I'm completely besotted by this place. I took my beloved here for a weekend away last Easter. A bizarre choice perhaps, since Margate is more known for being Tracey Emin's old stomping ground than an ideal locale for a romantic mucky weekend, but one which I ended up being smitten by.
Stepping into the Walpole Bay is like being transported back in time. Other reviews I read online before booking said it looked like a museum, which it does. It's even got a museum inside it, charting the hotel's history and famous former guests.
There's an opulent dining room with twenties-style décor, an antique cage lift, a grandiose ballroom and a gentleman's lounge. Have afternoon tea and scones on a Sunday, and then retire to your tiny sea-front balcony to sun yourself and watch the bowling on the green in front of the hotel, venture outside for a stroll along the beach and then come back and collapse in the amazing antique four-poster beds. Very sedate and civilised- this isn't a place to come if you want a hardcore party, but if you want to relax and hide from the fast-paced capital, it's heaven.
The Bishop family, who run the hotel, are fab at their jobs, and it shows. Friendly, personal service, including checking train times home for us, booking us taxis and even arranging alternative veggie menu options for my fussy beau when the one they had listed wasn't quite his cup of tea. The only thing to note is how quiet the hotel was when we stayed - and the lack of other restaurants nearby - when I was there, we ate in the hotel dining room both nights, and stayed in the bar gabbing and drinking on our lonesomes until the early hours. Since I'm antisocial at the best of times (and felt like the lady of the manor having the entire bar to myself), this was fine by me - but for others who need a bit more of a 'buzz' it might be disappointing.
Another plus is the price. When I stayed it was only £70/night for a double room, which I would happily pay again. There aren't many other hotels of the same calibre in Margate (which is why any celebs that come to perform at the nearby Winter Gardens venue usually end up staying here, as evidenced by the collages of famous faces in picture-frames in the downstairs lounge!), and with that in mind they could get away with a much higher price tag, so it's even more admirable that they keep the rates reasonable. read more