The Walpole Bay Hotel, Cliftonville

Cliftonville, like Margate of which it is effectively a part, is a one-time buzzing family holiday resort which is slowly recovering from the serious blight and neglect which had afflicted it for a great many years.

Back in the 1970s the seafront was alive with activity, largely due to the presence of Butlin's which owned several hotels in close proximity to one another. However once they departed Cliftonville ceased to be a holiday destination in any meaningful sense of the term and most of the buildings went into a state of serious neglect, just as Margate itself suffered the loss of Dreamland (later Bembom Brothers) and much of its identity as the summer retreat for Londoners famously referenced in a song by Chas and Dave.

However in the years pending the fairly recent arrival of the popular Turner Contemporary art gallery in Margate, the rejuvenation of the Harbour and the promised rebirth of Dreamland there was something of note that remained in Cliftonville, still attracting lots of visitors and enjoying the support and patronage of many visitors of renown, and that was the exquisite Walpole Bay Hotel and Museum.

Offering a unique combination of modern accommodation standards and provision with the ambience of a bygone era, the Walpole Bay has attracted a veritable roll call of celebrities, the names of whom are featured around the building alongside untold exhibits of yesteryear such as typewriters, dolls, tills, domestic appliances and household effects which render the whole building simultaneously a hotel and a museum. With its flowered terraces and verandas and its unique 1927 Otis trellis gated lift, the Walpole Bay Hotel has been featured on the sets of so many films and advertisements that the owners claim to have "lost count", but they include EastEnders, Sky Sports, GMTV, One Foot in the Past and a programme featuring local artist Tracy Emin.

The service isn't bad either! The comfortable Restaurant, Bar Lounge and Terrace is open from 7am each day and serves everything from breakfasts, through Sunday lunches to cream teas, including to non-residents. Rooms are available at highly competitive rates and offer all the facilities that one would expect from quality accommodation.

Without question the Walpole Bay is the place to stay in Cliftonville, and being within reasonable walking distance of Margate proper is also an attractive option for anybody visiting the recovering Kent seaside resort.