Walpole Bay Hotel

Location: Fifth Avenue Margate, Margate, gb

Star Rating: 3 Stars

Property Type: Hotels

About this Property

Policies

Check-in: 02:00 PM - 09:00 PM

Check-out: 11:00 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Offsite parking discounted rates available
• Parking
• Non-smoking rooms
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Terrace
• Family rooms
• Pets allowed
• Luggage storage
• Non-smoking throughout
• Shared lounge/TV area
• Cashless payment available
• Food delivered to guest room
• Front desk (limited hours)
• Billiards or pool table
• Free wired internet
• Offsite parking discounted rates available
• Internet access
• Reception hall
• Beach toys

Rooms Available

• Double Room with Private Bathroom

  The double room provides a tea and coffee maker. The unit offers 1 bed.

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • Hair dryer

• Triple Room

  The triple room offers a tea and coffee maker. The unit has 3 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 4 (3 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • Hair dryer

• Standard Triple Room

  The triple room offers a tea and coffee maker. The unit offers 3 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 4 (3 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • Hair dryer

• Double Room with Private Bathroom

  The double room provides a tea and coffee maker and a balcony. The unit offers 1 bed.

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Hair dryer

• Superior Double Room

  The double room provides a tea and coffee maker. The unit offers 1 bed.

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • Hair dryer

• Double Room with Private Bathroom

  The double room offers a tea and coffee maker. The unit offers 1 bed.

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Hair dryer

• One-Bedroom Suite

  The unit has 1 bed.

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Private bathroom

• Family Room

  The family room features a tea and coffee maker. The unit has 2 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 3 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • Hair dryer

• Family Room

  The family room provides a tea and coffee maker. The unit offers 3 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 4 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • Hair dryer

• Twin Room with Private Bathroom

  The twin room offers a tea and coffee maker. The unit has 2 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • Hair dryer

