KENTSTAYCATION
BALFOUR WINERY
BOYS HALL
PORT LYMPNE TREEHOUSE UPDOWN FARMHOUSE
shifting in colour with the weather and the hour. Mornings begin with gulls and salt air. Evenings end beneath skies that feel wider than when you arrived.
At The Gun Emplacement in St Margaret’ s Bay, that sense of elevation is unmistakable. Perched high on the White Cliffs, this striking clifftop stay sits between land and sea, with panoramic Channel views. Coastal walks begin at the door, while time indoors is shaped by light and the quiet drama of the horizon.
Further east, clifftop boltholes place guests right on the edge of the landscape. Stays such as The Botany Bay Hotel, set high above the bay, offer sweeping sea views and direct access to the coastal path, where long walks and wide horizons encourage you to look outward rather than inward.
For those craving a literal lift, Kent also offers airborne experiences that pair naturally with these stays. From airfields such as Headcorn Aerodrome, light aircraft flights lift you above familiar ground, changing how it looks and feels. Fields become patterns and the coastline reveals its full curve.
Air-led escapes are ideal when you feel stuck or weighed down. They invite you to step back, look up and allow perspective to return.
FIRE
Fire is the element of comfort and connection. It brings people together, turning meals into rituals and giving evenings a slower, more intentional pace. Fire-led escapes
are defined by warmth, conversation and shared time. Across Kent, there are stays where fire sits at the heart of the experience, shaping both food and atmosphere. At Boys Hall near Ashford, much of the menu is cooked over an open fire, with seasonal dishes designed around Kent’ s produce. Whether dining in the restaurant, settling into the bar or spilling onto the terrace, fire brings warmth to every moment.
Staying overnight allows you to fully sink into that rhythm. With just nine individually designed bedrooms, Boys Hall feels intimate and quietly indulgent, with generous beds, soft linens and roll-top baths that invite the day to end slowly.
At Updown Farmhouse near Deal, fire and hospitality are inseparable. Guests dine beneath grape vines while chefs tend a wood-fired grill and original farmhouse bread oven. Accommodation ranges from rooms in the house to cottages and converted stables set around the grounds, encouraging guests to linger long after dinner.
Port Lympne’ s Treehouses offers a more secluded take on fire-led stays. Set high above the ground, the spaces are centred around a dramatic open hearth, with woodland and wildlife forming a unique backdrop beyond the windows, while Giraffe Lodge offers open-fire‘ braai’ cookery for guests alongside sweeping views of the African-esque experience’ s savannahs below. Choose fire-led stays when you want warmth that goes beyond temperature.
WATER
Water invites rest and reflection. It slows the breath, steadies the body and creates space for thought. Kent’ s relationship
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