Pre-pandemic, a staycation was often the last resort. But if the last year has taught us anything, it’s that our green and pleasant land has so much to offer those keen to holiday in the UK .

If a seaside break is your thing then might I suggest a Deal and Margate combo - an unlikely pairing I know. Deal so often considered the classy seaside resort with Margate regarded as its more trashy cousin. However the perfect sojourn lies in the mix. In short, stay at the Rose hotel in Deal and take a day trip to Margate for some good old fashioned seaside fun!

The Rose hotel in Deal is the chic way to do the British seaside. Vintage heaven with a modern moody colour palette. The hotel’s curated vintage aesthetic is so well done. A triumph in fact. To me a well placed mid-century modern piece of furniture will never look out of place, but at the Rose they’ve even nailed the pink bathroom suite look and that’s a big ask!

I’ve read a couple scathing reviews of the Rose but I think they’re wholly unfair. Yes the Rose is a magnet for the London hipster and whilst that’s not a crime, I get it. Hipsters can be annoying and catering to their demanding trendy needs is even more annoying. However for me the Rose felt like a warm hug after what can only be described as a challenging year.

The bedrooms are inviting and designed with quirky flair. Vintage pieces are dotted around the entire hotel and in our bedroom there was even the fun addition of a vintage record player complete with a retro vinyl selection. We couldn’t resist playing a little Shirley Bassey whilst getting ready for dinner!

The formula at the Rose is an uncomplicated one. Give your guests a stylish comfortable bedroom, an exciting cocktail list, (gooseberry martini, I’m looking at you) and a delicious dinner and what’s not to love. Follow this up with a yummy breakfast and it’s a case of job done!

My personal highlights were said gooseberry martinis (had too many), the fried chicken with chilli and dill (essentially posh KFC but so good) and the Rose burger (the addition of caramelised onions totally made it). Of course I love a bit of fine dining if only for the excuse to dress up, but sometimes you just want a bit of comfort food and the Rose delivered on all counts.

It goes without staying that I am partial to a boutique hotel and hold the usual contenders in very high regard but for me there is something wonderfully unpretentious about the Rose. It’s a destination hotel but a humble one and I mean that in the most complimentary way.

The Rose is very Instagrammable, that’s a given but this hotel isn’t about hype, it has character and charm. You will come away feeling nurtured, restored and with the desire to buy even more vintage pieces for your home or maybe that’s just me.

The Rose is situated in the centre of Deal which is quiet and charming but also a contradiction at times. Alongside the cute candy coloured cottages and tasteful homeware shops sits the very hip independent Don’t Walk Walk art gallery (we own several pieces) and a brutalist beach pier.

www.dontwalkwalkgallery.com

There’s lots to do in Deal but I was pining for the full nostalgic seaside experience. The answer lay in a twenty minute drive away to Margate.

So often, Margate has been on the receiving end of snobby bad press. Deemed unfashionable and ‘down at heel’ (the result of years of under investment) the famous Lido long gone and the hotels abandoned by the faithful as they embraced ‘package holidays’, Margate’s fate seemed sealed and a fall from grace inevitable. However salvation would come from its artistic pedigree.

As the home and inspiration to both J.M.W. Turner and Tracey Emin (two very different artists but both pioneers of their time) Margate was chosen as the location for the Turner Contemporary art gallery which opened in 2011 along its sea front. A destination for modern art lovers the world over and a physical manifestation of the belief that Margate could reinvent itself.

Next came the regeneration of the Dreamland amusement park. Funding from Thanet district council and the Heritage lottery fund totally rejuvenated the park. By preserving its retro heritage the park is a nostalgic tour de force and most importantly a great day out. Between the ghost train, 1950s ferris wheel and the candy floss stalls I defy you, not to have fun.

The old town of Margate has vintage shops and stylish homeware boutiques but Margate still has an edge. Tower blocks, deprivation, and drug culture in the seedier parts of town are the darker side of the resort. This isn’t Chelsea by the sea and nor should it be. It has its own identity and when the sun is shining on its long sandy beach there’s no place quite like it.

The great British seaside has so much to offer and it has taken a pandemic to remind us. I love Ibiza and the Mediterranean but sometimes it’s good to revisit the quintessential British seaside and indulge in proper fish and chips followed by a Mr Whippy ice cream for pudding. Cholesterol be damned, life’s for living!

I’m telling you the Deal and Margate is where it’s at. Pass it on…

Words and photos by Tanya Taylor © 2021