Best places to Stay in Kent 2023
We have picked out some of our favourites to look out for for this summer
FUN BY NATURE
Elmley Nature Reserve has amazing accommodation and wild experiences you’ll never forget
Elmley is, at its heart, a family-run farm with a long-term vision to restore nature and a commitment to the sustainability of the landscape and land.
The reserve is a special place - 3,300 acres of wonderful wilderness and breath-taking beauty. Elmley has thoughtfully designed places to stay, from the iconic custom-made huts and cabins to the elegance of the 18th-century farmhouse.
From meadow and woodland bell tents to The Saltbox - a comfy shepherd’s hut with windows for walls offering views across the reserve and even an outdoor shower! - there is accommodation to suit everyone.
For those looking for a wellness experience, there is a menu of treatments in partnership with award-winning natural brands Votary and Verden.
Whether it’s an indulgent dinner after a dusk birdwatching tour, a hearty breakfast delivered to your shepherd’s hut door, or a vibrant feast to gather your guests together at Elmley Cottage – Elmley has something to tempt the palate.
The Elmley Kitchen offers a vibrant menu with ingredients sourced from innovative and sustainable local producers to ensure dishes are both memorable and seasonal.
The Cowshed Café offers simple lunches and refreshing all-day drinks, snacks and ice-creams, while the bar is on hand for a curated selection of drinks, bespoke cocktails and snacks to enjoy in peaceful surroundings. Stay in the café or take your order back to your accommodation - the choice is yours!
From amazing wildlife tours to discovering the secret beach, to hosting your wedding there, you won’t ever be bored.
Welcoming No.42
New GuestHouse hotel includes Pearly Cow restaurant and 360-degree rooftop bar
All-new Margate hotel No.42 by GuestHouse has announced that a rooftop bar, restaurant, lounge bar and café will await overnight guests (including kids and dogs), day visitors and locals alike when it opens in July.
The spaces have been designed by GuestHouse’s in-house interiors team, celebrating local creative talent, artists and makers while drawing inspiration from the colourful and unfading seaside character of the town.
The first food and beverage outlet of note is The Rooftop Bar at No.42 Margate overlooking the beach and set to become a coveted hangout in the centre of town.
Serving cocktails, sunsets, snacks and tunes from late March to late September (open from midday to late), it will be the largest rooftop in Margate, with a 360-degree view of the sea, Dreamland to the left and the Turner Contemporary to the right.
Guests can expect a menu comprising signature cocktails, local beers, superb wines and snacks and light bites to complement the views, including treats such as ‘build-your-own Smores’ with salted caramel, chocolate sauce and popping candy.
There’ll be a vibey atmosphere, with sets from local DJs and the buzz of the beachfront below. Rugs add cosiness year-round, with blankets and heaters providing added warmth on those cooler nights later in the season; hanging binoculars and a host of playful sea-themed design touches will complete this elevated rooftop experience.
Also joining the line-up at the heart of the hotel, on the high-street level is Pearly Cow, a restaurant that specialises in wild freshness for breakfast, lunch and dinner from Monday to Sunday.
Celebrating food on ice and food over flame – think sea-fresh seafood, slow-farmed meats and just-picked plants – Pearly Cow’s menu is devoted to all that thrives in the British Isles.
Signature dishes on the menu include salt-cod tacos, locally-sourced oysters and salt-aged-and-hung steaks plus a bespoke dish for Margate, a lobster roll made using locally-caught lobster that is then butter-poached and served in a homemade brioche roll with a lemon mayonnaise, celery and shallots.
On the same floor as Pearly Cow and sharing the space with the hotel’s reception is the Lounge Bar, an elegant spot to sink into with a glass of greatness, including Margate-inspired No.42 cocktails.
Beachside at No.42 there’s Field Trip, a daytime dedication to wholesomeness with a blend of treatment rooms and F&B offering. Open for beachgoers and hotel guests, Field Trip is a breakfast, lunch and just-because place, serving food that’s nutrient-rich and super-fresh to grab and go.
