Menu Book a room

Family run for three generations

Historic Sussex Hotels is a privately owned collection of three very distinctive luxury hotels: Bailiffscourt, Ockenden Manor and The Spread Eagle Hotel, set in some of the most beautiful parts of West Sussex.

A family business

Historic Sussex Hotels is a business firmly rooted in family, bringing people together since 1957, and continuing right up to today with members of the family actively involved with the day to day running of the business.

Our Joint Managing Directors, Pontus & Miranda Carminger, are supported by both their family and a close management team providing a winning combination of skills, experience, diversity and enthusiasm for hospitality.

The Spread Eagle was acquired in 1957, followed by Ockenden Manor in 1987 and Bailiffscourt in 1993. And now the third and fourth generations of the family, together with the teams, work side by side to evolve the hotels, spas and restaurants with carefully considered additions and renovations, and to meet and exceed the ever changing desires of today's guest.

We are excited to add The Black Horse in Climping to our collection and work is in progress to beautifully restoring this pub to its former glory, at the heart of the local community. Doors opening Spring 2024.

Our interest & passion

We have always been interested in historic and architecturally curious buildings both from the outside and inside. Each of our hotels and spas are unique in style, character and history, and together with our team, we strive to create a relaxing and welcoming atmosphere.

As a family we are passionate about delighting our guests when they visit us with fabulous four-posters, dreamy spas and pools, delicious food, amazing treatments, space to explore and time to relax all served with enthusiastic, friendly and professional service.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

PoB Hotels

Bailiffscourt and Ockenden Manor are proud to be members of PoB Hotels, a collection of carefully curated rooms, the finest restaurants and spas, and the most authentic regional experiences across the British Isles.

PoB Hotels only invite the very best independent hotels to join their collection - but there's much more to it than that. Think of PoB Hotels as the key and each hotel as a door to new experiences. Each completely unique. Each hand-picked. Each the Pride of Britain.

Established in 1982 by a group of 12 passionate hoteliers, PoB Hotels today has grown to over 50 city-based, countryside and coastal locations. The essence of PoB Hotels is built on its British heritage, honouring provenance and sincere, authentic service. They love the independent nature and unique culture at each property. What ties the hotels together is not being the same but celebrating individuality with a common vision- offering guests the best experiences.

They're all about pairing each guest with an experience that's extraordinary and unique, so all members are inspected annually to ensure they live up to the PoB standard. Plus, admission of new members is subject to successfully passing an anonymous overnight inspection and a ballot of the membership.

In 2022, PoB Hotels partnered with EarthCheck, the leading global sustainability certification programme. This step formalises an ongoing commitment to responsible travel and an effort to promote sustainable practices across its collection.

Find out more