Even before you arrive at Amberley Castle, you’ll already find yourself having to pick your jaw off the flaw in awe of where you’d be calling home for the next few days.
Amberley Castle is one of those places that’s an instant “Yes!” when you think of special places to stay in England. It’s got almost 1,000 years of history as well as is a member of the amazing Relais Chateau family.
Relais Chateau is like a curated collection of luxurious, independently-owned properties so while the details of your experience might vary from one to the other, one thing they’ll always have in common is that they will always be absolutely amazing. (We’ve stayed in a few in France and in the UK and can attest to this first hand).
Walking up to the castle, I could barely contain my excitement! It took all the energy I could muster not to wander off exploring the grounds, luggage in town and instead head over to reception to check in.
*I did manage to sneak in a few minutes of wandering though… 😉
The rooms were absolutely English perfection! It looked and felt like you were in a castle while still feeling every bit as modern and as luxurious as you’d expect from a Relais Chateaux hotel!
Everything here was just how I liked it, a bathtub worth setting aside extra time to soak in, beds so nice that you sink right into in the most comfortable way and a fireplace that I knew, no matter how great the weather was outside, would be lit every night and sat in front of with a glass of wine in tow.
A quick tea break later and we headed downstairs to check out the ground.
There are two resident white peacocks here, by the way, that just roam around freely and get to explore parts of the castle keep even you can get to (I found out ages ago in Sri Lanka that peacocks can actually fly!)
The sun setting over Amberley castle was just that extra special cherry on the cake of what was already quite an impressive place.
If I wasn’t in love with Amberley castle before I was head over heels by the time I went checking out every single nook and cranny of this place!
Eventually, we decided to retire to the garden for cocktails, before heading inside for complimentary pre-dinner wine and oer-d’oeuvres!
The restaurant here is one that you absolutely have to dine in, even if you’re not staying at the hotel though it’s got to be said – when you are staying at the hotel, it’s just so much better!
You get to drink all the wine and eat as much as you want/can handle and not have to worry too much about getting back home as you only a few steps to go to get to your room.
The food here is also pretty good, which was another thing I was looking forward to!
Still very keen on the wine we’d earlier, we went with a bottle of that and kick off with a chef’s special amuse bouche.
For starters, I ordered the octopus, which I love but still feel weird about the suckers on it – with the exception of when it’s as delicious as it was here in which case, it’s all gone before I even think about anything like that!
Lloyd went for the mackerel to start and the cod for his mains.
For my main meal, I went for the lamb with both of us opting for the rhubarb for dessert!
Totally stuffed and thorough content, the rest of the evening was spent by the (not-really-needed) fireplace (it was quite warm in England when we visited), sipping on wine and catching up on some reading.
Thus far, I was so pleased with not just getting to explore Arundel Castle earlier on but also the decision to stay in such an amazing historic place like Amberley Castle.
Read more: Best day trips in England
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