I stayed at the new West Sussex luxury health club featuring a stunning spa garden, padel courts and a state-of-the-art gym

David Lloyd Wickwoods, formerly Wickwoods Country Club, reopened its facilities in March and last week, I went to try them out.

Everywhere from the reception desk, to the clubroom/restaurant, gym, pool, changing rooms, outdoor spa garden and sports courts have been transformed into a luxury adults-only health club.

The Hassocks-based club also has a few hotel rooms, which have also had a makeover, so to get a taste of the full experience my husband and I were invited for an overnight stay.

We checked in at 3pm and went straight to the outdoor spa garden as it was such a glorious day. It features a 9m pool, hydro pool – like a large jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and for those feeling brave a cold water plunge pool.

There weren’t any loungers, beds or pod seating left when we arrived, so we used the hydro pool. It was a lovely temperature and easy to sit in for a good while. When I saw someone leaving, I pounced on some sunloungers, and my husband and I enjoyed a chilled couple of hours reading our books.

Later, we tried out the Finnish sauna and then the steam room, which features a huge amethyst crystal. The latter said it was kept at a lower temperature than other steam rooms, but it felt incredibly hot to me. Maybe it’s because it was a really hot day outside, but lovely as it was, I couldn’t sit in it for longer than a couple of minutes.

I tried the spa garden again the next morning, and was one of the first to enter when it opened at 8am. It was a very different vibe early in the morning, and I really enjoyed the peace and tranquillity while I swam lengths for half an hour, looked up at the trees all around and listened to the birdsong. I even braved the plunge pool after a spell in the hydro pool, and found it so invigorating I used it twice more after using the steam room and sauna.

My husband used the indoor pool and jacuzzi, and much as we love our children, he said he really enjoyed the fact no kids are allowed which kept it very chilled.

We didn’t use the gym this time, but it has 100 stations as well as an exercise studio offering a range of classes.

Three padel courts have also been installed, and you can also book a spot on one of the tennis courts.

Before heading to our room for the evening, my husband and I had dinner in the club room, which has received a makeover in calming neutral tones with deep blue accents. Our busy afternoon left us starving, so we both opted for a burger – my husband a cheeseburger, and me the buttermilk buffalo chicken burger, both served with fries.

They came out piping hot and were delicious, as were the mozzarella sticks and caesar salads we had as sides. Feeling greedy, we also snuck in a tasty banoffee pie each.

Our standard double room came with a superking bed, which was very comfortable, as well as an ensuite bathroom and views over the Padel courts. The only thing I found slightly sad was that the clubroom closes at 9pm on a Saturday, so we basically had nowhere to go but our room at that point. I would happily have sat in the bar and had another drink, but it wasn’t a huge deal.

After my second stint in the spa garden the next morning, I was more than ready for breakfasts. Hotel guests can order one main meal from the breakfast menu, and can have one hot drink and juice with it. We both really enjoyed the full English, which set us up perfectly for the day.

We couldn’t fault this as a luxury health club experience, and would love to go back and experience the facilities again.

For more information on staying at the club or to enquire about membership, see www.davidlloyd.co.uk/wickwoods