The Grand Eastbourne
Breeze into 2023 with a spa break at The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne where pampering comes with seaside views and a breath of salty fresh air.
The only five-star seafront hotel in the UK, a stay at The White Palace comes with use of the indoor swimming pool in the Health Club with whirlpool spa, a fully equipped gym and a health spa.
Soothing beauty treatments include a Turkish salt scrub, massage, facial, manicure, pedicure and reflexology, and after all that pampering and relaxing why not go for a bracing walk along the promenade with sweeping views of the English Channel to work up an appetite.
Dine in style in The Mirabelle Restaurant, led by head chef Michael Sutherland whose menu includes Cornish crab, or head to The Garden Restaurant, overseen by executive head chef Hrvoje Loncarevic, where dishes such as classic lobster thermidor and roast rump of the South Downs are served against a backdrop of cornices and chandeliers.
Soothing Spa Break includes an afternoon in the spa, before a three-course dinner in your choice of hotel restaurant, one spa treatment per person, an overnight stay in a deluxe room and breakfast. From £177,50pp.
A Relaxing Spa Break offers the same package minus dinner. From £137.50pp www.grandeastbourne.com
Ockenden Manor, Cuckfield, Horsham, West Sussex
An Elizabethan manor is the idyllic setting for a country spa break offering state-of-the-art relaxation along with plenty of fresh air.
Ockenden manor, which dates back to the mid 1500s, is a boutique house with 28 lavishly decorated rooms, an award-winning restaurant and spa that comes complete with floatation tank, walk in rainforest shower fed by the house’s underground spring, and treatments that include a divine-sounding Elemental Rebalancing Ritual that finishes with a glass of Sussex wine.
Afterwards, warm yourself by a roaring log fire in the wood-panelled Burrell room, named after the family that owned the house until the early 20th century and was in the 1760s the property of the fourth Duke of Marlborough whose mother Elizabeth Burrell had married the third duke.
The spa is tucked away inside a 19th century walled garden, but houses a modern gym and fitness studio offering classes including yoga and pilates.
The Spa Break Getaway package starts from £357 and includes one night’s B & B, a three-course dinner from the Sussex menu, full use of the spa and swimming pools and a £25 voucher towards a treatment. https://www.hshotels.co.uk/ockenden-manor/spa/
The White House, Camber, Camber Holiday Cottages
A stay at The White House, which is just a hop over the dunes from the famous Camber Sands beach, is the ultimate coastal retreat where you can reconnect with nature.
The stunning white weatherboard house is set directly behind the dunes with direct access to those miles of golden beach via the back garden gate.
Take bracing walks – a dog is allowed at the property – or even go for a very bracing swim in the sea before racing back to the house for a soak in the antique tub.
There’s plenty of room to practice yoga, whip up a healthy meal or just relax in front of the log fire or, wrapped up warm, outside in the hammock. There’s table tennis to keep kids (big and small) entertained, and a charcoal BBQ for get togethers, while Rye is just a stone’s throw away if you fancy exploring the port town. (See page XX for ideas on what to do and look out for.)
The White House sleeps 6 adults and 4 children and costs from £380 per night with a minimum three-night stay. https://www.camberholidaycottages.co.uk/the-white-house/
ASHDOWN PARK HOTEL AND COUNTRY CLUB, ASHDOWN FOREST
Set in 186 acres of secret gardens, lakes and woodland trails in the heart of the forest that inspired AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club is a haven for nature lovers.
The 1815 forest mansion has been used as a convalescent home for First World War army officers, a convent and a school, but is now a luxurious hotel surrounded by wild deer grazing in the grounds.
But as well as a secret and a walled garden, croquet lawn and a Pavilion, there is also a high-tech gym, 18-hole par 3 golf course, jogging trails, tennis courts, indoor pool, spa and nail salon along with forest walks.
For a spa weekend, the Ultimate Indulgence Package offers an overnight stay in a deluxe room, two-course dinner and full English breakfast along with a round of golf and a 40-minute beauty treatment. Choose from an aromatherapy facial, bamboo massage, Turkish body scrub and back massage or mani/pedi. The package costs from £232.50pp. www.ashdownpark.com
HIDEY HOLE GLAMPING, DOWNASH WOOD – WEEKEND CANDY
Get back to nature with a stay in a stylish cabin in the woods that comes with its own private cinema. The perfect escape for two, Hidey Hole is in the heart of Downash Woods near Ticehurst where you can spot deer walking past and listen to the sound of birds nesting in 150-year-old oak trees.
On site, there’s a wellbeing platform on which to practise yoga immersed in nature, and a canopied deck outside the cabin with a log burner, BBQ and hammock chairs.
After dark, look out for shooting stars, or watch a film on the projector screen that appears at the touch of a button. There is even a popcorn maker and cinema-style bucket to eat it from.
The cabin comes with all mod-cons, including underfloor heating throughout for cosy days in, and days out include 750-acres of Bewl Water – the largest stretch of open water in the South East – is a stroll away. The village of Ticehurst is nearby and boasts artisan shops, and an award-winning pub, The Bell, for a sumptuous lunch or dinner.
The cabin costs from £139 a night for a minimum two-night stay via weekendcandy.com https://weekendcandy.com/directory/hidey-hole-cabin-glamping-east-sussex/. Sleeps two, adults only.
The Gallivant, Rye
If you fancy a wellness break with a touch of seaside chic, look no further than The Gallivant, perched behind Camber Sands and surrounded by dunes.
