The Bell, Sandwich, Kent
Saturday June 24, 2006
The Guardian
'Cool light space ... The Bell at Sandwich, Kent
"It was truly bad," hotel manager Matt Collins laughs as he remembers the old pink carpet that once covered reception and which, once ripped up, revealed about half an acre of original parquet. Now a spacious and sofa-ed lobby, it is a fitting hors d'oeuvres to the menu of cool, light space at the refurbished Bell Hotel, a 19th-century gabled inn on the banks of the River Stour.
The Bell is sister to The Place in Camber Sands, a modern motel-style beach retreat conceived by Matthew Wolfman which smashed the seaside hotel mould when it opened in 2003. With 34 rooms, The Bell is larger, and 10 so far have been fully refurbished, with completion scheduled for the end of this year. The palette is pale Farrow and Ball, with Egyptian cotton on beds and silk at the windows - many of which afford river views. The full complement of single, twin, double and suite options will each have WiFi access. The restaurant menu is, of course, seasonal, and as at The Place, serves up fish brought in by local fishermen, scallops from Rye Bay, sea bass and right now of course, masses of magnificent asparagus.
01304 613388, bellhotelsandwich.co.uk. B&B from £85 single and £105 double.