It was Goodwood for November’s getaway.
We took a train to Chichester, West Sussex where we were a few weeks back and a taxi to Goodwood Hotel on the estate.
We had heard that the hotel is very dog-friendly and needed to check it out. Their ten dog-friendly rooms are on the ground floor and you would think that’s easy to get to, except there are very long corridors.
As she always does, Mum was testing me to see if I could find our room. Well, actually, I helped us find our way back to our room – LOL! She got turned around and she said – go on, Darcy, show me where’s our room! Yup, not just a pretty face!
Dog-friendly means we were allowed to dine at all the restaurants. We had lunch at the very relaxed Bar & Grill, and dinner at Goodwood’s sustainable restaurant – Farmer, Butcher, Chef.
After a delicious supper and not quite ready for bed, we hung out in the very cosy Snug Room.
Our friends Archie and Nacho joined us the next day. We took walks around the estate … always on the lead as there are lots of farm animals around.
That’s Goodwood House in the distance, the family home of the Duke of Richmond and Gordon. We’re not allowed to take photos so we did it from afar. 🙂
See the sheep grazing? And there were also lots of other farm animals.
There were two trails to follow – the red trail or the blue trail … but those arrows proved to be evasive! Or when we did find them, we seem to be walking in circles! LOL!
Needless to say, the city girls, Mum and Gaynor kept saying, “There’s no signage!” “There are no landmarks!” LOL! We did lost lost on the estate.
The golf course all looked the same! They finally asked a golfer for directions to get back to the hotel! Thankfully, we did before it got dark!
That evening, as guests of the Goodwood hotel, we dined at The Kennels, a member’s clubhouse. It was a short drive through country roads from the hotel.
It’s all rather lovely inside, and as you would expect, there were quite a few art pieces of dogs …
In the reception, there was a wall of personalised dog bowls belonging to member’s dogs who can also become members … and it looks like there’s a member called Darcy. No, it wasn’t my bowl but I had to pose with it.
Checking in at reception – “Hello. Yes, we have a dinner reservation for three dogs and two hoomans.”
But our hoomans would like to have a drink at the bar first!
The elegant duck egg blue dining room was full by the time Mum and Gaynor were ready to dine.
With its seamless service and ebullient atmosphere, it all felt rather special yet relaxed.
Throughout the meal, Archie and I sat transfixed, waiting for some hand-me-downs from the table.
This was definitely one of the highlights of our visit.
The next day, we returned to The Kennels for a bit of shopping.
Mum and Gaynor wanted to get something as a momento of our stay.
It was a lovely get away to the countryside – time to breathe, to take in the wide skies before heading back to London.
May’s comment: Goodwood Hotel in Goodwood, Chichester, West Sussex, England United Kingdom, PO18 0QB is a location in itself with racetracks, golf courses, an aerodrome and more. Surrounded by 12,000 acres of stunning park and woodland, it is dog friendly.
Whenever we think of Goodwood, we think of vintage cars because the last time we drove to Goodwood, we got stuck in traffic when one of the vintage cars broke down on the single lane road. LOL! It took us hours to get to where we needed to be.
The hotel has ten rooms allocated for dogs – on the ground floor, some leading out to the gardens. Sadly, dog occupancy means you don’t get to enjoy some of the beautifully decorated rooms.
They do not limit size of dogs but rather number of dogs per room (large dogs – one per room and two smaller dogs per room).
Your canine companion will have a comfy bed, dog bowl and delicious treats as part of their stay.
You can dine with your dogs at the very relaxed and casual Bar & Grill, as well as dinner at the Farmer, Butcher, Chef restaurant, Goodwood’s sustainable restaurant focused on food from the Estate.
Cindy Leveson designed Farmer Butcher Chef where it houses a vast collection of that all relates to their farm, to their butcher and to their chef.
Guests have the option to dine at The Kennels, a former home for foxhounds, it is the central clubhouse for all of the estate’s sporting members.
The menu featured seasonal dishes, much of which came from Goodwood House Farm or locally sourced
Think we may have to make a return visit when Goodwood is on again next year!
