I had booked a one night stay via a Travelzoo offer at The Powder Mills Hotel as thought it looked a great deal plus it was in an ideal position for us to see some National Trust places in the area en route (Bodiam Castle) and on our way back (Alfriston Clergy). It is an 18th century country house hotel with a 2AA rosette Orangery restaurant that serves food that is made on the premises.
Our deal was a one night stay on a B&B basis with a glass of prosecco before a 3 course evening meal costing a total of £99 with an additional 10% service charge added to our bill. We received a nice friendly welcome on our arrival and was shown to our room which we were informed was an upgrade! We were very pleased on entering Room 7, it had a separate sitting area with a TV & tea making facilities which was elevated. It was nicely furnished and had a good sized wardrobe which had a trouser press,iron & ironing board. A hairdryer was also provided. The bathroom was quite compact, contained a toilet, sink and walk in shower – all clean & in good condition with the usual toiletries provided. Unfortunately the hotel bar did not serve real ale (although there was a few bottled beers on offer) so we drove to a nearby pub so my husband could enjoy a pint! On our return we were served our glass of prosecco each whilst studying the menu & wine list. The barman was really friendly and showed us into the restaurant where we were greeted by Marcelo who offered us a choice of tables. The restaurant was very busy but had a nice atmosphere. As we are not used to eating 3 courses each we decided to share a starter. We then chose our main meals – both of which were excellent quality,tasted great & were nicely presented (see photos). Roy’s original choice was not available but Marcelo apologised offering an appropriate alternative. The wine (Sauvignon blanc) was excellent & a reasonable price too. Despite being very busy Marcelo found time to check that our meals were to our satisfaction and also have a chat with us (answering many questions) about his home city – Porto. Despite feeling quite full I decided to indulge in a dessert (which was delicious & again very well presented – see photo) & Roy asked if he could take his cheese & biscuits to our room so that he could enjoy with a glass of red wine (we had brought a bottle with us!) After a very comfortable nights sleep we went down to breakfast at around 9.15 to be greeted by Eddie who was 'suited & booted', a nice touch in these often casually dressed days. Eddie was friendly & jovial (he has worked there for over 15 years) – and like Marcelo and the barman (whose name sadly escapes me) was a real credit to the Powder Mills Hotel! The choice of food at breakfast was brilliant and excellent quality as per the meals at dinner the night before. The hotel has an outdoor pool (see photo – not in use until summer months) and a resident peacock which remained elusive despite hearing his calls after dark! Overall we have to say that our expectations were exceeded, not just with the upgraded room but with the service we received and the excellent quality & presentation of the food. We would not hesitate to return. Our only negatives are that there was nowhere in the immediate area to walk to, no real ale served in the bar and most of all that we didn’t book two nights or more at these great hotel! Definitely recommend a stay here. Just ensure it is for more than one night!!