Field Trip’s interior design is playful and fresh, featuring a mosaic-walled entrance and recycled tiled flooring, complete with a mini outdoor seating area under the promenade. An ice-cream cart will provide a clever nod to the building’s former use and occupants and a selection of local ice-creams and flavourful boozy slushies will be available.
Inside, a large communal table will provide space for a programme of events, talks and masterclasses that tap into the ethos of Field Trip.
Beyond the quiet calm of Field Trip are the Field Trip Treatment Rooms, including one for shared rituals, where highly skilled therapists offer bespoke therapies and healing hands.
With their expertise in clinical massage therapy, a Field Trip treatment can alleviate tension, stress and discomfort and boost well-being, recovery, flexibility and mood - all using eco-luxury products.
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Woolton Farm
New pop-up dining events at The Barn and new accommodation
Woolton Farm in Bekesbourne, near Canterbury, the home of award-winning cider producer Kentish Pip, reopens for the 2023 summer season.
The hub of Woolton Farm, The Barn houses a bar, café and shop and events space in an original Kentish tithe barn dating back to the 14th century. Set in its own fruit garden with outdoor seating and kitchen, the vineyard, cidery and a host of accommodation options are a short walk away.
The outdoor kitchen is set to see some sizzling action, with brand-new pizza ovens installed to cook up freshly hand-stretched sourdough pizzas in a minute. Customers can choose from a core range of four or five staples, along with weekly specials and a selection of salads and sides. Like all good food, the quality ingredients speak for themselves. Vegan pizzas and gluten-free bases will also be available.
For those staying overnight or visiting in the morning, the breakfast menu will feature quality tea and coffee, freshly-baked pastries, bacon rolls with locally-sourced bacon and a fruit muesli breakfast bowl.
A new programme of pop-up dining experiences will feature food and wine matched courses from pairing experts Ramekins & Wine, plus one-off feasting evenings with guest chefs.
From 26-29 May, Woolton’s Spring Beer & Cider Festival will feature a big cider and beer wall, while there will be live music from local bands, food and craft stalls, face-painting and games. On 3 June, guests can celebrate World Cider Day at a free event with a limited-edition cider available to sample.
New for 2023, Woolton wine tours will commence regularly on Sundays, on selected dates, alongside the existing cider tours.
For those looking to extend their stay, Woolton Farm offers plenty of accommodation options, including three self-catered properties: The Oast and Old Tannery, which are on the Village Green in Littlebourne, and Ellen’s Cottage, which sits in the centre of the farm with a huge garden overlooking a wild meadow.
For glampers, Woolton offers eight bell tents, tucked away in a fruit garden behind the barn. The tents are well spaced along the back of the gardens, nestled in a row of cobnut trees with views into the fruit garden and on to the barn.
Just a stone’s throw from The Barn, dedicated campers can pitch their tents in Ellen’s Meadow for a budget-friendly outdoor escape.
Star Field Glamping & Camping
Located just outside the historic market town of Cranbrook, Star Field Glamping & Camping is a perfect retreat for anyone looking for a peaceful escape to unwind under the night sky.
The family-run site is based on a working farm with a countrystore, farmshop, and recently-opened café. As members of the Greener Camping Club, Star Field is focused on natural, greener camping and celebrates the unrefined habitat surrounding the site.
Despite its rural setting, watering holes are not far away, Larkins Alehouse, an award-winning micro-pub is a 20-minute walk away and is in good company with plenty of options for refuelling.
Glamping units include naked bell tents, luxury bell tents and safari tents. The naked bell tents are perfect for those wanting to dip their toes into glamping, keeping it budget friendly. Provided is a traditional bell tent, double bed, up to 2 futon beds if needed, a fire bowl and picnic bench. The unit also includes a private bathroom.
For a more glamorous stay and shorter packing list, you can opt for a luxury bell tent. This includes a more spacious lotus bell tent with a double bed, up to 2 futon beds if needed, plus bedding and extra furnishings. Luxury bell tents also include their own private bathroom, fire bowl and picnic bench as well as the addition of a kitchen, stocked with all the equipment you may need during your stay.