An award-winning hotel – it was 29th in The Top 50 Boutique Hotels in the UK announced in November and was named Hotel of the Year 2022 – it has complimentary yoga daily on the beach, Peloton cycling and mindful walks along the sands which includes a short meditation session.
Afterwards relax on the squishy sofas in the main hotel – a glorious blend of hip Hamptons style meets Ibiza’s boho vibe – in your room or in the Beach Hut Spa which offers a selection of Bamford massages from the oasis in the coastal garden.
If you can tear yourself away, Rye is just an eight-minute drive, but make sure you’re back for a glass of English wine at 5pm, drinks in the dune, and ‘Exquisite Dinner’ which are all part of the stay. There’s even bedtime herbal tea to drink under blankets and ‘Amazing Breakfast,’ included as well as elevenses.
The Complete Gallivant package starts from £394. Mindful beach walks are £10 per person. The Gallivant https://thegallivant.co.uk/
7. GRAVETYE MANOR, West Hoathly
History lovers will find plenty to discover at this 16th century country house on the edge of ‘Winnie the Pooh’ country, Ashdown Forest.
From the beautiful grounds that envelop the house – designed by William Robinson who made the English cottage garden popular at the turn of the last century, and where fresh produce is grown for the Michelin Star restaurant, through to the 17 restored bedrooms offering in-room spa treatments, everything about Gravetye is luxuriously understated.
So, the only thing to do is to wrap up warm and go for one of several detailed walks – guide details and a pair of wellies are provided – or for a hack in the forest to see the stunning countryside on horseback. Practice your croquet skills, jog, or simply relax with a treatment from Ruuby Black Label to relax and unwind. You can even choose a fragrance – from lime and mint, to roasted apple and cinnamon to pine needles and bergamot - inspired by the seasons at Gravetye to compliment your treatment. .
The 60-minute luxury facial or the deep tissue massage will have you looking and feeling your best in time for dinner at The Dining Room, led by chef George Blogg.
The Get Away From It All package, including bed and breakfast, starts from £385 per night, based on two sharing. https://www.gravetyemanor.co.uk/offers-packages/
8. South Lodge, Crabtree, Horsham
If you fancy smothering yourself – and a loved one! - in mud, then swimming in a wild pool in a country manor nestled in 93 acres with views over the South Downs then we know just the place: South Lodge.
But there’s a reason for that mud: it’s part of the state-of-the-art spa’s mud room experience, which is a traditional Arabian-inspired cleansing treatment which combines heat, steam and mud to leave your skin silky smooth and your body relaxed.
You simply cover yourself – and a partner as it’s for two people and you perform the ritual on each other – with the detoxifying mud from the luxury brand Omorovicza moor mud collection which, when combined with the steam, lifts and cleanses dull skin as it is rich in calcium and magnesium.
After showering and applying body cream, you can explore the five-star hotel, take in the stunning views and walks on the doorstep, dine in one of the three restaurants, offering contemporary British classics, plant-based and Mediterranean-inspired dishes, join in a fitness class or relax in your room or a special suite complete with hot tub.
The Muddy Spa Break includes a one-night stay with brunch in Botanica, breakfast in Camellia or breakfast in bed, £42 each to spend in Botanica for dinner, full use of the spa and the self-guided 60-minute mud experience for two. From £539 per room, based on two sharing. https://www.exclusive.co.uk/south-lodge/
9. Olive tree house
Charm and character combine for a cosy weekend staycation at this romantic bolt hole for two. Olive Tree House is tucked away between the villages of Ripe and Lewes and has incredible rural views.
Pull on your walking boots to get out in the country and surrounding woodlands, and Ripe is well worth a visit for the pop-up pub, and village shop.
Back at the timber clad cabin, there’s a cosy wood burning stove, landscaped deck overlooking the gardens and a bedroom suite hidden behind a barn door, complete with a slipper bath and cast-iron king-size bed.
Start your day with an invigorating rain shower in the ensuite wet room, or soak tired limbs from all that walking in the wood-fired eco hot tub. As darkness falls, gaze at the stars from beside the fire pit with a glass of wine or mug of hot chocolate. You can even toast some marshmallows!
A three-night stay starts at £775 and includes a welcome hamper.
https://www.ruralretreats.co.uk/england/sussex-holiday-cottages/olive-tree-house_sx047
10. East Sussex National, Uckfield, VIA SPABREAKS
Set in 1,000 acres of rolling Sussex countryside, East Sussex National is the perfect place for a his and hers weekend away.
While keen golfers can head out to one of the two 18-hole courses designed by Bob Cupp, considered some of the best in Britain, those in need of some RnR can find plenty of that at The Horsted Spa. Along with a spa pool, 20-metre pool, sauna, steam room, monsoon shower and jacuzzi, there are also treatment rooms offering ESPA facials and body therapies.
Kick back afterwards in one of the two relaxation lounges or grab a very healthy bite to eat at the spa’s own dining experience Eat, Drink, Retreat, which has sushi, brunches and even afternoon teas which you can enjoy in your robe and slippers.
There are three more restaurants (you have to leave the robe behind though!): the Fore for breakfast, and light lunches, the AA Rosette-awarded Pavilion, which has panoramic views of the golf course and Hunnington’s which claims to serve the best Sunday lunch in Sussex. But don’t worry, you can always work off all those calories in the gym.
The Par and Spa package via spabreaks.com starts from £14.50 per person, and includes one night’s B & B, three-course dinner, a round of golf for one guest, a 25-minute beauty treatment and use of leisure facilities.
https://www.spabreaks.com/venues/east-sussex-national-golf-resort-and-spa
