Alexander House & Utopia Spa

rating: ****

Alexander House is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and rated in the Top 200 UK hotels. This 17th century mansion in 170 acres of grounds in rural Sussex is set to be one of the UK's leading destination spas, where opulence and understated luxury mixes with friendly efficient service. The hotel and Spa has been awarded two AA Rosettes for high standards of cuisine, together with the RAC Dining Award and also holds four AA Red stars and is an AA Top 200 hotel.

You arrive at Utopia Spa through a Gothic corridor with marble, granite and the sound of trickling water. The atmosphere is relaxed and spacious but welcoming and friendly. There are areas to be active and areas to be quiet and enjoy the tranquillity. The subterranean setting of the pools with their stone columns and domed ceilings are truly what a spa is all about - water and relaxation. Water treatments abound in the three pools with their unique features all waiting to be discovered.