Guest Reviews

• Gail (5/5): I was very unwell and ended up at A&E which didn’t enhance my opinion of Margate but it was nice to get back to the - Location was good for us Not really our cup of tea but understand the idea and why some would like it. A bit like visiting my grandparents house 40 years ago. Breakfast was ok but the bread and pastries were not great. Hot water wasn’t hot enough for a bath.
• Joanne (10/5): - Very quirky, staff were lovely, great location, excellent breakfast, a totally great experience! The vinyl room needs some love!
• Amanda (9/5): Great for a stay in Margate. - Perfect location. Very friendly staff. Clean comfortable rooms and great breakfast too
• Marius (10/5): Ein wirklich besonderes Hotel mit Geschichte und Charakter - Wunderschönes, authentisches Hotel mit Geschichts Die Zimmerausstattung ist bei so einem alten Hotel nicht auf dem neuesten Stand. Das sollte man vorher wissen, ist aber dann eher charmant als störend.
• Ruth (10/5): - Breakfast selection excellent. Continental for me - lovely fresh fruit and fresh pastries, full English for my husband, all good. Maybe enforce the rules about dogs more rigidly. Don't like to see dogs on furniture.
• Elida (10/5): Unforgettable stay in an unforgettable place. - The location is the kind of place you want to linger in instead of just coming and going to sleep off the journey. The building is incredibly beautiful and rich with history—the 1927 otis elevator alone is worth it. In the morning they served up a lovely hot breakfast in the most beautiful hall that had drawings and memorabilia of past travellers, including Margate local Tracy Emin. Really worth the trip! I'd like to go back just to stay again.
• Sally (10/5): Lovely stay , beautiful hotel - Excellent property Period features
• Nigel (9/5): -
• Anne (10/5): An exceptional hotel experience - Huge breakfast, chatting with Jane, the owner, the hotel's museums, the artwork and the bar area. n/a
• Snigdh (10/5): -
• Leigh (8/5): Unique and quirky - The uniqueness of the decor. Extremely friendly helpful staff. Expensive drinks. The shower was tricky and the room decor was 'tired' and could do with a refresh.
• Saxena (9/5): Amazing! Will surely come back. - Great staff, such a kid friendly place and so pretty. Water pressure in upper floors and beds
• natasha (10/5): - The service was outstanding especially around dealing with kids
• Benedetta (5/5): Unique hotel we were glad to visit but not coming back - Unique hotel, quirky and fully of character. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The room was so dusty we struggled to stay inside and sleep. The window was impossible to open due to the colony of pigeons outside sitting by the window.
• KimT (10/5): - Fantastic staff
• Bowater (10/5): A really comfortable stay in a fabulously quirky hotel with super, friendly staff. - Loved the ambience of the hotel. There was so much of interest to view, every corner we turned we found another interesting exhibit. We loved the period furniture in the rooms and really enjoyed having tea on the veranda with the beautiful china. The lovely owner Jane took the trouble to chat with us at breakfast, she had so many fascinating anecdotes it was a real pleasure to listen to her. I can’t wait to come back. There wasn’t anything we didn’t like.
• Andy Burrows (8/5): Good base for a short break - in our case helped by a run of good weather. - Older hotel building with a great deal of character. Friendly staff, ample on-street parking nearby. It's slightly out of the main town area - but is also very peaceful..
• Stuart (10/5): Step back in time to the quintessential British seaside experience - The quintessential British hotel. Totally refreshing Last of a dying breed. Highly recommended. It’s quirky and interesting and we absolutely loved it. The staff are so friendly. The breakfast was delicious. Margate itself is really up and coming. Nothing
• ELLEN (9/5): Lovely and warm room, unique experience. Great breakfast and friendly staff. - Lovely and warm room, unique experience. Great breakfast and friendly staff.
• vanessa (10/5): A lovely stay, really enjoyed it, very interesting & unusual, lovely staff. - Loved the museum & artifacts Our bed want the most comfortable
• Greta (8/5): Have been before just for coffee twice so it was lovely to stay in this quirky but lovely hotel. - Really nice breakfast . Had run out of croissants on first morning so the owner organised some more fresh ones to be brought which was nice of her . Great location. Staff really friendly . My dog was very happy and welcome . Room had recently been painted so we couldn’t open the windows as must have been painted shut. Could open bathroom one though so that sufficed. Could do with more coffee sachets left in room as 2 were never enough . Always gave more at reception when asked though . Pillows not necessarily that comfy . Very very warm in bar area where we sat for breakfast as had a dog !
• Andrew (8/5): Kooky in a good way. 80% Miss Marple, 20% Miss Tibbs and Miss Gatsby -
• Josie (9/5): Overall a great stay in a wonderful historic property. - A great step back in history. Loved the feel of the place. Bad pillows and shower.
• Palmer (8/5): -
• Clara Pierfranca (8/5): -
• julian (10/5): Came down for the Easter Saturday for one night, we had a dog which is great to be able to stay in hotel rather than fin - Very quaint old fashioned lovely hotel Nothing
• Tony (10/5): -
• Hubertus (10/5): A hotel with great style - We received a welcoming reception, staff was friendly and explained everything nicely. The afternoon tee was amazing with Victoria sponge cake, lemon cake, scone, and cucumber, salmon, egg and ham sandwiches. There was live piano music for tea. The room had sea view. The bar keeper was helpful, knowledgeable, patient and professional. Breakfast was good.
