Having looked at the hotel's web-site we arrived in the hope of an enjoyable two night stay. The cost of the room was £55 per night booked through Accor and, thus, represented a very reasonable price for a three-staf hotel in an excellent location on the South Downs. In many ways, the hotel resembles a Travelodge, in that it is rather impersonal with the accommodation in a separate building to the Reception - I think this is why they make you pay on arrival so that you can't 'leg-it' without settling up!
The room was very spacious, well-decorated and extremely quiet. The room was just about hot enough with the heating full on - OK for us but others may find it too cold - the bathroom heating was solely through an inefficient towel rail. If you stay there make sure you shower early as the hot water ran out by breakfast time. The breakfast itself was barely acceptable both in terms of quality and service. It was self-service but poorly supervised. The food was acceptable in terms of taste/quality but the prseentation was poor. The plates, and the food, were luke-warm and only scrambled eggs were available. No margarine was available though an enormous tub labelled 'Flora' was put out with a few butter pats in them. To make tea, you had to get water from an urn - on our second morning, this had not been put on early enough and was luke-warm. Instead of the one member of staff present drawing this to people's attention, and supplying hot water (as we asked him to), customers were left to fend for themselves - I was astonished how many people drank their tepid tea with agonised expressions! Toast was not made freshly but laid out at the start of breakfast under the overhead light. Towards the end of breakfast service, the waiter was to be found outside the building on his mobile phone. He might have been better occupied to remove the glasses, and cups, left on table outside the tea rooms, immediately opposite the hotel entrance - these having been there for two days (at least). Finally, as we left we noted that a dog had left a substantial deposit in the drive just before the hotel entrance - together with the dirty glasses being left around the reception entrance this set a very bad impression. Managers should really spot these things as first impressions can be lasting.
I suppose for £55 this was reasonable money by most people's standards but we have stayed in better. The location was excellent, though, and we had a great walk across the Downs. It's hard to imagine how this restuarant managed the full seasonable programme as advertised and, unless we arrived on off-days, there are likely to have been some dissatisfied customers. The management need to review their front of house arrangements, most particularly in the restaurant or they may find some rocky times ahead.

We stayed at the Highdown for 2 nights. It was a major let down and we would not recommend it. The bedrooms were grubby, the shower broken. The carpet was dirty and cups were not cleaned and replaced. We were asked for payment as soon as we arrived prior to seeing the rooms. The cavery was inedible, questions the health and safety side of things as the meat was left out uncovered for at least 4 hours. Puddings were ghastly, nowhere near £4.95 each. Service was unhelpful bordering on rude from some employees who clearly didn't want to be there. The bathrooms were unclean, the beds made up with cheap pillows and duvets, I checked them. No information, no phones, poor choice of tv channels,woeful cup of tea on arrival, plastic cartons of milk etc. Toast burnt at breakfast, scrambled egg - powdered egg or definately not fresh!!
Restaurant not open during our stay

Approach with great caution - a beautiful building with great potential
What a shame

LMccreary December 2007

The Highdown Hotel is situated on a hill around 1 mile from Goring-by-Sea Rail station. Unfortunatley mainline trains only stop at Worthing some 6 miles distant and it is necessary to 'go back' on a local service. However this minor inconvenience is more than compensated for when you arrive at the Hotel. The Highdown Hotel caters for all but is perfect for couples wanting to 'get away from it all.' It has a charming 1920's Manor House feel and is situated right on the downs for long walks with spectacular sea views and very good facilities including a seperate tea room outside and an indoor childrens playzone. Behind the hotel are the immaculate Highdown gardens laid down by original owner of the property - open free to the public. Our one-night stay meant we could only eat breakfast at the Hotel and it was without doubt the best we've had in a UK hotel. They also offer carvery meals in the evenings and we were extremely disappointed that we had to be elswhere and could not sample the reasonably priced menu. I cannot recommend the hotel highly enough and it put other hotels we have tried to shame which have been at best average and more expensive. We will be going back soon!!!

rooms very nice, clean etc but as for the food we were really disappointed, the carvery was almost unedible with regards to the meat, the beef was tough as old boots, i have eaten in their restaurant before on their valentine special which was excellent food, maybe they have new chef, but otherwise hotel rooms very nice.