Thatcher would be proud…read more Looking around Hever, many would be left with the impression that the owners are enormous fans of Anne Boleyn. The unfortunate wife of Henry VIII is, after all, the main focus of the exhibition and makes an appearance on much of the marketing material. But look a bit closer, and the more astute visitor may notice a different, more 'true blue', streak permeating the house. Yes, Labour voters clutch your pearls, but the proprietors appear to be worshippers of none other than Margaret Thatcher. (More so than Ms Boleyn, I would wager.) In the castle, visitors are treated to a near life-size oil painting of the union basher. And for those lucky enough to stay in the guest house for the price of £300 per night, they will find a letter written by the Iron Lady to thank the castle for her stay that has been framed and hung in one of the hallways. Among the owners personal possessions, I note Ms Boleyn has not received a similar dose of affection. Of interest is also the fact that this castle, its stunning gardens and water maze, owe their amazing condition to our friends across the Atlantic. Most stately homes in Britain are now virtually on their knees, with years of decline and underinvestment in the country reflected in their faded carpets, moth-eaten curtains and peeling paintwork. Hever, however, has avoided this fate for the good reason that it was bought by... gasp... an AMERICAN. Horrifying as it may sound, Mr Astor - who owes his astounding wealth to the rise of New York City - purchased the castle and injected nothing short of a fortune into it in order to create the attraction that we see today. Demonstrating an entrepreneurial spirit so often absent in Britain, he then had the vision to order the construction of a second moat, a lake, a walled Italian garden complete with artefacts from Pompeii, a 'wall waterfall' and to direct the gardeners to shape some bushes like a chess set. I don't think he was involved in the water maze, so loved locally, but its presence reflects Hever's enduring ambitious spirit. Perhaps it was this spirit that so inspired Margaret Thatcher to write of Hever: 'I have seen several castles and large country houses but none as perfect as Hever.'

If you are visiting London, Hever Castle is a must do. Only a 90 minute drive from London hotels,…read morethe trip is well worth the wait upon arrival. From its sprawling vistas to the castle itself this place is a real treat. There is a large lake on site that offers rowing, an area that allows you to try your hand at archery and even a place to see falconry. There are jousting exhibitions and plenty of food from the cafe or restaurant on site. The REAL gem is the castle. Home for Queen Anne Boleyn from 5 years old to 12 one can only imagine the wonder this place brought her. The castle provides an audio tour in several languages so there is no issue there. (The staff are marvelously kind and helpful in the castle and in the dining areas and gift shop.) It's small but chock full of informative history about Anne Boleyn as well as those who lived in the castle after her death. If you are looking for a respite from the concrete jungle and noisy planet that is London, Hever provides you with lots of peace and quiet Tour the rose garden or just sit and enjoy the views and shade from the trees. It's an idyllic setting and a trip that will make your visit to the UK complete.

I want to be quite clear, I understand these are challenging times for the hospitality industry…read more However, not allowing people to reschedule non-refundable stays affected by Covid travel restrictions is, to me, unacceptable. I did not want a refund, I had to reschedule because of govt restrictions. Two nights was almost $1,000. That's lost. Be wary of this!!

My husband and I spent one night here as a special treat during our layover from Gatwick. It's…read moredifficult enough to go home after an amazing trip but staying at Alexander House made it even harder! This historic house lives up to its reputation for stellar accommodations. It's pretty remote, about a 20-minute taxi ride (approximately 20 GBP) but we appreciated the quiet atmosphere. We booked a room here last minute and were placed in the Rochester suite -- beautiful accommodations with a king bed, a perfectly romantic bathroom, and all the amenities we could have needed. Access to the spa facilities were included in our stay so we enjoyed the afternoon lounging in the spa and plunge pool. Next time, we'll splurge on a treatment or too. We walked for about 20 minutes to a nearby pub for dinner but there are two restaurants on location that looked divine. We did have breakfast here the next morning (20 GBP per person) and it was a great way to kickstart the day before we headed home on our transatlantic flight. I would highly recommend staying here. It's straight out of a Jane Austen novel and I hope I have a reason to return one day.

