A summer of distinction with Elite Hotels

Spread your wings on a long-awaited summer staycation with Elite Hotels, a privately-owned collection of four luxury hotels in prime locations across the South of England.

Located in Bedfordshire, Hampshire and East Sussex, each family-friendly hotel provides high-quality service and distinct experiences, stunning gardens and views, award-winning dining, splendid afternoon teas, and a chance for some much-needed luxurious escapism.

Choose from one of four summer staycations of distinction:

Enjoy a royal welcome and immaculate Capability Brown-designed gardens at iconic Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa, Bedfordshire

Less than an hour north of London, Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa, in Bedfordshire, is a grand, Grade I listed mansion house hotel dating from 1601. Sitting in the midst of over 1,000 acres of countryside, including Capability Brown-designed grounds, the hotel features 144 beautifully-furnished bedrooms and suites – some with four-poster beds – formal gardens, a 50-acre lake, tennis courts – including one grass court – an 18-hole championship golf course and a spa with pool housed in a carefully-restored stable block.

The hotel has some very prominent fans, including the Queen and Prince Philip, who spent part of their honeymoon at Luton Hoo in 1947, and Winston Churchill, who famously addressed 110,000 people in a major speech at the hotel at the end of World War II. It has also featured in several films, including Eyes Wide Shut, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Surviving Picasso and others.

Overseen by Executive Head Chef Christopher Mouyiassi, there are two restaurants; the award-winning 2-AA- Rosette Wernher Restaurant, which is reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles and serves seasonal British cuisine. Guests also have the option of dining in Adam’s Brasserie, or to enjoy casual fare and drinks at The 19^th.

Enjoy 10% off stays of two nights or longer, from £442.00 per double room for two nights (two sharing)*. Call Luton Hoo on 01582 734437 (www.lutonhoo.co.uk).

Experience a family haven with secret gardens, woodland trails, free roaming wild deer, and a very famous bear at Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club, East Sussex

Set in 186 acres of lakes, secret gardens and woodland trails, Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club is located in the heart of Ashdown Forest, the inspiration for A. A. Milne’s delightful Winnie The Pooh stories. Pooh Bear celebrates his 100^th anniversary in 2021.

This opulent forest mansion was built in 1815, and features 106 bedrooms and suites, with each room named after a tree species found in the grounds or in the forest. Ashdown Park’s grounds include acres of grazing land where wild deer roam free, plus a lake with fountains and a jetty from which to view both the forest and the grounds sloping down from the hotel’s wide, flagstoned terrace. There is also a peaceful walled garden with herbaceous borders, a grand old greenhouse, apple trees and mature shrubs. The recently refurbished Country Club boasts a Fitness Studio, indoor pool, six treatment rooms and a nail salon. Guests can also enjoy use of the two tennis courts, a putting green, jogging trails and cycling routes, not to mention a wide variety of paths to walk in the extensive woodland forming part of the hotel grounds and beyond, into Ashdown Forest itself. Dogs are welcome at the hotel, with dog-friendly bedrooms.

The hotel’s new Forest Brasserie provides an informal dining experience for guests, with a menu of burgers, salads, pizzas and sharing boards, inspired by local produce and suppliers, with views over the 18-hole par 3 golf course and grounds/forest beyond. For more formal dining, Executive Head Chef Andrew Wilson oversees the award-winning menus at the Anderida Restaurant, which holds 2 AA Rosettes and features seasonal à la carte options. Afternoon Tea (from £26 pp) is served in the cosy lounges, on the terrace or as a picnic in summer months, and children can enjoy a Winnie-the-Pooh Afternoon Tea (£10.95 per child) with delights such as Tigger’s sponge and ‘hunny’ sandwiches.

Enjoy 10% off stays of two nights or longer, from £358 per double room for two nights (two sharing)*. Call Ashdown Park on 01342 824988 (www.ashdownpark.com).