• Penelope (9/5): Surrounded with a sense of history everywhere you look with their amazing collections. - The sense of history everywhere. They even have little museum which prompted memories of one’s own youth. The staff were all incredibly warm, friendly and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble. The only criticism is the the toilet in our en-suite bathroom didn’t flush as well as it might have done. Basically it couldn’t flush the toilet paper away in one flush. It then took some time to refill before one could make a second flush.
• Lee (8/5): - Loved the history and the view. Can't understand why they don't have an evening menu. We went online before booking and found an evening meal menu!!!!
• Jessica (10/5): -
• sylvia (10/5): I had a lovely experience - This is an exceptionally unique hotel and very quirky but amazing....the staff were so friendly and helpful...it was a joy to stay there. Can't think of anything
• Steven (9/5): -
• Andrew (9/5): Fantastic and fabulous stay … Would definately come here again! - The vintage feel and museum items … The Staff and the owner Jane were just fabulous to spend time with. Nothing.
• Martin (9/5): I will be back. 😊 - It’s very qwerty spotlessly clean. Nothing.
• Richard (7/5): -
• vincent (10/5): - Really nice, enjoyed everything Enjoyed everything about the hotel
• Kim (10/5): -
• Jane (10/5): -
• Mike (10/5): Excellent - Fantastic breakfast No evening food available
• stephen (8/5): -
• Elaine (9/5): -
• Marie (10/5): -
• Ned (10/5): - Delightful hotel! Loved the 1920s lift
• STEPHEN CHARLES (8/5): -
• Richard (6/5): A good place for a quirky stay - The hotel is in a good location right by the sea. Breakfast was excellent with a good choice of options. The hotel is quirky with lots of interesting vintage artifacts. The basement room has a record player which you can play the hotels collection on, or bring your own. The hotel feels like it could do with a bit of TLC. The rooms, are quite old fashioned and tired. The bath tap dripped, the toilet cistern leaked and the floorboards creaked.
• Kerry (6/5): - Quirky Bed too small for a couple and too much bedding. Prefer a duvet
• steve (9/5): - Great breakfast, great location, great atmosphere and very interesting museum and napery Could have been a bit less draughty in the bedroom
• Franz-Josef (9/5): Eine schöne Lage in einem historischen Hotel. - Gutes Frühstück
• Simonie (8/5): Very unusual hotel - Eccentric hotel with museum exhibits. Lovely staff and good location for swimming in tidal pool and walk to town. Great breakfast and tea on terrace. Noisy overhead guests or maybe staff woke me at 5 am.
• Nancy (9/5): Amazing iedere keer weer!! - Het hotel is geweldig!! De locatie is fab en zo leuk dat de eigenaresse met blauw haar😍je in de ochtend bij het ontbijt komt begroeten!! Wij komen zeker weer terug!! Niets
• Michael (10/5): Wonderful, a place where we were made to feel like we were treated like family. We were given an immediate room upgrade - Quirky, with lots of character. The colourful flowers outside the front of the hotel, were stunning and welcoming. Breakfast was perfect with freshly cooked food which was tasty, filling and and an example of what a full English breakfast should be - yummy 😋 We loved the proprietor Jane Bishop, what a lovely, lovely lady. All hotel staff were friendly, helpful and we could see they knew their roles perfectly. This is THE must-stay hotel in East Kent !!! The tweaking of mixer taps for a shower, was a bit time consuming. Some unsavoury people and car racers in the evenings down the end of the road, where we wanted to take an evening walk (not an issue of the hotel just a reflection of today’s society).
• sasha (4/5): Better to go and visit than stay here. £174 for a room is cheeky. - Lovely terrace outside. A beautiful old 1927 lift. The plumbing is terrible - our shower was like a tap and the toilet didn’t flush. The bed was small and uncomfortable. The hotel is on the face of it quirky and charming but actually the rooms and facilities are in dire need of renovation. Breakfast was terrible - like something out of the 1970s with stagnant food in hot plates, stewed filter coffee and boxes of weetabix and cornflakes. The hotel may be old but there is no excuse for dreadful food!
• A name (10/5): I adore this hotel it’s so original n unique I won’t stay k. No other hotels whirlpool bay hotel is the best - It’s such a beautiful hotel rooms n food n museum are awsome n such a pleasure seeing all the original paintings etc in gallery i treasure this hotel
• Mark (10/5): It’s a great place to stay, food was excellent and staff were great and always ready to help you - Every thing felt right Nothing wrong with the property, it’s a little gem of history
• Dina (10/5): -
• Harvey (9/5): Quirky individualistic period hotel with great staff and amazing views and a good breakfast - Quirky individualistic period hotel with great staff and amazing views.
• Richard Vickers (8/5): -
• Alan (9/5): Great - Everything was fine, food, bedroom and staff. Nothing
• Margaret (7/5): Different and Interesting. - A very different interesting hotel. Bearing in mind this is an iconic old hotel that is a permanent project to keep it going in the classic style. It has so many original features that are being maintained. Some of our bedroom furniture was a bit rickety, but nothing that caused us a problem. All in all a good couple of nights stay. The staff are all excellent, friendly and helpful. Parking is either in the road or a nearby car park. The “Museum “ is all round the hotel corridors. Quirky and interesting. A ride in the 1927 original lift is a must experience. Nb there is a sea water swimming pool nearby on the beach. Some of the old furniture could do with renovating
• sheryl (10/5): -
