Hartsfield Manor submits planning application to become a ‘luxury hotel’

Plans have been submitted to redevelop Hartsfield Manor in Betchworth, Surrey, into a 69-key luxury hotel and spa retreat.

London-based architecture and design firm PLP Architecture completed its planning application on behalf of HB Devco to Mole Valley District Council, detailing proposals for a new event space, hotel extension, woodland lodges and treehouses.

Hartsfield Manor dates back to the 1860s and previously operated as a family home, a hospital for the Canadian Army during the Second World War, and a staff training college for Midland Bank. The hotel also starred in Apple TV’s hit television series, Slow Horses.

Today the property is set within 14 acres of Surrey countryside and offers 50 bedrooms, as well as a bar, restaurant, on-site gym and conference wing.

The planning application includes the removal of the 1970s and 1980s hotel extension to allow for a new, “low-profile” extension that follows the natural slope of the hotel’s grounds, equipped with additional guest rooms, suites and self-catering apartments.

Four new lodges, five treehouses and a new wellness pool, gym, treatment spaces and dedicated events building for weddings and conferences also form part of the plans.

PLP Architecture is in the process of conducting a tree survey to encourage habitat creation and biodiversity.

The building will be supported by ground-source heat pumps, rainwater management and the reuse of excavated materials.

Ron Bakker, founding partner at PLP Architecture, said: “The Hartsfield Manor project is defined by its extraordinary setting. As one of PLP’s first rural architectural projects, we embraced the natural undulations of the site, shaping new accommodation into the hillside to maximise views and deepen guests’ connection to the landscape. Later additions that diluted the manor’s presence were removed, and the new buildings, formed from local natural materials, are rooted firmly in the land.”

Sean Quinney, director of hotel asset management at Colliers International, which is acting as the client agent and asset manager for the hotel, added: “We are delighted to have been supporting the client through the recent acquisition of Hartsfield Manor and the ongoing management of the hotel whilst working with PLP and other specialists to support the design and submission of this exciting and unique scheme.”