As one of Britain’s original seaside resorts, Margate was a wildly popular UK holiday destination from as far back as the 1700s. But its fortunes changed in the 1970s after the introduction of cheap international package holidays, leaving the Kent town devastated and mostly abandoned for decades. It wasn’t until 2011 that the tide turned, with investment into the Turner Contemporary art gallery kick-starting a creative renaissance.
Margate has been magnetising artists, musicians and DFLs (Down From Londoners) ever since, creating a vibrant and eclectic community who’ve opened independent galleries, creative seafood restaurants, sustainable boutiques and hip bars. While the gritty edges of a chequered past remain, a flurry of exciting additions like chic hotels, have cemented Margate’s cultural regeneration – a place where it’s as easy to get a single origin espresso as it is fish and chips with a pint to enjoy on the sand. The hotel The hotel’s artist co-owner Tom Gidley personally selected art for the boutique stay.
Credit: Ed Reeve Perched on the hill opposite the iconic Turner Contemporary, Fort Road Hotel beautifully reimagines the derelict bones of an historic 1820s boarding house. The elegantly understated property offers heritage appeal with a contemporary edge – sepia-toned photos of Old Margate line solid wood panelled halls while the subterranean double-height bar with exposed brick features a Tracey Emin neon work above the archway vault. Local co-o.
