Surrey Hotel Review: Inside The Georgian, a clubhouse with rooms just an hour’s drive from London

Drive out of London and it’s always a surprise how quickly the suburbs merge into a much more pleasant landscape.

Roads open into fields and woods, pass through small towns and give a fleeting snapshot – a historic pub, the thriving high street, footpaths in every direction – of how wonderful it must be to live there.

Haslemere is one such place. Just over an hour’s drive from London, with the Surrey Hills to the north and South Downs National Park to the south, it’s a pretty Georgian town of half-timbered and tiled cottages, served by a parade of independent shops and lively outdoor cafes.

Community seems to be at the heart of Haslemere’s The Georgian, one of a small, independent chain of 12 Coppa clubs, mainly based in (or within easy reach of) London, and all membership-free.

Each room is designed as a convivial space for eating, drinking and participating in organized activities ranging from paddleboarding to mindful drawing. Three of the clubs also have rooms and The Georgian is the newest.

The hotel is a striking monumental building in the main street. As we enter the hotel, up the stairs and through the colonnaded veranda, the double-height hall with its wide wooden staircase literally makes a grand entrance.

But when you reach the lounge (filled with light velvet sofas) and walk past cozy snugs dotted with plants, roaring fires and arm-resting armchairs, the feel becomes modern and welcoming.

There are 12 rooms upstairs (the ones facing the street are quite noisy), with an accessible 13th on the ground floor near the car park.

Ranging in size from compact to large, rooms are simple but well-appointed in a soothing Georgian color palette of duck-egg blue walls with oatmeal accents.

We are in room 12, which has a large wooden desk, computer ports on both sides of the comfortable super-king size bed and good coffee. There is no bath, but there is an excellent rain shower.

The hotel’s rooms are simple but well-decorated in a soothing Georgian color palette of duck-egg blue walls with oatmeal accents, reveals Jennifer

Jennifer says sitting at the table in the dining room is “like eating in a stylish terrarium.” The hotel also features a large terrace and garden

Downstairs we join a crowd of locals at the bar before entering the restaurant, the glass doors open to a large terrace and garden. The room is a botanical delight: the ceiling is an airy lattice of skylights with funky geometric hues and plants, it’s like eating in a stylish terrarium.

All Coppa clubs offer the same menu of seasonal, healthy dishes (though possibly not the truffle and pecorino fries).

The ribeye steak with porcini mushroom sauce was impressive, while grilled trout on a bed of spiced freekeh was both virtuous and delicious, so no shame in brushing off the chocolate cake, sticky toffee pudding and creme brulee ‘pudding plate’ combination.

The next morning, after a breakfast of smashed avocado on sourdough toast and a full English, with fresh juice and a good shot of coffee, we cross the road straight onto the Serpent Trail.

This is a glorious 104 mile footpath through rare moors and meadows, meandering from Haslemere to Petersfield.

We explore a wooded area where we are serenaded by singers, before returning via the award-winning Blackdown Ridge winery.

If you think Haslemere sounds like the perfect location for a weekend getaway, join the club.