Like most old country houses, Stifford Lodge (the most recent name of the property before it became a hotel) has undergone many alterations over the years.

There was a house on the site as early as 1327 when it was owned by Henry de Shirewell; it was probably of timber-frame construction. This medieval house seems to have been substantially rebuilt in brick, probably by the Kingsman family in the mid - 18th century.

When the trustees of Jasper and Ann Kingsman sold it to John Button in 1789, it was described as 'a capital mansion house with all requisite offices, gardens and meadow land'.

The Kingsman’s were major local landowners with property in several parishes which would have produced a substantial income in rents. The Buttons were another notable landowning family.

After John Button's death in 1806, Stifford Lodge was occupied by his son who was also called John and was presumably responsible for the early 19th century additions to the house. When this second John's wife died in 1830, he assumed her surname of Freeman. He lived at the lodge until his death in 1853 at the age 82.

John Freeman's daughter Elizabeth Frances inherited and retained the property until her death in 1868. The house then passed to her daughters who sold it to Mr Edmund W. Brooks in 1901.

Between 1860 and 1901 the owners were not resident and the house had been let to a series of tenants, these were: Arthur Wild, William Philip Beech, George H. Frank, William Fitzgerald Scott and Herbert Edmund Brooks. The last mentioned, Herbert Brooks, was prominent in local politics and was chairman of Essex County Council. The library fittings at the lodge are from his time.
In about 1926, the Brooks family moved out of Stifford Lodge for a short time and the house was let to some people who were quite a curiosity to the locals in those days. The new residents in the village were three Indian princes, who had been sent to England to be educated, and they were accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Putani. The Princes were Motabhai, who was educated at Harrow, and Nunabhai and Bapa, who went to Stanmore Park Preparatory School.

During their stay, they were allowed to play with certain village children who were thought to be 'suitable.' The boys only stayed in North Stifford for a few months and then moved on to another country house nearer to Harrow. Eventually, Motabhai became Governor of Bombay and Bapa became Prime Minister of Bhavnagar, but unfortunately it seems that Nunabhai must have 'gone off the rails' somewhat, as he was reported in the Times to have been arrested for banditry.

Herbert Brooks returned to the house but died in 1931 and his widow remained in residence until 1933. The house was then occupied by the Crossley family until 1939 when it was taken over by the War Department and became a Canadian military hospital. Temporary huts were erected for use as wards and these were dismantled at the end of the war around 1926, the Brooks family moved out of Stifford Lodge for a short time and the house was let to some people who were quite a curiosity to the locals in those days. The new residents in the village were three Indian princes, who had been sent to England to be educated, and they were accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Putani. The Princes were Motabhai, who was educated at Harrow, and Nunabhai and Bapa, who went to Stanmore Park Preparatory School.