I had planned to take my husband to Powder Mills Hotel for his 80th birthday, as we had visited in 2015 and had enjoyed our previous stay. However, this did not turn out as planned because, although I had booked and paid for the stay, we were put under ‘lock down’ from Covid.
After two failed attempts following Government restrictions, we finally made it on 9th June.
The hotel was very understanding and helpful in re-arranging things for us.
We arrived just after 2pm on a wonderful warm and sunny day and welcomed by reception who booked us in and explained a few changes which had to be put in place in accordance with Covid guidelines.
To our delight we were assigned room 7 in the main building which was very spacious, with its separate, comfortable sitting area with a large TV and coffee/tea. Plenty of room for clothes and ironing accessories. Decorations and paintings were very tasteful and the bed was very comfortable. The bathroom was adequate with a spacious shower and the usual toiletries. My only complaint was the toilet did not have a very good ‘flush’ system!
We were given breakfast order forms upon arrival with a good selection of choices with tick boxes to complete and hand in before the end of the day.
When seated for breakfast, a large tray was served to the table with tea/coffee, cereals, juice, croissants etc., later followed up by your choice of cooked breakfast. It was very good and worked well!
We booked our evening meals at a preselected time and the menus provided a wide selection of choices. The food was excellent but we did have to wait awhile for service. It was however, explained to us, that our main dish did not start immediately to be cooked while we were having our starter, so as to ensure it was delivered fresh. The fish was particularly good and we had planned on having some more the following evening. Sadly, the hotel’s gas went down in the kitchen and needed fixing, so an alternative menu had to be made. Attempts to warn us about the situation over the room telephone system that morning were made, but we had decided to go out after breakfast for the rest of the day. It wasn’t a huge problem because the ‘alternative’ menu was fine and we ended up ordering a platter of seafood for 2 which was delicious. All the staff were very helpful, friendly and courteous.
The hotel has some wonderful grounds in which to walk and enjoy, with picturesque lakes and a swimming pool.
Battle is a very short distance away and is a very interesting town renowned for its association with the Battle of Hastings. It maintains character, especially still having many individual shops as well as the Castle and an interesting Museum.
It was well worth waiting for our re-visit and I can highly recommend.
