlooking the golf course. Now, I don’t play golf—my relationship with small white balls and large sticks has historically been one of mutual disappointment—but the views were nonetheless rather splendid. From various angles of the room you could gaze out over the rolling greens and watch golfers wandering about like philosophers pondering life’s great questions… or where their ball disappeared to. The room itself was exceptional. Not “hotel exceptional,” where that usually means the kettle works and the carpet doesn’t look too traumatised. Proper exceptional. The bathroom alone could comfortably host a modest dinner party. It featured a large shower, a generous bath, and double sinks—always a sign of civilisation and progress in the modern world. A short hallway then leads you into the bedroom itself, which feels thoughtfully laid out rather than crammed in as an afterthought. There’s a comfortable sofa, a proper desk for those who pretend they’ll do work, and a wonderfully large bed tucked neatly into a cove that makes it feel almost theatrical—like it’s waiting for a dramatic curtain reveal. Particularly pleasing was the abundance of well-placed power sockets, which suggests someone involved in designing the room has actually used a phone in the last twenty years. A small detail, but one that seasoned travellers will appreciate with quiet gratitude. If I were to be gently critical—and in the spirit of fairness, one must—the only thing missing was a proper coffee machine. The instant sachets were perfectly serviceable, but when the rest of the room feels so indulgent, one does find oneself yearning for a small espresso machine to complete the performance. Access to the rooms is through a beautiful courtyard, which immediately sets the tone. At its centre stands a rather impressive fountain that seems to take great pride in its role as the courtyard’s main character. It’s the sort of setting where you half expect someone to stroll through with a glass of champagne and a Labrador. The spa facilities were another highlight. A well-equipped gym, a pool, sauna and steam room all make an appearance, forming a very respectable little wellness retreat. The only slight drawback during my visit was that it was extremely busy—bordering on crowded. That said, I strongly suspect this was simply a matter of timing. Had I ventured down earlier in the day, I imagine I’d be writing a very different, more serene chapter of the story. Dinner was taken in the bar, and it was excellent. The food was well priced, satisfying, and delivered without unnecessary theatrics—exactly what you want after a long day. I also enjoyed a few Sharp’s Atlantic IPAs, which were poured with the sort of reliability that encourages you to order another. It’s the kind of beer I now wish my local back home stocked, though perhaps my liver is grateful they don’t. The staff, broadly speaking, were fantastic—pleasant, professional and genuinely helpful throughout the stay. There was, however, one slight outlier: the lady on reception during my check-in. Let’s just say she may not have been having the best day, and first impressions are a delicate thing. Fortunately, she proved to be the exception rather than the rule, and every other member of staff I encountered was excellent. In terms of value for money, the stay was superb. It genuinely felt like you were getting far more than you paid for, which is increasingly rare these days. One small operational quirk worth noting is that the bar closes at 22:30, and reception itself also shuts up shop and locks up for the night. This means there’s no residents’ bar or late-night service if you find yourself in the mood for a midnight nightcap. Not a major issue, but something to be aware of if you’re a late-evening wanderer. So, would I return? Absolutely. Cottesmore is one of those places that manages to feel comfortable, charming, and just indulgent enough without ever becoming pretentious. A peaceful setting, a superb room, good food, and the gentle soundtrack of golfers losing their balls somewhere in the distance. And Room 25? Well… if it’s available, I’ll happily take that corner again.

less

“Beautiful location but some improvements needed”

We have been here many times and stayed overnight on a few occasions. Most recently we stayed 1 night for a birthday party. It’s in a beautiful location surrounded by trees and lovely countryside. Feels remote but had good access to local towns. It has free parking but gets very busy. My room was l… more

We have been here many times and stayed overnight on a few occasions. Most recently we stayed 1 night for a birthday party. It’s in a beautiful location surrounded by trees and lovely countryside. Feels remote but had good access to local towns. It has free parking but gets very busy. My room was lovely, clean, modern and refurbished, it looked onto the golf course. The breakfast was lovely and the restaurant and bar terrace are nice with great views of the golf course. The staff we met were friendly. Unfortunately the reasons I haven’t rated it 5 stars is because the checkout time at 10:30 is far too early, this ruined our morning. Additionally, on the bar terrace you need to get up and walk to the bar every-time to order drinks and carry them back to your table; it would be better if they offered table service. Lastly, at the birthday party there was only one bartender serving which meant we all had to queue for ages for drinks.

less

“Lovely, but not perfect”

Recently came for a 1 night stay and despite the weather being awful, you could easily see this was a beautiful and well maintained venue. The lobby with the on site cat was worked by a variety of helpful and friendly members of the team and then it was on the lovely courtyard to check in to our r… more

Recently came for a 1 night stay and despite the weather being awful, you could easily see this was a beautiful and well maintained venue. The lobby with the on site cat was worked by a variety of helpful and friendly members of the team and then it was on the lovely courtyard to check in to our room. The room was a very generous size and had sufficient facilities for our needs. We had both dinner and breakfast in the on site restaurant and really enjoyed both of our meals. The dinner particularly was very tasty, hot and priced competitively for the area. Staff during both meals were also friendly and attentive. The bed and breakfast rate was well priced as well. The downsides, while few, stopped this being a perfect stay: The bathroom had mould and mildew in multiple places, which could have been avoided or removed with proper maintenance. Particularly around the window, which looked like it was beginning to rot around the frame. The upstairs walkway around the courtyard is a type of decking to access the rooms and you could clearly hear when people were walking around up there. It was quite disruptive at night. Also, the two sets of stairs nearest our room to access the restaurant were in quite poor condition and had no cover, so effectively you have to go up and down the stairs exposed to whatever weather is around at the time. When we closed our curtain in the room, it was hiding a sock, suggesting the room hadn’t been cleaned properly. Overall, we would give this place another go and maybe we will be luckier with our room next time.

less