Unadulterated Indulgence @ South Lodge Spa
Hiding behind hedgerow just an hour south of London is an unadulterated luxury haven offering all you need to escape the stresses and strains of life and indulge in ultimate ‘me time’ – reconnecting with nature and recharging the body and mind.
South Lodge is surrounded by 93 acres of gardens in the Sussex countryside, and offers an authentic connection with nature through wellness and nutrition. The five star hotel offers a retreat from real life and boasts three restaurants as well as an incredible, ethical spa.
South Lodge Spa
Unobstructed views of the undulating Sussex countryside and adjoining woodland from the outdoor pools encourage a real disconnect from digital life. Inside is a thermal suite and infinity pool, outside is a hydro pool heated to balmy 36 degrees, and also a wild swimming pool offering the benefits of cold water therapy all year-round.
Innovative treatments including bamboo massages – which we can highly recommend – and hot stone therapy, there’s also a range of fitness facilities and classes, from HIIT to yoga.
The spa is spacious and clean, and never feels overcrowded. Staff are on-hand and the whole atmosphere feels calming, welcoming, and safe.
South Lodge Restaurants
A visit to the Botanica restaurant inside the South Lodge Spa is a must. Dairy-free – not vegan as there are plenty of healthy fish and meat dishes on offer – the ethic is sustainability and health-focused. With a seasonal plant-inspired menu complete with herbal tinctures and tonics that not only taste out of this world but will make you feel on top of it, everything from the freshly squeezed vitamin-boosting juices to the innovative and tasty starters and sides sets Botanica head and shoulders above any other spa restaurant we have visited.
Enjoy seasonally inspired dishes at the cosy, upmarket two AA Rosette restaurant Camellia. The evening set menu is priced at £70 per person and changes daily. Head Chef Josh Mann takes pride in delivering a seasonal menu inspired by the fresh fruit and vegetables from the hotel’s walled garden and the finest local Sussex ingredients. What sounded like a simple tomato salad emerged as a tantalisingly textured treat, and the desserts are to-die-for. Try a tartare of Sussex beef with smoked egg yolk, oyster emulsion and Australian Winter truffle, a plate of barbecue scallops with courgette, pickled kohlrabi and lemon verbena – beef tea Exmoor Cornish salted Baerii caviar optional! – or some South Downs venison.
And from January, Tom Hamblet, this year’s MasterChef: The Professionals winner, and resident sous chef, will be taking up residency at Camellia until the end of March with menus inspired by his dishes from the competition. Guests will be invited to experience Hamblet’s culinary brilliance first-hand through specially crafted three-course menus, priced at £85.
Splashing out? Book an intimate chef’s table experiences at The Pass. The restaurant is all about sustainability and bringing great food to the venue so you get the best of all worlds and keep that good, warm family-style atmosphere.
It’s by no means pretentious and welcomes children, so much so that their other enterprise, Sussex Patch (farm) plans for a kind of ‘mini’ cooking lesson for kids, who will pick their vegetables and see how they are cooked, right in front of them. While the restaurant has a warm and slightly intimate feel to it, by including children as part of a family dining experience. They have hit the nail on the head for all markets – and they really care.
Retreats
Relaxation and escapism are order of the day at South Lodge Spa. Switch off your mind and switch on your senses. We experienced a wild swimming retreat with Olympian Keri-anne Payne which involved 36 hours of mouth-watering fuel, several stints in ice baths, wild swimming – of course – as well as a sound bath and yoga meditation session. Expert advice backed by science made this an enjoyable, informative, and very cold experience that, while possibly not life-changing, certainly shifted our life perspective permanently.
Other retreats are planned with the wonderful Keri-anne, facilitated by Oyogo sport retreats, for 2024. Keep an eye on the spa page for more details. The hotel is also offering Dine and Stay package during the Hamblet residency which start at £585 or an overnight visit.
- More details on all of South Lodge Spa’s packages can be found on the website.
