hartington place

REVIEW | Monticelli (May 2009)

hartington placeHartington Place, situated a stone's throw from Eastbourne's picture postcard seafront and gentile town centre, offers 14 luxurious apartments that can be rented weekly or on a bespoke basis - which would be perfect for any of the annual tennis events at nearby Devonshire Park.

These spacious apartments are of architectural and conservation interest as they are set within four white-washed stucco-fronted Grade II-listed buildings. And interestingly, Hartington Place was initially created as a beachside pied-a-terre for friends of the influential Duke of Devonshire - who still owns most of the land in Eastbourne.

Although these lavish apartments have been given a contemporary twist, the majority of the original features have been sympathetically restored including the beautiful bow-fronted windows that have an oblique view of the fashionable seafront.

These state-of-the apartments each have an uplifting ambience because of the way that the light and sunshine streams into the rooms during the day, while eco-friendly spotlights give the rooms an opulent feel in the evenings.

all mod cons at hartington placeAll mod cons are there to enjoy, including the latest streamlined kitchen facilities, which feature an American-style kitchen with wondrous sea views. Weekly prices vary on the size of the apartments, with one-, two- and three-bedrooms available (for one to five visitors overall).

For tennis players and their entourage, these trendy apartments may be a better bet than a hotel with the usual crowd from the ATP Tour. And with bespoke facilities offered for short-term stays, every whim can be catered for from chauffeurs to chefs, personal bodyguards to cleaners, personal host to organiser. 

Hartington Place is unique in Eastbourne for tennis players as it offers a bespoke home-to-home deal and feel that could also be an ideal base during Wimbledon, especially with lifts leading discreetly and directly into each apartment for an effortless return from the day's duties.

But for those seeking somewhere special on a more long-term basis, this newly decorated establishment is conveniently placed and offers excellent car parking spaces - now at a premium since the parking charges in the town centre came into force earlier this year. And the car park has been fitted with an electronic controlled gate entry and exit facility.

thelocation

hartington place's sea viewSeafront | By being positioned so close to the fashionable seafront, it is a delight to be able to take a stroll along the bustling beach during the day or when the pier and decorations light up. It soon becomes obvious why the rich and famous friends of Duke of Devonshire regularly frequented Hartington Place.

Town centre | Only a five minute walk to the centre of Eastbourne, Hartington Place offers excellent access to all points of interest - bars, cafes, pubs, restaurants, shops - including Devonshire Park, the theatres and the Towner Art Gallery. The apartments also boast a private car park and small balconies, which are absolute sun traps during the summer.

theentrance

hartington place's grand entranceGrand entrance | After the smell of the nearby sea enters your nostrils, you realise that you are perilously close to Hartington Place's entrance. Greeted by such a grand facade, the freshly painted eight foot front door and impressive audio-visual intercom security scheme naturally progresses to a further door - walnut-veneered. And the good quality three-colour striped carpet centred over large grey tiles along the narrow hallway is most welcoming.

Going up | The choice after walking down the narrow hallway with a high ceiling is down to you, either take the lift or the stairs. The lifts are modern, clean and run directly to each apartment - although are securely hidden behind a door so that people will not be disturbed. The wooden staircase and matching rails have been lovingly restored to their former glory, and coupled with the automatic ceiling lights makes any trek up and down the stairs a wondrous experience.

Spoiled for choice | Once through the solid brown wooden door to the apartment, which includes an eyehole, you are greeted with a choice of three directions. And more walnut veneer doors lead on to the bedroom(s), the personalised lift and the living room.

thelivingroom

hartington place's spacious living roomLight up your life | Amazingly, the light bounces around the entire room through the large bow windows despite the dark furniture and flooring. One of the latest intercoms is situated by the living room entrance, which is connected to an intercom at the front door of the building.

The room gives an instant sense of space because of the light streaming in, the layout of the room and the classy black and white theme.

Designer look & feel | But the opulent yet comfortable ambience is down to choice of furniture and gas-fired underfloor heated black walnut floorboards. Grey retro sofas with silk cushions, a plasma wall-mounted TV, table and chairs by the windows, sea-themed art on the wall, sidelamps on small tables and rows of ceiling spotlights gives the area an elegant home-from-home feel.

Sea view | For those apartments at the front of the buiilding, the views are pretty impressive. Visitors will be treated to an oblique sea view (right), traditional rather than modern flats (opposite) and well kept gardens, trees and flowerbeds surround the purpose-built flats (left).

thekitchen

hartington place's American-style kitchenAll mod cons | The clean, bright and spacious American-style kitchen leads on from the lovely living room, and has been fitted with everything required.

A large oblong kitchen table sits plum in the centre of the room, with a trio of stools on one side while a wine cooler (holds up to 36 bottles) divides useful storage space and beige draws on the other side.

Fancy streamlined kitchen applicances from Siemens are scattered around the room and in-built, these include a cooker hob, dishwasher, microwave and enormous fridge/freezer complete with ice maker and water filter. Floor and wall beige coloured storage space means that you can keep the area looking neat and tidy.

Table talk | And for a bit of peace and tranquility, there are a couple of chairs and a small table underneath the windows that are most inviting if you want to escape the living room and tuck into a good book or snack. Suitable to chill anytime as the walnut/ceramic tiled floor is also heated underneath.

thebedrooms

hartington place's luxury bedroom with balconyRooms with a view | With one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, these facilities can cater for between one to five visitors, and all offer very pleasant balconies that attract sunshine around midday during the summer and offer year-round views. And even the very top of the South Downs can be seen in the distance.

hartington place's luxury bedroom with balconyAll rooms have been carefully given an elegant theme, offer adjustable heating controls, practicle desks, soft beige carpets, silk cushions, matching furniture and fittings, sidelamps on small tables and the wondrous ceiling spotlights.

The smallest rooms are in the three-bedroom apartments, and only cater for a single bed. While all other rooms have a double bed while the largest room in many apartments boast en suite facilities and a handful even have an additional dressing room.

thebathroom

hartington place's trendy bathroomClean looks | These compact designer bathrooms serve all the necessary functions in style, with La Compagnie de Provence bath products and a bathroom towel warmer. The stand-alone sink with mixer tap is very sleek, yet the toilet appears to be quite low compared to hotels and homes around Europe. 

Scrub up | The big bath has been specifically shaped like a giant coffee bean, so that two people can have a splashing good time. And the fancy looking showerhead resembles the shape of a microphone, so is perfect for any wannabe singers at the walk-in showers. But the underfloor heating makes a real difference after getting cold and wet.

theplatinumpackage

Your own conciege | For those who demand perfection, right here right now, why not upgrade to the platinum package? Bespoke facilities are offered that mean every whim can be catered for from chauffeurs to chefs, personal bodyguards to cleaners, personal host to organiser. Telephone Sarah on +44 (0)788.926.5955 to discuss your specific requirements and preferred dates.

With the AEGON International attracting the world's leading tennis players, and Wimbledon immediately following, Hartington Place makes an ideal base for the three most important weeks of the year in the grass court tennis calendar.

thebottomline

hartington place offers lavish apartmentsQuality matters | The location is fantastic by being on the doorstep for the tennis at Devonshire Park, so close to the seafront, theatres and town centre. And with unique bespoke packages available as well as short-term stays it makes visitors feel even more special than being on the conveyor belt of staying at a hotel.

The apartments have been tweaked by leading interior design company Alexander James, and they have created something very special by helping make the rooms feel more spacious than they really are.

And the piece de resistence is that the apartments offer fabulous individual balconies, which have enough space - and sunshine - to sit out to enjoy the UK's best weather.