• Christopher (7/5): -
• M.A. (10/5): Charming stay in Margate - The Walpole Bay Hotel is a most charming property. You can feel its history in every room, all so full of character. The room had a great view over the bay, a comfortable bed and a large bathroom. Breakfast was nourishing and enhanced by the company of the owner Jane who made sure every morning we were all looked after and shared her sunny energy. It is such a unique place that staying at the Walpole Bay Hotel alone is worth a trip to Margate!
• Elaine (7/5): Loved it. - Breakfast was great. Our iron framed bed was really really noisy and woke us up every time we turned over.
• Alex (10/5): The Walpole Bay Hotel IS Margate - Buying into a piece of Margate culture rather than something 'trendy'; The scrambled eggs which were the best you will get in a buffet breakfast; The lovely dining room at breakfast and the gorgeous terrace which was perfect for a g&t at sunset; The lovely September light coming into my room in the morning. The sea-view; simple parking. Nothing
• Alison (9/5): Stayed while going to a gig at Dreamland. Nice walk to the town, easy free parking outside the hotel and really lovely s - It was quirky and the breakfast was great particularly the scrambled eggs. The veranda was a treat to see and sit on Too much clutter for my liking, I think it could be thinned out and still keep its quirkiness
• Craig (9/5): Very nice Edwardian hotel with oodles of original character. - Lots of character in this Edwardian hotel. Quirky if you're on the musuem floor and arty if you're on the first floor but do visit the others. Quiet location and as close to the seawater pool as you can stay, it makes a great location and just a wee bit out of town but still walking distance. The night porter was rushed off his feet as a crowd of us from the Texas concert all came in about the same time; I did feel sorry for him but he gave people key's and drinks; he was a start. Breakfast was excellent. Room was a tad hot (it was Summer) and being a original hotel there's no air-con, only next morning did we find out there were fans in the wardrobe.
• Shakya (8/5): Very good stay. All of us enjoyed our family weekend holiday - We liked the hotel being next to sea and Lido where the whole family enjoyed swimming on Saturday morning. Staff were very friendly and pleasant and breakfast was excellent. Many of our party including our grandsons enjoyed playing snooker located in the basement. It would be nice if hotel has provision for evening meal, dinner.
• Détours (4/5): -
• kathryn (8/5): Friendly and Interesting historic hotel - Lovely friendly welcoming staff, brilliant location, interesting building which is well preserved. The room was very warm - east facing
• Mclean (6/5): - Breakfast excellent Evening meal not available Bedside carpet turning up at the ends trip hazard Bedside table sticky to hand Wooden headboard sticky to hand Mattress requires replacing
• Lucy (4/5): Beautiful place but too hot!! - Beautiful historic property so much history and the breakfast was amazing! The staff and owner were also lovely too :) Room too small with window that was incredibly difficult to open and just generally cramped and over heating
• Mathew (9/5): Something a little bit different - We booked last minute and in a hurry so didn't know what to expect from this hotel, the Walpole Bay Hotel was delightfully stepping back in time, in terms of decor and service. We were very pleasantly surprised with this unique and characterful hotel and had a wonderful, warm & informative greeting from the receptionist who was truly lovely. The hotel is in an excellent position within the town and close to the beautiful beach, we enjoyed the walk along to the town's main facilities. We only wish we could have stayed longer to visit all of the hotel's quirky features and to have an afternoon tea on the verandah. I was disappointed by the £20 a night charge for our dog, he's immaculately well behaved, clean and doesn't drop hair. I thought this was a bit steep and certainly wouldn't have been happy to have paid that fee for every night had we been able to stay longer. I feel a deposit in case of accidents scheme would be fairer.
• nicola (10/5): -
• Daisy (8/5): Relaxed and friendly place with great views of the sea - Great location Tidy and clean Friendly Na
• Abigail (6/5): Unique Hotel, but probably will not stay again due to personal experience. - We loved the beautiful decor outside, the reception, and the bar were beautifully curated. The original 1927 lift was brilliant. Breakfast was wonderful, amazing selection of food, and could eat as little or as much as you liked. Staff were wonderful and very attentive. Jane came to visit all the guests in the morning at breakfast to make sure everyone was happy, which was kind and shows her passion for the hotel. We had a few issues with our room. There were no blinds in the window, and it was east facing, so as the sun was rising, the light came shining directly onto our bed, which ultimately woke us up. We resorted to making makeshift eye masks out of socks to attempt to get back to sleep, but then came the next issue, which was the heat of the sun, which basked the room in an unbearable warmth so by the time it we were to go for breakfast at 9am we were sweaty, and dehydrated. As soon as we began to descend down our hallway, the air was cooler and we realised that the hotel itself wasn’t overheating (despite its age) it was simply just the position of our room. We informed the staff of the warmth in the room and we were given some fans, however the heat from the sun remained trapped in the room all day despite the windows been cracked open, so even when we returned to the room later in the day, it remained stagnant and humid. I suppose the only way to overcome this issue would be to