Hickstead Hotel

Very clean place to stay. I arrived just after midnight, but a night receptionist was waiting for me. I'd never experienced this before in most of the UK. Neat room with bathroom, decent breakfast. And the location: fantastic.

As soon as you walk in to reception the smell is awful!! Its all down the corridor to your room. The sink in bathroom.is very stained. dogs barking wont be back

Where do i start! People can't have stayed at the same hotel as us! Arrived 3.30pm (8C outside so cold). Given a key, corridors stank of sewage, room cold as heating not on, toilet bubbles and emits sewer gasses when room above and to sides flush the toilet. Paper thin walls and ceilings - we could here people farting, adjusting position in bed, TV's, footsteps upstairs (or maybe it was a herd of zebras running around for hours?). Asked reception for help e.g. change of room in a near empty hotel but apparently "there is nothing we can do...". Went into the bar then went back to our room to get jackets as it was so cold (this was 4 hours after we were told heating was going on). Went into restaurant and still needed coats - it had wall to wall radiators that were all switched off and they were relying on what looked like 4 or 5 small portable electric heaters (the type my Gran would use to keep her feet warm) to heat a LARGE area. We got a taxi to eat elsewhere and told the staff why. 2 other guests were also in the bar area with coats on and we did not see anyone eat at the hotel - they all went out! After an awful night listening to other people's bodily functions, sewer smells wafting up from the toilet on each flush we left early the next morning (we had paid for 2 nights but there was no way that was going to happen!!) and told reception exactly what we thought. It is NOT the staff's fault, but the owners or managers need to spend a night in their own caravan like rooms with the heating off and see what its like for paying guests. This property used to be 5 stars, now its 3 stars and I think 2 of those stars were stolen! The rooms and the toilet operations need to be inspected by environmental health - So glad we didn't eat at the hotel as I wonder what other shortcuts they have been taking! Do not bother with "dear guest we are sorry to hear that..." rubbish. Fix it for others, we were in room 112. You could, however, refund us for the night we didn't stay!