Eastwell Manor, Kent hotel review
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Ella Duggan checks in. Eastwell Manor is just off the M20, less than a two-hour drive from central London or five miles from Ashford International Station. Nestled in the ‘garden of England’, also known as Kent, it’s not far from the towns of Faversham and historical Canterbury. As far as the eye can see you are met with uninterrupted green hills and crop fields, giving a secluded and tranquil feeling. The grounds are well-manicured and colourful, with cheerful blossom trees, bold hydrangeas and hedges fit for Wonderland.
![[An utterly charming Neo-Elizabethan manor house is the jewel of the hotel]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/03/12/IMG_7256.jpg)
The more contemporary separate buildings of the spa and mews are a short walk to the side of the manor house, the jewel of the estate. It looks straight out of The Tudors, despite only being 100 years old. The Neo-Elizabethan, ivy-coated manor house somehow manages to be extremely decadent – with stone courtyards, fireplaces and even turrets – while also feeling welcoming and cosy at the same time, helped by its more intimate size.
![[Enter the hotel via a stone courtyard – bound to take you back in time]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/03/12/IMG_7259.jpg)
Staff are friendly, knowledgeable and personable, dotted across the estate, whether driving you to your room in the golf carts to describing the origins of every piece of fruit on the breakfast table. An old-school countryside community atmosphere runs through the halls, with many having worked at the hotel since they were teenagers.
![[The ground-floor mews suites are in the centre of the pristine gardens]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/03/12/IMG_7225.jpg)
If you have any questions about the history of the estate, staff are prepped with fun facts from William the Conqueror to Jane Austen and Queen Victoria. In the restaurant, asking for recommendations is encouraged, and when it comes to wine the manager is happy to select one based on your preferences. Reception and concierge staff answer phones within just one ring, with the former stocked with maps and information on local attractions; if you ask nicely, they may even tell you about the secret church by the lake.
![[Fried scallop starter from the Gardenia restaurant’s seasonal and ever-changing menu]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/03/12/IMG_7326.jpg)
