Deans Place Hotel welcomes guests to its garden setting with an outdoor pool and sun loungers for a peaceful retreat. Enjoy thoughtful touches like a manager's reception and dry cleaning services, while the on-site restaurant serves a proper English breakfast.
Polegate is home to The Alfriston. Clergy House and Long Man of Wilmington are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Brighton Beach and Arlington Reservoir and Nature Reserve. Drusillas Park and The English Wine Centre are also worth visiting. Visit our Alfriston travel guide
You can look forward to a free daily manager's reception, a terrace and a garden at The Alfriston. For some rest and relaxation, visit the steam room. The on-site restaurant, Deans Place, offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. In-room WiFi, with a speed of 50+ Mbps, is available to all guests, along with dry cleaning/laundry services and a bar.
Other perks include:
An outdoor pool, along with sunloungers
Free self-parking
English breakfast (surcharge), a lift and a banquet hall
Meeting rooms, multilingual staff and wedding services
Guest reviews give good marks for the overall condition
Room features
All guest rooms at The Alfriston include amenities, such as safes, free bottled water and WiFi.
Extra conveniences in all rooms include:
Bathrooms with shower/bath combinations and free toiletries
English breakfast available for a fee 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM on weekdays and 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM on weekends; GBP 17.50 for adults and GBP 10 for children
A bar/lounge
A restaurant
Free daily manager's reception
Restaurants on site
Deans Place
Things to do
Outdoor pool
Steam room
Family friendly
Laundry facilities
Outdoor pool
Conveniences
24-hour front desk
Laundry facilities
Luggage storage
Safe at front desk
Guest services
Dry cleaning/laundry service
Housekeeping (daily)
Multilingual staff
Wedding services
Business services
Business centre
Meeting rooms
Outdoors
Garden
Picnic area
Pool loungers
Terrace
Accessibility
Lift
More
1 building
2 floors
Banquet hall
Built in 1300
Designated smoking areas
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Bathroom
Free toiletries
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
Shower/bathtub combination
Towels provided
Entertainment
Flat-screen TV
Food and drink
Coffee/tea maker
Free bottled water
Limited room service
More
Desk
Heating
Iron/ironing board on request
Safe
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; check-in end time: 5:30 AM
Contactless check-in and check-out are available
Minimum check-in age - 18
Check-out
Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out
Special check-in instructions
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
For any questions, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Access methods
Staffed front desk
Pets
Pets are allowed for an extra charge of GBP 10 per pet, per night
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs only
1 total pets
Restrictions apply; for more information contact the property on the number on the booking confirmation
Food and water bowls are available
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
Cots (infant beds) are available for GBP 20.0 per day
Payment types at the property
Important information
Optional extras
Fee for English breakfast: from approximately GBP 17.50 for adults and from GBP 10 for children
Pet fee: GBP 10 per pet, per night
Service animals are exempt from fees
Crib (infant bed) fee: GBP 20.0 per day
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property
This property hosts group events on weekends and guests may encounter related noise as a result.
Property is also known as
Deans Place Polegate
Deans Place Hotel
The Alfriston Hotel
The Alfriston Polegate
The Alfriston Hotel Polegate
Frequently asked questions
Does The Alfriston have a pool?
Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.
How much does it cost to stay at The Alfriston?
As of 26 Mar 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at The Alfriston on 8 Apr 2026 start from 4.752.512 ₫, excluding taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
Is The Alfriston pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total). There's a fee of GBP 10 per pet, per night. Service animals are exempt from fees. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.
How much is parking at The Alfriston?
Self-parking is free at this property.
What time is check-in at The Alfriston?
Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; check-in end time: 5:30 AM. After-hours check-in is not available.
What time is check-out at The Alfriston?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM.
Where is The Alfriston located?
Situated in Polegate, this hotel is within a 10-minute walk of St Andrew Church and Clergy House. Drusillas Park and The English Wine Centre are also within 2 miles (3 km).
Can I cancel my reservation for free and receive a full refund?
Yes, this property offers free cancellation on selected room rates because flexibility matters! Please refer to the property cancellation policy on our site for more details about any exclusions or requirements.
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Reviews
The Alfriston Reviews
8.6
Excellent
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
Lovely property. Nice additional touches like the 4pm pour (free wine for hotel guests). Easy walk into the village or out into the gorgeous countryside.
We had a great stay. The family room was excellent and our kids loved the heated outdoor pool which we used when in February! The staff were lovely and we appreciated the little touches like snacks to take on our walks and home baked cookies. We will definitely be back.
Staff are super friendly here. Rooms are comfortable. Lacking space to put clothes/luggage but otherwise well equipped. The breakfast was nice. A few nice touches like the 4pm pour and well located for walking from
the door.
Angela
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2026
Verified
8/10 Good
Richard
21 Nov 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Nice hotel, with good staff.
Ideal for exploring the South Downs.
We really like Signet hotels having stayed at the Retreat several times, and now The Alfriston twice.
