It's Open Sesame

It's Open Sesame: West Sussex

You've got the best of all worlds with a stay at this contemporary villa perched in the pretty West Sussex village of Steyning. Choose from the mighty South Downs for bracing walks. The sweeping Sussex coastline for beach days (a ten-minute drive). Chase the bright lights down to Brighton Town (a twenty-minute drive). Or keep things local with an amble around the independent boutiques and lazy brunch spots in the village (a ten-minute stroll away).

Back at home, designer touches are everywhere – from the cool, polished concrete flooring to those ginormous bi-fold doors opening out onto the manicured lawns and private swimming pool that's heated all year round. A garden for all seasons, there are patio heaters, a barbecue, and a fire pit on the terrace to turn up the heat. Meanwhile, kids will love the sunken trampoline to burn off some energy (if you can ever tempt them away from that pool).

When it's time to retreat indoors, get together around the vast dining table for a cook-up - there's everything you need in the immaculate kitchen. Crash out with movie nights in the cool, cavernous-esque living area (there's Sky at the ready). Or sneak away upstairs to the main bedroom's private balcony with a good book – the views over the Downs are quite something.

Home truths:
*You will be greeted by the hosts and given a key on arrival
*This home sleeps ten with the last two guests sleeping on sofa beds in the snug area off the lounge area which is curtained off to create a private space
*Three of the bedrooms and a spacious family bathroom are located on the ground floor and the main bedroom is located upstairs
*You’ll have your own private driveway with space to park up to four cars
*This is a family house in a residential area - under no circumstances is the pool to be used after 10pm midweek and 11:30pm weekends
*The host asks that no shoes should be worn in the house
*There’s laptop-friendly spaces for remote working here