Gravetye Manor, East Grinstead

Country House living at its...

Liked: Everything, from the dining to the garden. Everything was perfect.
Disliked: Nothing.

Superb

Enchanting small luxury hotel with...

Liked: 1. Incredibly beautiful quiet countryside setting an hour from London Heathrow. It is an old manor set amongst meadows and woodlands, exquisitely maintained, with gorgeous gardens of produce and romantic walkways. 2. The service was impeccable (hard to find these days), without a single flaw. The motto seemed to be "your wish is our command". "Izzy" at reception was very proactive in making sure we had the massage we requested on very short notice on arrival, kudos to her. Laundry would be delivered same-day at reasonable prices. Restaurant service was white table cloth and professional. Room service arrived at the requested time, hot and as requested. The Do Not Disturb sign was honored. 3. The multi-course fine dining experience was perfect , with brilliant service and a very helpful sommelier who assisted in navigating the massive wine list. Breakfast juices were fresh-squeezed and delicious. 4. Our upper floor spacious room ("Pear"), had a deep, copper-coated tub and separate shower, a high ceiling, and a very comfortable bed, mini-bar, adequate hanging space and drawers including bedside drawers. I was happy that key information about Gravetye for guests did not require use of a QR code, but was instead printed and accessible, the old-fashioned way. 5. Hosts provided a pre-printed list of five local walks one could do straight from Gravetye, without having to drive.
Disliked: I mostly did not like the fact that we were only here for two nights :)Food options: It would be nice to have the option of a more basic British food menu to eat in the dining room after the first night of the multi-course fine dining experience (as it is, there is a bit too much repetition even with the "alternative" menu, e.g., amuse bouche and in-betweens are pretty much the same) . The mini-baguettes were also surprisingly rubbery and not crisp both nights (though the rest of the breads were perfect). There is also no "continental" breakfast offering (e.g., crispy morning breads with meats and cheeses), just the usual English fare options (though the latter were nicely done). Finally, when we tried calling a couple times a few hours before our arrival (on a Friday late afternoon), we would get a voicemail and then oddly got disconnected each time we called without reaching a human. This tech failure was totally out of characger for the rest of the Gravetye experience.The per diem is very expensive, but the reality is you have to pay a lot to receive the caliber of lodging, food and service that Gravetye provides.

Exceptional

Excellent!

Liked: Staff were superb. Really friendly and welcoming. We greatly enjoyed the garden tour and the Michelin star dinner. We came mainly for the gardens and were not let down.
Disliked: We found the non-top end menu options limiting for our subsequent three evening meals and went out instead. We didn’t want the alternative meal which was available and the ‘bar food’ menu wasn’t inspiring or filling. Maybe consider some simple, well-cooked options?

Exceptional

Liked: You are made to feel welcome even before you get to the hotel with kind enquiries about what they can do for your comfort (and then fulfilling the requests). Nothing is too much trouble.The restaurant is just amazing, the staff so kind and attentive, the food is sublime and the decor of the restaurant is just magical.The gardens are just superb and a main reason to visit, and the very extensive grounds are a delight. We’ll definitely be back!

I’m definitely returning, as soon...

Liked: Everything.The food was exceptional The room was charming and very comfortable.Bathroom spaciousGardens unique.
Disliked: Bathroom floor was slippery when wet