We first stayed at The Alfriston within the second week of it opening and it understandably felt like it was finding its feet. However we expected it to feel settled six months later - not quite our feeling.
It still feels like it is settling in. The extra touches we used to enjoy like freshly baked biscuits and an evening digestif in the rooms felt like we were being spoilt and cared for. However these have been replaced by regimented, restrictive times in the bar area, which removed the very special and generous feel from the initial approach.
We enjoyed our stay but there lacks the generous and warm feel from before which we feel is a real shame. We are sure that there is good intentions but prescribing times to enjoy the touches removes the feeling of being generous from Signet.
I feel the hotel still needs to settle and find its way especially as it is competing with other similar level hotels in the immediate vicinity.
The brasserie menu and food quality does not compete with other hotel restaurants in the area and was disappointing quality in comparison. The menu has not changed since Spring and could do with seasonal changes and surprises. No change to the menu makes us wonder why seasonal produce is not being used to drive the dishes, unlike other restaurants in the area.
The hotel bar feels cold & underwhelming, in comparison with much warmer competitors
The Alfriston turned out to be a very pleasant stop off on my South Downs Way walk. I can't fault anything. Only to thank all the staff that made my stay a memorable one. Can I add a special thanks to Alessandra.
Nice, cosy hotel with friendly staff. It was a friends birthday and the hotel staff were great with helping decorate the room and wished her a happy birthday on arrival. Was a little disappointed with the spa as there is no jacuzzi and just the outdoor pool, it was also freezing in the room with the loungers so not very relaxing! I did ask for someone to adjust the temperature but this didn’t make a difference. The restaurant staff were friendly but the food was quite disappointing, the steak was really underdone despite us being asked how we wanted it cooked, also was not asked if we wanted more drinks or checked on throughout the meal. Good breakfast. The pantry was disappointing in comparison to other sister hotels as was just a small cupboard with a few bags of crisps and lollipops. Overall a nice stay but wouldn’t rush back.
It was lovely being at the Alfriston and getting to know its town. The pool outside was definitely the highlight and the sauna and steam room installations were excellent. The interiors were lovely and the breakfast was top notch!! Would highly recommend!
Just be aware if you don’t have a car, it’s a bit of mission to get to Alfriston…there’s a bus but only runs at specific times.
Although the hotel tries hard to reach the luxury bracket with the new spa and other facilities, it does not quite succeed. Most staff are friendly and helpful, the cleaning staff were particularly cheerful and the receptionists also. One of the senior receptionists was typical of a minority of staff who do not have a service ethos and in her case was unnecessarily rude to us and to other guests. It seemed that the staff were all rushed off their feet and that better
Training and a couple more would have helped things along. The breakfast was good but various ingredients including fruit had run out well before the end of service. The grounds are in need of maintenance. The pool area and spa are new if small, and the masseuse and staff very efficient. Room clean and bright. Food was reasonable in quality. Prices very high for a hotel of this quality. They do not have much competition yet in this area as a hotel with pool etc but if this changes they will need to up thr game.
It’s a great boutique hotel in a lovely setting which has been very recently tastefully renovated. All the interiors are stylish, great SPA, good restaurant and service, wonderful outside spaces incl. pool. Breakfast is a bit limited but good, coffee isn’t great
Lots to do in the area as well. Rathfinny winery just nearby was a happy find with a great restaurant, hiking routes to Seven Sisters, Alfriston village is a gem
The only challenges we had were in regards to the check out rules - lack of a clear late check out policy, different receptionists saying different things, overall felt greedy and we end led up being overcharged in the end compared to what had been agreed (pending refund). 11AM is too early for 4PM check in, so the hotel needs to be prepared for exception requests
Very poor service at dinner, staff were nice but seemed overworked and disjointed so lots of running around while you were kept waiting ages for anyone to come over. Quite a frustrating meal experience.
Asked for 2 rooms close together which they confirmed, yet placed at opposite ends of the hotel with no explanation or even acknowledgement.
Woken up at 645am on Saturday with fire alarms going off, which really ruined the weekend, so we all had breakfast and set off home to get some rest. Not a relaxing break it was meant to be.
Beautifully decorated hotel very individual n lovely touches like the pantry. Lots of staff n very friendly but not always efficient eg took drink/food orders then disappeared. Spa staff and treatment excellent.
Eileen
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025
Verified
4/10 Poor
Tom
1 Aug 2025
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Terrible Rooms
The main building is nice. We booked a Heritage room but we were given a small hut in the carport. It seems it had been converted from a storage unit. The room was tiny, badly insulated, badly laid out and lacking in amenities. There are no fans or air conditioning and given the proximity to the car park, noise was loud and early.
Beautiful property in the countryside. Staff all very welcoming and friendly. Spa facilities were clean and had a very relaxing atmosphere.
We also used the restaurant and the food was amazing.
We visited here on our honeymoon and had a lovely stay. No upgrades or special touches which was unfortunate, but it is a lovely hotel that had recently been upgraded. The food in the restaurant is great, but service was a bit slow. The pool was lovely but sadly no hot tub