Finde Hotels in Ticehurst

As a local I really want The Bell to be great and, as far as the food was concerned, my husband and I were not disappointed. However, our waiter Patrick wasn’t the most welcoming. Given that we arrived at midday and sat in the outdoor area so that we could relax with a drink and peruse the menu, we were treated badly by Patrick who asked if had booked a table. When we advised we hadn’t he told us he would have to check with the chef if we could be accommodated, and we had to put our relaxation on hold. Given that we were there very sharp after 12 and only one table was taken indoors, this was very unfriendly. I had to query our bill which itemised a £.50 charitable donation but didn’t specify the charity - the 12.5% service charge was also added to this. The Bell could be so much better. The food was lovely but some thought needs to be given to the care of their customers before I consider a return visit.

My wife and I are both new to the game of golf, so booked a two-day tuition break at Dale Hill, with their resident professional, Chris Roberts. If you're in the same boat as us, and you really want to improve your game with a kind, patient and excellent coach, I can thoroughly recommend this break. Chris was fantastic across both days. The first is very intensive, with five hours of coaching covering a number of areas including driving, irons, swing stance, chipping, putting, and even bunker work. We were meant to have a five-hole playing lesson on the Ian Woosnam Course, but due to heavy rain that was postponed until the second day. But in a way that really benefitted us, as we were able to put in more work on things like swing consistency and using the driver etc. My wife and I both felt instant benefits from this. I'm topping the ball way less than I used to, and I feel I'm hitting it further as well. Chris is a great coach, who can very quickly identify areas of concern in your swing and set-up, and remedy them quickly. We'd work with him again in a heartbeat. The next day, we finally did the five-hole playing lesson, and again he was great. Very hands-on, very encouraging, very articulate about what he wants us to do. I even managed to par the difficult 17th hole, and had a birdie chance which I narrowly missed. I feel like my game's come on in leaps and bounds. And Chris wasn't the only wonderful member of staff we encountered. The bar staff/waiting staff in the Orangery and Wealden View Restaurant were wonderfully helpful. But we wanted to give a special shout-out to Darcy in the Club Shop, who was genuinely one of the kindest and most helpful people we have encountered on our travels. Bubbly and ebullient, she was tremendously generous with her time and expertise. She's just started a coaching course, we've learned, so hopefully we'll be learning with her as well in a few years! As for the hotel itself, the tuition break package comes with a one-night stay in a Superior Room. We really liked the room -- it was large, spacious, and clean, with a lovely view of the 18th fairway on the Dale Hill Course (aka Old Course). Nice, comfortable bed as well, and a lovely, fast-filling bath. If there are issues, they are slight. The TV in the room could be a lot bigger, and there could be more USB/charging points, and maybe even a Bluetooth speaker or radio. Some of the fixtures and fittings are looking a little worn, and could maybe do with a refresh and upgrade. But there was nothing that bothered us. We had a very peaceful, relaxing stay, and also really enjoyed the food (a dinner is also included in the package, as is lunch!) in the Wealden View Restaurant. And the breakfast buns that they offer are the size of your head. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed it, and are already planning to go back next year. When, hopefully, we might upgrade to the Intermediate Coaching package!