Housed in a lovely 16th century townhouse, this large hotel and restaurant is unsurprisingly…read morepopular as a venue for weddings and conferences, as well as with regular guests. We had Sunday lunch in the panelled room, whose walls are lined with stunning period carved oak wood panels, featuring various classical figures and contemporary Jacobean motifs. The menu is very swish, featuring dishes such as seared scallops, petit sale, smoked roe and salmon blini, with horseradish cream and gressingham duck breast, caramelised red chicory, with hazelnut dressing, but considering how good it is, it is extremely reasonably priced - only £15.50 for two courses, £19.50 for three. I had hamhock and pickled walnut terrine to start, followed by guineafowl and dumplings, and finished with a salt caramel chocolate pudding which was damn good. The service was attentive, and the presentation of the food was great, my terrine came attractively arranged on a slate platter. I didn't see any of the rooms, but if you are looking for a place to go for a special meal I would strongly recommend Pelham House. The garden has a slightly Mediterranean feel with lots of sculptures and some palms, and a dovecot adds charm to the courtyard car park, although it seems to house a rather lonely solitary dove.

Stayed here on Friday night for my husband's 40th birthday. A lovely hotel, lots of character and…read morelovely garden. Staff were really helpful, prior to the stay and also whilst there - even wished husband happy birthday a few times and gave us complementary coffee after dinner. Our room (no. 40) was beautifully decorated - recently too and was very clean (no view though, overlooked the roof). Comfy bed. Dinner was excellent and great value at £25 for 3 courses. Bar staff attentive and friendly. Would stay again for sure. Only 2 niggles which are small - first being they could use frosted lower windows in the room we stayed in - no net curtains, therefore people in corridor opposite could see straight in, also, no breakfast menu in room even though they gladly provide breakfast in room - resulted in amusing 10 minute phone call to reception re what we could order. I would definitely stay again, short walk from station too.

I stayed in a very cozy room at the top of this hotel. The room was clean and well stocked, the…read morebed was good. It was warm and pleasant. WiFi was free and was fine. TV had five channels, reception fine. The pictures on the walls were characterful rather than being "chain-y". The hotel has more a lot character to it than your typical Premier Inn, which I assume is the main competition. I found all of the staff to be friendly and helpful. I agree with some comments here that if it had a lick of paint and they renewed one or two carpets it would bump up their ratings. However, it would presumably also put up the prices at what is a value offering. It was a perfectly good experience and would be happy to come back. If you want a basic but comfortable, slightly old fashioned hotel with no sense of a chain about it, it would be a decent choice.

Have been here several times, both to eat and just for drinks. It has been excellent for both, it…read moreis has nice decoration, if unusual with a few saddles mounted on the walls, the staff are friendly and attentive as well. The food is fantastic and reasonably priced. Had a pork belly sandwich last time I was in and it was brilliant, everything else I have eaten has been of a similar quality. The other couple times I've been in to watch the six nations with friends which they were showing through a projector. The screen was great and the atmosphere was perfect. Will definitely be back for it next year.

This is actually called the Tunbridge Wells Hotel so hope I am posting my review in the right…read moreplace! An excellent place to stay and dine. Great location in the heart of the Pantiles. Our room was tiny but very clean and well kept. We got it last minute on a third party site and were glad we had two nights here. The breakfast is a small menu but I appreciate the vegetarian selections. The best breakfast I've had was the vegetarian Pattie sandwich. Mmm mmmm! Just the right amount of food, two pieces of crusty toast and a savory veggie patty which reminded me of harvest burgers in the 90s when I first became a vegetarian. Very tasty. They have a 24/7 bar (yaaaaaas) and an excellent wine list. Great dry white wines. My other breakfast here I ordered salmon and cream cheese toast (instead of a croissant) and the husband got one of the croissants. It was good. Top that off with a nice cold Prosecco and that's a nice Saturday morning holiday. :) the guy who waited on us July 12 in the morning gave us outstanding service. Didn't catch his name but I was impressed overall. He gave us a taxi recommendation which is always helpful. There was a live jazz band Thursday night outside the hotel and that was very energetic and fun.

