Russ Hill Hotel, Charlwood

I first came to know Russ Hill Hotel in Charlwood. when booking accommodation for 1 night on a return journey to Portugal. Being a student, Russ Hill immediately caught my attention for being cheap, at just under £45 per night. I was able to book the room online through a seperate agency who offered cheaper prices than actually booking directly with the hotel itself.

On arrival at Gatwick after a delay, I immediately went to wait ...
...20 minutes) I arrived at Russ Hill. The receptionist was very friendly and efficient and got me to my room quickly and abruptly. I was disappointed to hear that the check out time was midday, rather than being later which I would have expected for a hotel that survived on people flying from Gatwick. However didnt see this as a huge problem, just maybe me being over fussy!

My room was located within a pretty courtyard along with about ... more

I first came to know Russ Hill Hotel in Charlwood. when booking accommodation for 1 night on a return journey to Portugal. Being a student, Russ Hill immediately caught my attention for being cheap, at just under £45 per night. I was able to book the room online through a seperate agency who offered cheaper prices than actually booking directly with the hotel itself.

On arrival at Gatwick after a delay, I immediately went to wait for the shuttle bus that would take me to my destination. The bus was suppose to run every hour, however due to the hold up I had to wait an hour and a half as buses are fewer past 3 a.m. The bus unlike other hotel buses (which are free) charged £3 for a single ticket. After a longer journey than originally expected (about 20 minutes) I arrived at Russ Hill. The receptionist was very friendly and efficient and got me to my room quickly and abruptly. I was disappointed to hear that the check out time was midday, rather than being later which I would have expected for a hotel that survived on people flying from Gatwick. However didnt see this as a huge problem, just maybe me being over fussy!

My room was located within a pretty courtyard along with about ten other rooms and seemed very peaceful and undisturbed. The room itself resembled the type of room you would find in a cabin or on a ship - small but cosy! It was equipped with an ensuite shower room, televison, kettle, hairdryer etc. Being so tired after a hectic flight I wanted a quick shower before finally being able to sleep. I tried in vain to get hot water for about 20 mintutes, a problem that I vented to the hotel receptionist the following morning. The bed was perfectedly comfortable and the TV was tuned in to the appropiate local channels (no SKY TV). Overall the room was very clean, tudy and pleasant.

I chose not to have any food during my stay with Russ Hill after getting there too late for any food in the evening and seeing the over priced breakfast in the morning. The price of a continental breakfast was around £10 and for a traditional breakfast about £12 which I saw as far too much for a 2 star hotel.
I left on the shuttle bus back to Gatwick at about midday and saw that from the outside the hotel look rather grand and didnt resemble the standard within.

I would recommend Russ HIll to anyone who is looking for a cheap, short stay before or after a trip that departs/arrives in Gatwick. I found that the hotel offered everything that I needed for a quick and comfortable stop off during my travels. I was disappointed with the lack of hot water in the shower room and hope for the hotels sake that this was a one off!! The hotel in my opinion wouldnt be the best place to come for anything else than a shot overnight stay, mainly due to its small rooms and expensively priced cuisine.

Thanks for reading!! 

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