Bailiffscourt Hotel, Climping

Introduction:
From the outside, Bailiffscourt appears to be a numer of low medieval buildings, some thatched and some tiled. However, all is not as it seems - the hotel was actually built in 1927 by the late Sir Walter Guinness (Lord Moyne) as a family retreat using original stone, woodwork and gothic mullioned windows gathered from all over England (and all to stop the local council from building a housing estate near the family home!).
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Health Spa:
Bailiffscourt now has a Health Spa in the grounds of the hotel with indoor and outdoor pools, steam room, sauna, outdoor Californian-style hot tub and integrated indoor Jacuzzi (I haven't tried these facilities yet but will be making full use of them on my next visit!) The spa offers a number of treatments to pamper yourself although as I believe the spa is also open to the general public it is probably best to book before ... more

Introduction:
From the outside, Bailiffscourt appears to be a numer of low medieval buildings, some thatched and some tiled. However, all is not as it seems - the hotel was actually built in 1927 by the late Sir Walter Guinness (Lord Moyne) as a family retreat using original stone, woodwork and gothic mullioned windows gathered from all over England (and all to stop the local council from building a housing estate near the family home!).

The hotel is a series of buildings set within 30 acres of parkland near Chichester in a small village called Climping. The park includes moats and small streams and peacocks strutting around the grounds. Climping beach (a shingle beach) is just 200 yards from the hotel and there is a footpath leading down to it from the grounds (although this can get a bit overgrown in summer!). The grounds are very relaxing and peaceful and the beach has never been busy when I have visited which admittedly hasn't been in the school summer holidays (although it will be this year so I will report back).

Room facilities:
The hotel has 39 suites & rooms in total (all of which are en-suite) and many of the public rooms (and bedrooms) feature open log fires, and fine antiques, and there are always plenty of fresh flowers throughout the hotel. Some bedrooms have four-poster beds (typically the more expensive ones!) and the master suite is called "Baylies" and is huge! It is often recommended as a honeymoon suite although at £480 a night it might stretch some budgets. However, if you have the money it has a huge vaulted ceiling, an open fire and a very large bathroom with twin free-standing baths and a walk-in shower and really does make you feel pampered (I must state I have not stayed in this room but have walked around it when a friend stayed and although it is fantastic).

Every room has a hospitality tray that includes free sherry and mineral water which is a nice touch (although I am not really a sherry drinker). The rooms also have satellite TVs, direct dial phones and hairdryers and I'm sure you can get most things you need from reception. The en-suite bathrooms can be small (depending on your room) but include complimentary Molten Brown toiletries and luxurious towelling robes for you to use during your stay (that I think you can buy if you're so inclined). You also get all the usual facilities like a telephone, safety deposit box, tea and coffee making facilities (with yummy free biscuits) and room service. Each room is individual and therefore there is not a standard size or layout for any.

Most of the rooms are made to look medieval with dark-brown, old furniture and mock tapestry bedspreads, this is the type of room I last stayed in, but I understand that the hotel have now opened some new rooms that have a more contemporary feel with less emphasis on the traditional. I'll be interested to see which type of room we get when we go there for our first night after our wedding next month! The beds are very comfortable and have good quality cotton sheets and you can have breakfast in your room, which is always a treat - especially the breakfast they serve which is enough to keep you going until late afternoon! You can choose from a wide variety of options from a traditional fry-up (although not at all greasy) to a continental breakfast or porridge. The hot chocolate is sublime!

Hotel facilities:
In the centre of the hotel "complex" is a rose clad courtyard where you can sit and relax or have a drink or two (or afternoon tea - one of my favourite things). From the courtyard you can access the grounds and the croquet lawn and outdoor swimming pool (the hotel also has an indoor pool and spa, see below). Within the hotel, narrow passageways lead you through a series of intimate lounges and sitting rooms and two rooms are even connected by an underground tunnel. All very atmospheric!

Health Spa:
Bailiffscourt now has a Health Spa in the grounds of the hotel with indoor and outdoor pools, steam room, sauna, outdoor Californian-style hot tub and integrated indoor Jacuzzi (I haven't tried these facilities yet but will be making full use of them on my next visit!) The spa offers a number of treatments to pamper yourself although as I believe the spa is also open to the general public it is probably best to book before you stay just to make sure you can get what you want. The hotel website has further information on the treatments on offer.

Leisure facilities:
Bailiffscourt has a range of facilities at the hotel including two outdoor hard tennis courts, a croquet lawn, a snooker room, games fields and clay pigeon shooting. Archery and falconry can be arranged onsite (but a minimum party size of 6 guests is required). Whenever I have visited relaxing has been top of my list so I can't pretend to have tried any of the more active pursuits but the croquet lawn is always good for a bit of fun if you know what you're doing (or even if you don't!)

Restaurant:
The hotel's Tapestry Restaurant is very good and gets booked very quickly, especially at weekends so best to book a table when you book your room. The restaurant serves lunch and diner and did have a dress code of no jeans or shorts but I'm not sure if this is still the case. The food is inventive but not stupidly so - being a vegetarian I cannot provide any in-depth review of the meaty dishes but the vegetarian options are always wonderfully presented and incredibly tasty. The best bit for me is always the pud and the restaurant doesn't disappoint here! Last time I had the strawberry millefeuille, which was melt in the mouth gorgeousness. You also get wonderful petit-fours with your after dinner coffee (if you can squeeze them in after all that indulgence!). I'm starting to salivate just writing this..

Room Rates:
On to the practical bits - rooms here are quite expensive although Lastminute.com do have some great deals at this hotel if you are looking to go in the near future (generally about 40% off) The rates below are taken from the hotel website so I'm hoping they are up-to-date! They include breakfast for 2, VAT at 17.5% and are subject to two people sharing with a minimum of two nights at weekends.

Costs per night:
Baylies £480.00
Feature £375.00
Deluxe £320.00
Superior £255.00
Standard £205.00
Small Standard £195.00

Up to date prices can be found at:
http://www.hshotels.co.uk/bailiffs/bailiffscourt-main.htm

Check-in time is 15:00. Check-out time is 11:00.

How to get there:
Bailiffscourt is in Climping, which is near Littlehampton. From the M25 take the A24 South towards Horsham and Worthing. In Worthing Take the A27 towards Arundel, turning left onto the A284 towards Littlehampton and Bognor Regis. In Littlehampton contuine onthe A259 towards Bognor Regis and Bailiffscourt is signposted on your left on Climping Street off the A259.

Other information:
Children are more than welcome at the hotel, there are facilities for the disabled and
Pets are welcome. You can have a civil ceremony and wedding reception at the hotel and can even have a blessing in the hotel's own Norman chapel (which is small but beautiful). The hotel also offers conferencing and banqueting facilities.

Local attractions:
Arundel Castle
Climping Beach
Littlehampton Marina
Chichester Harbour
Fishbourne Roman Palace
Denmans Gardens
Brighton
Littlehampton - 2 miles

Summary:
A great hotel for a romantic weekend away or a relaxing break with your friends (making full use of the spa). This is not a hotel I could afford to go to regularly but as I have chosen it for our first night after we get married I'm hoping that will tell you how special I think it is! The food is lovely and the staff are friendly and efficient but more importantly you feel as if you are in another world, away from the stress of everyday life. After being there for a short time you actually forget that the medieval buildings aren't authentic as there is certainly a similar tranquil atmosphere to the feeling you get when you're surrounded by very old buildings. If you fancy somewhere a little bit special and fancy taking advantage of the lastminute.com discount (or even paying the full price) I would highly recommend this hotel!

 

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