Having a husband obsessed with trains, railways and the underground actually makes it relatively easy to buy him birthday/Christmas/anniversary/surprise presents.
So imagine my face when I Googled 'train hotel uk' and this beauty came up!
So, even if you're not a big train geek, you can't but help appreciate the amazingness of The Old Railway Station hotel. Originally Petworth railway station, the main building was built in 1892, and along with the old railway coaches, have been restored to hotel quality.
Oh, and the train coaches aren't just any old cars... they're Pullman, which historically were the most luxurious train coaches on the entire network (the first Pullman was used in 1874!)
We stayed in Flora 1 (above), a beauty of a train carriage. She was all dark wood, gold hardware and Titanic-esque details. You can, however, also stay in the main station house, which might have a tiny bit more space - you can imagine there isn't endless room in a converted train carriage to hotel room.
Unlike 'normal' hotels - as in, bricks and mortar - there isn't loads to do at The Old Railway Station. There's LOTS to look at though, almost museum-like. The old station ticket windows are still in tact, the library is fascinating and the afternoon tea is... delicious!
You eat everything in the main room of the old station house, above and below.
Petworth, in West Sussex, is a cute little town that deserves a walk round. The hotel is adjacent to the River Rother, and at the end of the road is a lovely pub, Badgers, that we happily drank at the night we stayed. There isn't a bar at The Old Railway Station, but Badgers is a 2 minute walk away.
You can stay in the Station House from £100, and in a Pullman from £120, including breakfast. If you do have a free weekend, go and book... it's such a gorgeous, fun, nostalgic (I'm not that old, no, but you get the point) little hotel, and for train obsessives, it's a MUST!