TAKE ME WITH YOU...
No. 42 by Guesthouse Margate is a boutique seaside hotel tucked behind the high street a few steps from the sea. Arriving by train? Call the hotel and they will send their luggage bike to meet you.
The reception-cum-lounge-cum bar – with its white back-to-back sofas, local artwork and marble bar with glasses hung on a rail above - makes you feel like you’re in the south of France rather than a waterside town in Kent.
Seaside vibes continue in the lounge with its Ferris wheel on the wall; our sea-facing room (book if you can) had a huge ceiling light made out of a shell; you’ll find tea, coffee and mugs inside a miniature beach hut. Roberts Radios and Crosley Record Players add a touch of nostalgia. Lovers of the sand can make use of the beach bag and towel provided; ask at reception to borrow toys for the kids.
A ‘help yourself’ pantry on the second floor offers tall jars of colourful sweets and stripy paper bags to create your own ‘pick and mix’. Cold drinks are in the fridge and the ‘cake fairy’ delivers indulgent cakes and pastries during the day.
The focus is very much on sustainability, too, with compostable coffee pods and room slippers made from plastic bottles.
SHALL WE SPA?
You’ll find the treatment rooms on the lower ground floor. The lounge has four comfortable armchairs on which to relax before and after treatments; from here the treatment rooms are easy to find: up three wooden steps.
There’s no pool or thermal facilities here, just three treatment rooms, one a double with two beds and a large copper bath. The lower ground floor setting makes the area very restful with reduced lighting and an enclosed, peaceful feel.
TREATMENT TALK
We tried The Copper Cove treatment (90 minutes, £285 for two), a warm bath in the copper tub followed by a back, neck and shoulder massage, and a choice of a facial or a foot massage.
Our therapists, Nadia and Harriet, met us in the lounge and led us into the double treatment room so that we could sink into a pre-drawn bath which, once in and submerged, was very comfortable (the step in is quite high, however, so do ask for assistance if needed).
The gentle flowing strokes of the back massage were very relaxing when combined with Pinks' rich oil bursting with lemongrass and mandarin.
My spa partner opted for a facial while I enjoyed the foot massage. Nadia cleansed my feet then used a scrub to give them both a good, long massage - my idea of heaven. Harriet, meanwhile, picked up on my spa partner’s very dry skin and slathered plenty of moisturiser onto his face.
Nadia and Harriet then left us with some sound advice: to use sun-cream if heading out, to stretch the areas that had been deeply massaged and to drink plenty of water. We were gifted some Pinks lemongrass and mandarin body oil to take home, along with a card containing a link to the music played throughout to recapture the mood at home - a nice touch.
HOW DID IT MEASURE UP?
The treatment was very relaxing, with the bath beforehand putting us in the right mood for the massage. Our therapists worked well together, quietly adjusting the treatment to suit each of us: Harriet concentrated the massage on my spa partner’s aching lower back, while Nadia found my tight shoulders and gently attempted to loosen them.
SPOT OF LUNCH?
The Pearly Cow (pictured above) offers a menu of Fire and Ice: an open kitchen where you can watch chefs caramelise meat and steaks (the fire), while also tucking into locally-caught oysters and seafood (the ice).
A wall of windows looking out across the beach and an outside terrace for sunny days makes this the perfect spot to linger over coffee or a leisurely lunch. Comfortable sofas edge the room, with copper-topped tables and leather-backed chairs in the centre.
Since we were beside the sea, we skipped lunch in favour of a supper of beer battered Pollack and Tempura prawns served with beef fat chips.
GOT ALL DAY?
Take an early morning walk on the beach and work up an appetite for a hearty breakfast on the terrace of the Pearly Cow, then take a rest from the sun with a treatment. Spend the afternoon back on the beach with a game of cricket or a paddle in the water, or potter along to the little shops or the market on the high street. Begin the evening with a cocktail in the roof terrace bar (pictured above), arriving just in time to watch the sun setting over the water. Not too shabby.
SHORT ON TIME?
Watch the tide go in or out from the terrace of the Pearly Cow (pictured above) over a healthy breakfast and then head to the treatment rooms. The ‘Lessen Your Stress’ treatment combines a neck, back and shoulder massage with a facial and scalp massage in just 60 minutes (and for a very reasonable £95).
Sybaritic Spy
22nd May 2024
Spy Likes:
Warm treatment beds; fragrant steam rooms; therapists who listen to what you say; unexpected treats such as back massages that start with hot towels on your feet.
Spy Dislikes:
Small towels; crowded changing rooms; black mould in the showers; therapists who sniff; anyone who doesn't take my lavender allergy seriously - until I'm actually sick on them!
