This month, resident Pet Inspector, Kiki, travelled to the lovely Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa in East Sussex. Find out what got her little tail wagging…
Some years ago we visited Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa in West Sussex to celebrate my birthday, accompanied by our adored Norfolk terrier, Rufus. We had a really lovely time, so we were delighted to have been invited for a Spring weekend away to one of our dog-friendliest hotels – this time with pet inspector, Kiki.
What we love about Bailiffscourt is that it combines a country hotel vibe with a seaside setting and is wonderfully quirky and charming. We felt sure that Kiki would love it, too! As usual, when her travel bag and toys came out of the cupboard she became super excited, wagging her tail furiously, knowing we were off on another doggy adventure.
We set off down the A3 on Sunday morning down wending our way down country lanes to Bailiffscourt. We were a little early, so we decided to pop along to the historic town of Arundel for lunch at the dog-friendly White Swan. We had a lovely walk around the town before heading to our hotel.
The hotel is in a rural setting in private parkland, where we were greeted by a friendly peacock as we stepped out of the car – miraculously, Kiki seemed unfazed. Made up of Medieval style buildings, some dating back to the 13c, the house was designed by Lord Moyne, a member of the Guinness family, in the 1920s to recreate a medieval home using original stone as well as doors and windows from the period. A scene of numerous parties in the 30s, the building has a definite sense of grandeur and glamour.
We headed back downstairs for tea in one of a collection of cosy sitting rooms, with its mullioned windows and tapestries hung walls, for cream tea and cakes. There were plenty of well-behaved dogs having tea too so Kiki settled down feeling entirely at home.
We decided to leave Kiki luxuriating in the room whilst we had dinner. The restaurant was full and buzzy, quite surprising for a Sunday night. We started with langoustine soup and burrata, followed by duck for me and Chateaubriand steak and bearnaise sauce for Rory plus some delicious desserts.
After breakfast, we headed out for another walk around the grounds with Kiki running off-lead and then again to Climping beach, stopping for a cappuccino at Climping Beach Cafe. If you fancied a longer stroll, you could walk on to Littlehampton, crossing over the bridge and then back onto the beach, stopping for lunch at the East Beach Cafe.
After our walk we had another dip in the fabulous pool and then made our way home, stopping off for lunch at the Black Rabbit – a super dog-friendly pub situated on the banks of the River Arun with stunning views over the wetlands of Arundel Castle. We enjoyed a delicious sharing plate of butternut squash fritters and hummus while Kiki rubbed noses with some of the other dogs dotted around the pub. After lunch, we had another waterside stroll before heading off to explore the village of Felpham and then on to Tinwood Estate.
After a waggy welcome at reception, we set off along the corridor up some wooden stairs to our spectacular room – the Baylies suite. Filled with historic charm, the room is vast with vaulted beamed ceilings, a four-poster bed, a wood-burning stove, squashy sofas, and a huge bathroom with a freestanding bathtub! Kiki was delighted with her bowl, mat and biscuits plus a tennis ball and ball thrower too!
We headed back downstairs for tea in one of a collection of cosy sitting rooms, with its mullioned windows and tapestries hung walls, for cream tea and cakes. There were plenty of well-behaved dogs having tea too so Kiki settled down feeling entirely at home.
After tea we set off for a walk to the beach – it’s just a short stroll away through woodland to Climping beach, an eroded stretch of coastline where Kiki enjoyed a run off the lead.
Following our walk, we decided to have a swim in the spa which is housed in a gorgeous barn conversion with an indoor pool and outdoor infinity pool. Kiki was more than happy to have a rest in the room before her tea and another stroll around the grounds.
We decided to leave Kiki luxuriating in the room whilst we had dinner. The restaurant was full and buzzy, quite surprising for a Sunday night. We started with langoustine soup and burrata, followed by duck for me and Chateaubriand steak and bearnaise sauce for Rory plus some delicious desserts.
Kiki was pleased to see us when we got back to our room and the next morning we took her along to breakfast with us. Our breakfast table was beautifully laid out and breakfast itself was delicious. The waitress made a special fuss of Kiki who behaved impeccably and was rewarded with a sausage!
After breakfast, we headed out for another walk around the grounds with Kiki running off-lead and then again to Climping beach, stopping for a cappuccino at Climping Beach Cafe. If you fancied a longer stroll, you could walk on to Littlehampton, crossing over the bridge and then back onto the beach, stopping for lunch at the East Beach Cafe.
After our walk we had another dip in the fabulous pool and then made our way home, stopping off for lunch at the Black Rabbit – a super dog-friendly pub situated on the banks of the River Arun with stunning views over the wetlands of Arundel Castle. We enjoyed a delicious sharing plate of butternut squash fritters and hummus while Kiki rubbed noses with some of the other dogs dotted around the pub. After lunch, we had another waterside stroll before heading off to explore the village of Felpham and then on to Tinwood Estate.
Tinwood Estate is a delightful family-run estate which makes sparkling wine not far from the hotel – the Estate is dog-friendly so Kik was able to come along too when we joined their afternoon tour. The tour takes around an hour and a half and includes a visit to the vineyards and three glasses of sparkling wine – although we decided one was enough!
After a busy day of walks and wine tasting we headed home – we had all had a lovely time at a wonderfully dog welcoming hotel with fabulous seaside walks.
Take a sniff around Bailiffscourt 🔍🐶
If you fancy treating you and your best furry friend to a tail-waggingly good dog-friendly stay at Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa, explore our exclusive hotel package below or alternatively, call our dedicated pet concierge on 020 3642 3162.
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