Huntsland House

My husband and I used this as a place to stay the night prior to flying out of Gatwick airport. The home is as pictured in the photos and in a remarkably quiet area despite being only 15 minutes from the airport. We checked in by obtaining our key from a lockbox at the front door - there was no one there to greet us and we were informed via e-mail ahead of time of how to access the house. The guest rooms are up one flight of spiral stairs. Our beds were comfortable and the room was spacious. We did not have an ensuite bathroom which worked out fine for us. Our bathroom was across the hall from our room, and next door to another bedroom. As mentioned in another review, the owner requests that shoes be removed before entering the house and there are bare stairs and floors throughout the house, so bring slippers because socks will easily slip on the flooring. There are a few things that would improve the home. The walls were totally bare in our room, our bathroom, and throughout the house we had access to, except for one tapestry in the dining room over the fireplace. The couple of indoor plants were plastic. There is no common living room for guests to relax outside of their room, but there is a very large ball room with 3 pieces of furniture at one end, which is otherwise empty except for chandeliers and a disco ball. The house simply did not feel lived in and felt eerily empty. The breakfast is in a dining room on the ground floor and is a help yourself refrigerator with bread, milk, and croissants, along with a toaster and boxes of cereal along with tea bags, a hot water kettle, and instant coffee, all of which you make yourself. Of course there is nothing wrong with this, but I think that it is important that expectations be managed, and many people booking a Bed and Breakfast will expect a different type of atmosphere and experience. Overall, it is an affordable alternative to staying in an airport hotel.

Catching a flight from Gatwick we found this gem of a property only 10 minutes from the airport. It’s a country house in a secluded village location with spacious, airy rooms tastefully and recently refurbished. The delightful gardens feature a lake, and there’s ample parking.