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The Gallivant, Rye

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There seems to be a growing enthusiasm for British travel, and I feel like 2017 is a great year to explore the lesser known areas of England. Recently I spent a night in Rye, a charming town just 90 minutes drive from London. Our base for the weekend was The Gallivant, a perfectly quaint boutique hotel, minutes away from the stunning Camber Sands stretch of beach.

Rye

There are many things to see and do in Rye; I recommend walking down the picturesque Mermaid Street, grabbing high-quality coffee at Edith’s House and splurging on vintage kitchen accessories at Crock & Cosy. After a morning exploring the tearooms and antique shops of Rye, we headed to The Gallivant for a relaxing weekend.

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There are 20 rooms at The Gallivant and many have recently been refreshed and redecorated. We were in Room 8, which was small but perfectly arranged. There is a subtle nautical theme throughout the rooms at the Gallivant, hinting at the beachside location. The interiors feel luxurious thanks to the lovely materials used… white marble table tops and soft indulgent bedding. Quirky features like the vintage bedside telephones and mini library of books add character to the rooms.

Gallivant Hotel

I was delighted to find a large bath complete with generous bottles of Bramley products. The Bramley collection are all natural and handmade in the South West of England. After a blissfully long bath I wrapped up in the fluffy white towelling robes provided by The Gallivant for guest use.

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The Gallivant restaurant serves comforting dishes with an emphasis on fresh local produce. When we sat down for lunch I was impressed to see a food map on the table detailing where all the fruit & vegetables, meat & fish and wine has come from (most of which is within a 10 mile radius!). Everything we ate was delicious, from spiced roast parsnip soup to the dried aged Sussex Red beef sirloin. The kitchen really respect the ingredients they have, creating simple but sophisticated recipes. Don’t miss the sticky toffee pudding for dessert!

Gallivant Hotel

After a long and refreshing sleep, breakfast was enjoyed from the comfort of our own room. The cute window seats are perfect for morning snacking, we feasted on freshly made Waffles with banana and decadent Eggs Benedict, while watching the sun rise around us.

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Within the garden of the Gallivant is the newly opened Beach Hut, a peaceful oasis for guests to enjoy spa treatments. I embraced the opportunity to be pampered for an hour, and felt my body de-stress while therapist Billie massaged my back and scalp with the Natural Spa Factory products.

The Gallivant is not far from the city, but offers busy city dwellers the opportunity to truly relax away from their busy everyday lives. With great food and new spa offerings, this boutique British retreat ticks every box.

More information and book a room at The Gallivant here.

Gallivant Hotel, Rye

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When travelling around Europe, experiencing different cultures and landscapes, it is easy to forget about the great British countryside. Whenever I spend a night away from London I like deep breaths of fresh air, a calmer pace of life and beautiful and uninterrupted views.

Just an hour’s train journey from the capital, the Gallivant Hotel provides the ideal weekend getaway. Getting off the busy train at Rye station, I felt instantly relaxed. The humble beach house hotel is located the dunes of Camber with five miles of golden sand to explore. The property is cosy, informal and quaint reflecting the English coastal setting. The staff were incredibly welcoming and made our check-in blissfully easy, taking us straight to our deck-side room.

Our room was charming and simple, decorated in white and muted blues. The distressed wooden furniture, book collection and vintage accessories made it a lovely, comforting home for the night. The ensuite white bathroom felt luxurious and inviting with a giant bath and Noble Isle toiletries. Aside from the supremely comfortable bed there was a small private deck where guests can enjoy a breath of fresh air.

Just steps away from our bedroom we enjoyed dinner and breakfast in the celebrated Gallivant restaurant. Clearly passionate about local produce, the chef uses predominantly ingredients sourced from within 30 miles of the hotel.

The freshness of the fish and meat brings a real vitality to the dishes at the Gallivant. Devilled crab with melted cheese was an indulgent and delicious starter, whilst roast Winchelsea salt marsh lamb, truffled green beans, garlic scented aubergine and buttery mash was a fine presentation and a wonderful combination of flavours.

For dessert I’d recommend Trevor’s Kent pear tarte tatin which was better even than the Parisian original. With an abundance of caramel sauce and strong vanilla flavoured homemade ice cream on the side, it was impossible to put the spoon down.

Breakfast is similarly delightful, with the sun shining through the surrounding windows it was an idyllic setting in which to enjoy a cup of coffee and a bacon sandwich.

If you find yourself at a loose end over the new year, the Gallivant has a wonderfully reasonable package to help you welcome in 2014 but really this beachside hotel would be a heavenly place to stay all year round.

More information and book here: thegallivanthotel.com