fix blinds to reduce the sun rays penetrating the room early Morning, and possibly invest in better quality fans to draw the cool sea air in. I suppose if we were going to be honest, we found the “museum” curation slightly chaotic and disorganised. We were hoping for history of the Walpole hotel to be the main focus, but it unfortunately felt more like an eccentric antique collection. Many of the items were piled on top of each other without any explanation of their historical significance, dates of manufacturing, or relevance. For example the small side rooms, one in particular full of old carpet sweepers/Hoovers, left us feeling uneasy and confused as to their purpose within the hotel and the museum. As previously said, the front of the hotel is beautifully presented with floral and botanical displays, the hotel reception was fascinating, as well as the bar, but other areas of the hotel were lacking in charm, and could be perceived as run down, and a bit eerie.
• Marion (7/5): -
• Gary (9/5): Absolutely loved and will stay here again. - Lovely hotel, fantastic staff.
• Dominyka Ema (8/5): -
• Keith (8/5): - Lively quaint hotel great breakfast and friendly staff Nothing except being a longish walk into town centre
• Alyssa (8/5): -
• Romano (8/5): Walpole Bay Hotel - A mix of history and hotel It was a bit far from the town centre
• Louise (9/5): -
• David (7/5): unusual hotel but not unpleasant - nice hotel but very eccentric and a walk from margate proper
• Caroline (10/5): Would definitely recommend a visit, this hotel is very unique, well worth a visit but allow time to look around. Good lo - Such a quirky hotel, the staff were fantastic very helpful.
• Martine (10/5): - Excellent petit déjeuner Dommage qu’il n’y ait pas de restaurant le soir à l’hôtel
• Marisa (10/5): Timeless charm mixing nostalgia with contemporary art. - Walpole Bay is a one of kind unique arty hotel where real staff that are passionate about the hotel offer a warm and friendly reception. The hotel is full of art and antiques and blends vintage and traditional English hotel style and atmosphere with contemporary art works. There’s no where else like it! It uniquely works for a weekend with your mum - a perfect mix of old and new and a great cream tea. They don’t offer a dinner service - it would be lovely if you could eat dinner there in the style of the hotel.
• Simon (9/5): - The friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. All good.
• Gavin (9/5): Great Hotel - The hotel is genuinely amazing. So much history laid out, really captivating. The lift is almost 100 years old, an attraction in itself. The staff were super helpful and the breakfast was very good. We traveled with our dog and the rooms were big enough that all of us were comfortable. Definitely worth a visit! The shower never got hot, so I had to use the bath.
• Denise (10/5): ENJOYED MAKING MORE MEMORIES. - LOCATION WAS GOOD. BREAFAST & STAFF WAS EXCEPTIONALL. EVERY THING ABOUT THE HOTEL STAFF FRIENDLY & HELPFUL. TOLD STAFF OUR ANNIVERSARY WAS UPGRADED. DOWNSIDE COULD NOT HAVE EVENING MEAL. EVEN THOUGH ADVERTISED YOU HAD RESTAURANT. WENT OUT FOR MEAL & FINISHED BY HAVING A RELAXING EVENING IN HOTEL BAR.
• Amanda (7/5): Comfortable bedroom in a quirky vintage building with sea views. - Great sea views from the balconies on the 3rd floor. The classic original 1927 trellis-gated lift is quite an experience. There are masses of flowering plants in the verandah where you can have breakfast and there's a genuine atmosphere of an original 1920s building. Very low pressure in the en-suite shower.
• abdulaziz (6/5): - not bad yes
• Thomas (5/5): Drastically needs renovation - We were greeted pleasantly at check in and picked up our keys a few hours before check in time. The staff were nice to us throughout the stay. Close to the sea and sea pool was convenient. The hotel is a bit stuffy, the crowded hallways with artefacts and historical items make it feel a bit claustrophobic and there is a musky smell. The 1920s lift is a cool item but it didn't work, meaning we had to hoist our pram up and down 2 flights when we wanted to leave or when we came back to the room and our suitcases upon checkout. The cot we asked for was absolutely filthy to the point where we strongly considered leaving the hotel and going home. It was completely unacceptable. The rooms are hot in the summer, it's an old hotel and doesn't have air conditioning. I understand it's an old building and knew on booking it did not have A/C but putting this comment here to warn other bookers. No pram or wheelchair access to front door.
• Petra (9/5): -
• Alessia (7/5): Quirky hotel, back in time to 1930. - Location near the tidal pool and the beach and not too far from the town center, only 20 minutes walk along the seafront. Breakfast didn’t have many choices apart from English Breakfast. There was a group of very loud guests, couldn’t really enjoy the veranda and bar as they were really noisy. Also in the morning voices and music coming from other rooms.
• Daniela (8/5): -
• Anthony (8/5): We were made very welcome at The Walpole Bay hotel. - Our breakfast was excellent with a good choice. The whole hotel runs like clockwork and the staff are professional and helpful. The beautiful dining room would benefit from being used to its full potential, I.e. serving an evening meal.
• Sean (10/5): -
• Denis (8/5): -
• Maxine (9/5): The Walpole Bay Hotel has a strong feel of a bygone era, with every consideration given to the guest - This hotel is very arty and quirky with a strong English retro feel. Excellent staff. They serve a full English breakfast of good quality, and a good selection of cereals, fruit, and yoghurt. It is an old building so didn't have air conditioning nor the most modern plumbing.

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