A HOTEL says it is losing up to £20,000 a day after it was forced to close following the recent storms.

Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club in Forest Row say they feel “let down hugely” by South East Water after the sites water supply was cut off on Friday, February 18.

The sites 106 bedrooms, two restaurants, afternoon tea service, spa and treatment rooms have been forced to close as a result.

General manager Ben Booker said the hotel are “simply unable to deliver acceptable levels of service without running water”.

“We have since lost between £15,000 and £20,000 daily - a combination of loss of accommodation, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner income, plus spa day and treatment revenue,” he said. “The resulting compensation to Saturday night’s guests alone was in the region of £15,000.

“That is a huge amount of lost income, especially when our running costs continue to mount.”

Mr Booker said South East Water’s lack of communication has been “pitiful and shambolic”.

“We have only been able speak to call handlers. Despite numerous attempts to speak with a senior manager, no-one has been available, and no-one has returned our calls,” he said.

“To add insult to injury, South East Water did not even deliver bottled water to the hotel until late Sunday night - two days after the supply was cut off.”

The Argus: ‘South East Water has let us down’ – hotel losing £20,000 a day amid closure after storm ‘South East Water has let us down’ – hotel losing £20,000 a day amid closure after storm

Mr Booker said there is around 40 members of staff living on site, who have also been without water since Friday.

“This is a significant inconvenience to everyone and, naturally, we still have to pay our staff despite the fact that they cannot work,” he said.

“I cannot overstate the damage that this lack of a basic water supply is causing to our business – made worse, of course, by coming immediately on top of the dreadful Covid pandemic.

“Even when the water supply is restored, I estimate that it will take at least 24 hours to get the hotel operational again. We have crockery, cutlery and glassware to clean and polish, linen and towels to wash, iron and distribute, and every bedroom will need to be re-serviced.

“Our losses continue to mount, and we continue to disappoint guests who were due to visit. It is frankly untenable.

“We need urgent action by South East Water to enable the hotel to re-open as quickly as possible.”

South East Water has been approached for comment.

Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club is set within 186 acres of landscaped gardens.

The listed 19th century mansion is positioned in the heart of Ashdown Forest.