When we learned our favorite band would be playing for Jazz on the Pantiles we booked a room here…read more Arrived today to learn the bandstand is just out in front of the hotel. We were fortunate enough to get an outdoor table for an incredible meal and cocktails on a lovely summer evening and a most comfortable room in a delightful historic hotel. Not to mention a fine breakfast. To make it perfect the service is phenomenal! Thank you, AJ & Brian for everything.

I looked online for a pub for a stop off on our way to the south coast. I came across The Chafford…read moreand decided to give it a go. We were not disappointed. Immediately we walked in there was a cheerful smile from behind the bar. Ordering drinks I was asked if we were eating. As we were there for a lunchtime bite a tab was opened. My partner ordered a tuna mayo baguette. It arrived with a small side salad and chips. Delicious, she said. I ordered whitebait and, beeeg mistake, their version of British nachos. Chips, beautiful chips, covered in chilli beef and cheese. I say, beeeg mistake as the portions, of both, were huge. I couldn't finish it all. All in all a wonderful, friendly pub with fantastic service and really good food. Certainly worth a four star review. Thank you one and all.

Having already placed a review on Trip Adviser, I was a little surprised to read one or two…read morenegative reviews thereon which I would totally disagree with. Taking visitors from New Zealand for lunch I had "stumbled" on the Chafford Arms after a fleeting internet search. I couldn't have done better had I spent many weeks researching. Excellent food, excellent service and friendly helpful staff made this a most enjoyable afternoon. We will no doubt return there and The Chafford Arms will be high on my list of recommendations.

You know where you are in a Premier Inn. From the life-size cut out of Lenny Henry in the lobby to…read morethe standard issue toiletries in the bathroom there is comforting familiarity about the product offering. And you can't quibble with a comfortable bed, a shower that works and a full English breakfast at the nearby Vauxhall Inn all for less than 70 quid a night. It delivers on its promise and that's a secret of success. The only thing missing is a Goblin Teasmade but that's a different punch line all together

I have stayed here a couple of times. The hotel itself is standard Premier Inn. It was clean and…read moretidy and good value for money. Not as tired as some hotels and frankly better than some of the more established chains. I actually stay here in preference to the hotels in Sevenoaks as its good value and I think has better rooms. I have been in the pub next door and had the food. I have to be honest (I could have been exceptionally hungry) but it was one of the nicest steaks I have had for a while. Service was struggling on the night but still only had a 15 min wait. For the beer drinker they had London Pride and another beer on draught. You can get Wi-Fi in the room but it is quite expensive and surely the penny will drop with the Premier Inn people that this is getting to be an essential. However, if you want to log on it will cost you a fiver or more for longer. Receptionist was very helpful and there is a pay as you go internet service in the lobby. Overall good value and certainly better than the places I normally stay in Sevenoaks.There is a good car park which is free and I have never had any trouble parking. One more star for me because of the steak!!

Came here the night before a friends wedding which was nearby…read more I ordered the Roast (meat that day was gammon). Modest portions but was really really tasty. The only points lacking where that the Yorkshire pudding was a little too well done and so was quite hard. Could have been more gravy too. Otherwise, I couldn't fault it. Solid roast dinner. Wait staff very polite and attentive. I would recommend.

It has sheep grazing across the road! And a lovely garden at…read morethe back! And plenty of parking (which you need because it's not that near the town)... The food isn't the best, but the surroundings are lovely and so is the pub. It's quite old and traditional, with an oak frame, and a lovely fireplace inside for those cold winter days, as well as a nice garden for those warm summer ones.