Walpole Bay Hotel

South East England Kent Margate

  • From £85 a night
  • 33 Guest Rooms
  • Boutique Hotel

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Sitting proud upon the Cliftonville cliffs, the Edwardian Walpole Bay Hotel, Margate’s fading yet feisty grande dame is an undeniably quirky place to stay. The rooms, ranged across a number of floors reached by a clanky old 1920s lift, are all very different. A family-owned business, and a labour of love, with not a shred of corporate glitz or high-concept glamour, there is top be sure a certain amount of wear and tear throughout, but the rooms at the top especially are lovely, with spectacular sea views, and it's no surprise, maybe, that local girl Tracey Emin chose this lovably eccentric spot to host a number of her birthday parties, or that in younger years she’d frequently hole up here for girls’ weekends – the Walpole has that offbeat warmth that typifies this up-and-coming (but not gentrified), arty (but not hipster) little seaside town. Even if you haven’t booked a room it’s worth asking if you can nose around its "living museum”: historical memorabilia is spread throughout the entire building, but the bulk of the main exhibits cram the corridors of the second floor.  Here you can see original fixtures and fittings, ageing photos of Margate and the Thanet resorts, costumes, fossils, cheese dishes and sewing machines; one cupboard is filled with old hats, while a scullery is full of vintage kitchen equipment– something, truly, for everyone. The first floor, meanwhile, features a napery gallery, on which artists from complete amateurs to big names like Martin Parr have decorated the hotel’s linen napkins with photos, poems or paintings, many of them singing the praises of the Walpole itself. Once you’ve seen the exhibits, enjoy a cream tea in the Edwardian dining room, a typically eccentric combination of pot plants, starched gentility and Emin artworks, or on the terrace. Whether you’re joined by local artists or little old ladies, or more likely a combination of both, you’ll be enjoying a quintessentially eccentric Margate moment.

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Details

Open

Open all year.

Pricing

Double rooms £85–£115.

Location

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Features

  • Bar
  • Family Rooms
  • Restaurant
  • Wifi

Looking For...

  • Rural Retreat
  • Something Different

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What Customers say about Cool Places

Everything I needed for a stay

I'm already looking forward to going again and would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting the area. It definitely deserves a five star rating!

Nathan, Verified Customer

6 out of 5!!!!

This place was amazing… I could not recommend this place enough, I’ll be singing their praise for many years to come and we are going to book again soon.

Barbara, Verified Customer

Easy to navigate

Great site that offers a really broad range of places to stay across the UK. Easy to navigate and book holidays.

Patrick, Verified Customer

Such a great variety of properties

Found this website when looking to book a staycation for later in the year. Such a great variety of properties and the website is really easy to use. Already shared with my family and friends.

CT, Verified Customer

Great, simple, straightforward

Great, simple and straightforward. I will definitely be using Cool Places again.

SM, Verified Customer