Amberley Castle in Horsham

Beautiful surroundings, welcoming staff and a glorious afternoon tea!

Ah this is going to be a really conflicted review, because on one hand, what a place! But perhaps totally let down by the staff running the place. First and foremost, what a place. Absolutely gorgeous castle oozing character and history, and really my kind of place to stay. On arrival, we were met by the very friendly person at the desk who checked us in and showed us to our room. The room? Perfect. Think we were given a free upgrade, not sure if it was because it was a special occasion, but appreciated all the same. Very spacious, luxury bathroom and lots of little nice quirks (in particular I enjoyed reading one of the books in the room - 'Murders of Sussex). We frequented one of the lounges before dinner and were sorted with some drinks and nibbles. The staff looking after us were a little less attentive and friendly, but we were all set with a roaring fire and a box of dominoes! I guess the relatively unfriendly service carried on into dinner, which was a shame. It wasn't rude, and it wasn't unprofessional, but it felt like the whole staff at this point were in a bit of a grump. I mean I've heard of the January blues, but this felt like it sucked a bit of the enjoyment out of the evening. I must note though, the food was really really good. Whatever the staff were up to, the chef made up for it in droves. I guess the turning point was when I had a horrific episode of illness through the night and had no pain killers or anything to hand. We went to the desk where there was a note and walkie talkie. We tried to get the night porter on the walkie talkie, but had no response. We later found him asleep in one of the lounges (we didn't wake him, because we couldn't guarantee that it wasn't a guest who'd been kicked out of his room for a bit too much snoring). To cut a long story short, my partner had to drive around the area at ca. 4am to find a 24/7 petrol station. I guess to summarise, a special occasion went a bit wrong with the unfortunate illness, but totally let down by the night staff. If not to be able to provide some pain killers, at least advise where we could go in the middle of the night. It was brought up with the manager the next morning, but the response was such a disappointment. She did say she would deal with it, and email us, but alas a week has gone and we still haven't heard anything. I guess what was worse was that we'd somehow racked up £150 worth of costs (literally a couple hot chocolates, one cocktail and G&T and a single glass of wine at dinner), and there was no suggestion that we might receive some recompense, if only a gesture of good will. The guy working at the desk even side-eyed his manager to check he definitely wanted to charge us the whole thing. Amberley Castle is a beautiful place, but comes at a significant cost. The expectations on service are at the very highest. The waiting staff are letting it down, which was sadly accentuated by the manager. I'd absolutely consider coming back because it's such a beautiful place, but I can only hope for a better experience. It was going to be 2*, but we bumped it up after they very kindly posted our phone charger to us. Thank you!

What a magical and beautiful place. Although our time was very short we certainly enjoyed every minute.

We have enjoyed our stay in the castle and in Amberley very much! The room was lovely and the breakfast really delicious! Thank you Yaroslav for the amazing service and making us feel so welcome during our breakfast! Greetings from Poland and Singapore!

We had a magical time at this beautiful castle set in tranquil South Downs, Arundel town is close by which is wonderful town to visit full of cafes, riverside, castle and cathedral church to visit. Parts of the castle is under renovation so unfortunately we couldn't take a circular walk but the village itself is very quaint. We tried the 18 hole putting site and tennis which was great fun, inclusive of our stay. The staff were attentive and professional. The 5 course fine dining meal in the evening was pleasant apart from the vegan option main course was too bland so pretty disappointing considering the price of the meal. Our pleasant surprise getting a room upgrade without mentioning it to us was a beautiful gesture. The room was decorated tastefully which made it a very comfortable stay. Downside would be no mini bar to even keep your milk fresh and cool in the junior suite. Our room didn't have a door to the bathroom which was unusual. Otherwise crisp white comfortable sheets for good night sleep. Beautiful grounds and magical experience so will still highly recommend this hotel.

Superb afternoon tea with attentive staff and great service. Highly recommended

Marvellous location, had a Swift 18 holes on the putting greens was absolutely splendid. Served a nice hot lunch, delighted