My fiancée and I stayed at The Alfriston during the last weekend of half-term. The welcome was pleasant, and we appreciated the complimentary glass of wine.
Unfortunately, almost every part of the stay had issues. Our room was small, overlooking the spa pool, with fairly standard amenities.
Dinner was disappointing. The sole server was friendly but repeatedly forgot our order. Drinks took 20–30 minutes to arrive, the rosé was served warm despite which is quite bad when it costs £12–15 a glass. My salmon, broccoli and puffed rice dish (£25) arrived without the rice due to a delivery issue, leaving a very underwhelming meal. We were offered just £5 off the bill.
Breakfast was no better. On the first morning, our eggs were overcooked and had to be remade (20 mins wait). On the second, it took around 40 minutes to prepare two sausages and scrambled eggs despite the restaurant being quiet.
The spa was also disappointing, with no towels available and the outdoor pool full of children running and shouting. While it was half-term, don’t advertise it as a luxury experience if you allow it to be treated like a kids pool.
At checkout, our concerns were initially met with little response, although a senior staff member stepped in and offered a resolution, which I appreciated.
Perhaps we were unlucky, but the experience fell well below expectations. The highlight of the trip was the beautiful weather for the Seven Sisters walk.