The ultimate family glamping units are the safari tents, sleeping up to 5, with 2 double beds and a bunk bed, including their bedding. The safari tent has a private bathroom, an indoor kitchen and living space as well as a picnic bench and fire bowl. The kitchen is stocked with all the equipment you may need during your stay.
Exclusive hire of the whole site is a popular option for glampers looking to make their celebration one to remember.
The Bear Necessities
Enjoy cosy cabins and wild neighbours in Bear Lodge at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve
Tucked away in a quiet corner of the Kent countryside yet just an hour from London, the 600-acre Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve near Folkestone is a hidden gem for animal-lovers.
The Reserve is home to more than 900 rare and endangered animals, 14 different ways to stay the night, three on-site restaurants and an authentic safari experience which transports guests across a unique 100-acre Kentish savannah. Seats on Port Lympne’s iconic truck safari are included with all overnight stays and day tickets. However, guests can choose to upgrade to a longer, more immersive Ranger-led safari or book an unforgettable animal experience, allowing them to get up close and perhaps even feed their favourite animals. As visitors explore the sprawling reserve, they will come face-to-face with species including gorillas, three different species of rhino, tigers, giraffe, zebra and many more.
Port Lympne’s overnight stays range from cosy cabins and treehouses to wildly popular luxury lodges and unique wigwams. Perfect for larger parties of up to 8 people, Port Lympne’s Bear Lodge glamping tents offer a great outdoors experience with wild neighbours – overlooking the enclosure for Kent’s only spectacled bears, Oberon and Rina. Complete with a cosy living space and log burner the lodges, perched on the hilltop, provide the perfect base in the Kentish savannah, with a touch of rustic charm. After your day’s adventure enjoy some homecooked, family favourites at the Bear Lodge Restaurant, toast marshmallows around the warming firepit, and then retreat to your lodge for a night under canvas.
Whichever way you choose to stay, Port Lympne promises a wonderfully wild experience.
Albion Vibes
The Albion House Hotel in Ramsgate continues to be one of the best boutique hotels in Kent
Built in 1792, the history of Albion House in Ramsgate is rich and colourful. Those who have stayed in the magnificent bedrooms even include Princess Victoria shortly before she was crowned Queen.
The many original features of this magnificent have been maintained or restored during the sensitive 2014 refurbishment and the return of the luxurious Albion House to all its majesty has seen the introduction of Italian Carrara marble bathrooms, renewed sash windows, exquisite furnishings and the original cornices remoulded and replaced.
From the accessible room in the lower ground floor through to the cosy rooms in the eaves of the house, there are 14 rooms of all shapes and sizes, 12 of which have direct sea views.
The clifftop location of Albion House affords it an incredible vantage point over the beach, a view that stretches right down to the Royal Harbour. Meanwhile, the modern Dining Rooms - which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner - they offer an exceptional menu harvesting the best local produce from right here in Kent - fish comes from Fruits De Mer in Broadstairs (often it is landed in the harbour in front of the hotel!), the meat comes from Chef & Butcher in Broadstairs, bread from Viking Bakehouse in Ramsgate.
You’d be hard pressed to find a better view in Ramsgate than the bar and the Georgian lounge, which is ideal for supping cocktails before, during and after sunset. In summer, look out for their House music Sunday sessions. They are becoming a little bit legendary.
CHEGWORTH MILL
Chegworth Mill Glamping sits in a small hamlet in the valley of Chegworth, on the boundary of Ulcombe and Harrietsham. It was formally part of The Leeds Castle Estate and in recent years the farm has worked hard to reclaim the mill pond, River Len, woodland and fields from their once-neglected state, transforming them into a beautiful, relaxing and welcoming place.
The small glamping site nestles in the top grass field next to one of the orchards and each of the nomadic yurts has been named to reflect the types of apples being grown there. From this elevated site, stunning views of the Kent countryside can be enjoyed.
An excellent location and transport links are ideally suited to short stopovers for those travelling to and from Europe, London and the Kent coast. For the more adventurous and longer-staying guests, there are many local attractions including neighbouring Leeds Castle, Go Ape, segway tours and a selection of village pubs and restaurants.
