The Place
Since opening in 2022, this place has quickly anchored itself in Margate’s evolving and stylish community. After being forgotten and overlooked for many years its new owners Matthew Slotover, Tom Gidley and Gabriel Chipperfield have turned the building into a breezy, unpretentious choice for a seaside retreat. Echoes of the trio’s art-world backgrounds reverberate throughout.
The rooms (some with sea views) are gently individual but uniform in their lightly coloured walls, warm wooden floors and mid-century modern furniture. The art is not over-curated and the relaxed, but chic, consistency in design extends to appliances and fittings. Nothing is fussy or overdone, including the spacious bathrooms. The building’s original stairwell is warmly coloured and decorated with vintage postcards and memorabilia of Margate’s history as a fishing port and seaside resort. The restaurant’s menu can change daily but there is an emphasis on locally grown produce with a choice of big and small plates. The dining room is relaxed and unpretentious, following the well-judged uncluttered approach elsewhere.
The charm of this hotel is in its community ethos, its artworks, seasonal ingredients and its thoughtfulness as a regeneration project. Even the seaweed in the hand soaps had been harvested from Margate’s beach. With a lively roster of events, the bar is popular with Margate’s creative locals. A roof terrace, exclusively for hotel guests, provides a more private (and probably windswept) moment with extensive views over the town and out to sea.