Total food and overnight costs would seem expensive by central London 5 star standards, stayed due to lack of quality hotels in Horsham area, which seems to be their main driver for pricing (lack of competition).General accommodation was okay, but seem to have staffing issues as the receptionist was abrupt and the bar service, slow and pompous. My next trip to Horsham will involve a longer commute from outside the area where quality hotels are more ample and better.

My brother had his wedding here in mid november, and gosh what a drop in standards from my own wedding back in 2001, also held at South Lodge - cold and below standard food, very surly staff, agressive chasing of bills, complete lack of the personal touch so synonymous with this establishment a few years ago. It would appear they have lost their way with the two extensions to the property, clearly designed to take the hotel into the corporate market, and in this vision they have forgotten to maintain the standards the old customers came to expect ,in line with the high prices they charge. fond memories lost! Formal letter sent to general manager, standard e-mail response came back, but otherwise ignored (so far!)

South Lodge is an hotel we have visited before and we were looking forward to staying there for a break away and we couldn't have been more pleased.

Since our previous visit, there has been an extension built and they are in the process of more building to provide 40 more bedrooms - all sypathetically constucted in the style of the orginal property.

We booked a Sunday night at reduced rate DBB for a juinior suite but they had kindly upgraded us and we had the Lady Clementine room - it was huge, luxurious and had a wonderul terrace and view to the front lawns. The bathroom, with roll top bath and roman walk in shower, twin washbasins and underfloor heating was the ultimate in luxury. All the little extras were much appreciated.

Dinner was just as we had remembered and faultless. If ever you want to enjoy and savour a chef's artistry, this is the place to go. Even coffee in the drawing room was special with chilled chocolates offered (with the waiter explaining the centres). Pure works of art in chocolate.

It would be hard to imagine a place to beat this experience and I do beleive you have to pay to get something special - after all, staffing somewhere like this to provide the high standards they strive for, and achieve, costs dear.

We will be back and look forward to it immensely.

Overpriced

The room was clean, with period details in the old mansion, but the lampshades and draperies rather tired. The king bed was two singles put together, but not on the same level. New upscale bathrooms.

Lots of wonderful paneling in the building. The chairs in the lobbies are handsome, but the bottom sags in all of them and they are in dreary materials and the lamps are cockeyed.. They do not offer the service and the environment that justifies their prices. Dinner was very overpriced. Either they have to go to Chewton Glen, Alexander House or Summer Lodge and see how it is done and maintain their prices --- or be more realistic for what they offer.

They very much need to pretty the place up with landscaping around the entry. It is bare, but has possibilities. They are adding on a large wing. They will have to make the hotel less institutional looking if it is to thrive.