Explore fragrant gardens and luxuriate in an indulgent health suite with heated outdoor pool at Tylney Hall Hotel & Gardens, Hampshire

Sitting in 66 acres of countryside near Hook, Hampshire, Tylney Hall Hotel & Gardens is a grand Victorian Grade II listed house with the longest uninterrupted view in Hampshire, lined by giant Redwoods.

The hotel has 113 individually-designed bedrooms and suites, with some dog-friendly rooms available. Afternoon Tea (from £29 pp) is served in the decadent lounge or outside on the elegant terrace. The stunning Gertrude Jekyll-designed gardens boast striking water features and lakes, an Italian Garden, a wild orchid meadow plus azalea and rose gardens. There are walking and jogging trails, and garden tours in the summer months with Head Gardener Paul Tattersdill. Dinner is a grand affair in the 2 AA-Rosette The Oak Room Restaurant, overseen by Executive Head Chef Mike Lloyd, with a British twist plus seasonal specialities.

The hotel’s Health Suite features an indoor pool, five treatment rooms with a Manicure & Pedicure studio plus a gym. There is a superb outdoor heated pool (May-September) set within a private walled garden, plus croquet, a hard tennis court and a snooker room. Archery and clay pigeon shooting can be arranged, and there is a golf course adjacent to the hotel, too.

Enjoy 10% off stays of two nights or longer, from £352 per double room for two nights (two sharing)*.  Call Tylney Hall on 01256 764881 (www.tylneyhall.co.uk).

Seaside glamour at five-star seafront hotel, The Grand Hotel, Eastbourne

Affectionately known by locals as ‘The White Palace’, The Grand Hotel is an iconic hotel right on Eastbourne’s glorious seafront and Victorian promenade. Superbly located just moments from the start of the South Downs Way, it is also close to Beachy Head and Birling Gap for day trips. Also, just steps from the hotel, is the excellent Towner Gallery, a contemporary art space which is participating in the Creative Coast project, an innovative programme of art and culture that celebrates the creativity of England’s south-east coast.

The hotel has 152 bedrooms and suites, all luxuriously furnished, many with sweeping sea views, balconies, or private patios. Others have adjoining rooms which work well for family stays. There are two options for lunch or dinner: The Mirabelle Restaurant, which has gained an exceptional reputation for its fine dining menus and is led by Head Chef Michael Sutherland, and The Garden Restaurant, overseen by Executive Head Chef Hrvoje Loncarevic, which serves classic dishes amidst a backdrop of cornices and chandeliers. The cocktail bar is a wonderful spot to enjoy a Signature Cocktail or a G&T and, on a summer’s evening, drinks can be enjoyed on the open-air Chatsworth Terrace, with views towards the sea.

The Grand Afternoon Tea is served daily (from £26 pp) in various cosy nooks, lounges and also in the Great Hall – a grand space beyond the hotel lobby with wonderful acoustics, from where the BBC used to broadcast its weekly ‘Grand Hotel’ show before the Second World War.

The Grand’s Health Club has an indoor swimming pool with whirlpool spa, an outdoor heated pool (open during the summer months), plus a gym, health spa and snooker room. A range of beauty treatments is offered.

Enjoy 10% off stays of two nights or longer, from £432 per double room for two nights (two sharing)*. Call The Grand Hotel on 01323 412345 (www.grandeastbourne.com).

The current special summer/autumn offer, valid from 17 May to 30 September, 2021, gives 10% off on stays of two nights or longer on the best available accommodation rates. There is no dining requirement, and the offer is available on both Bed & Breakfast and Dinner, Bed and Breakfast rates. No pre-payment or deposit required. 48-hour cancellation policy.

Notes to Editors
A small, independent UK-based hotel group, Elite Hotels has been investing in some of the UK’s most beautiful historic houses since 1986. The first of these was Tylney Hall Hotel, Hampshire, followed by Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club, East Sussex, The Grand Hotel, Eastbourne and Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa, Bedfordshire. Each of the four Elite Hotels is a member of Small Luxury Hotels, a prestigious consortium representing over 500 of the best independent hotels in 70 countries.

Press
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