The Marquis, Alkham, Kent – Review

We`d heard a few good things about our latest hotel for review, the recently renovated Marquis at Alkham, which was up until 9 months ago a classic old English boozer with a history spanning over 200 years. It`s nestled in the heart of rural Kent, only 10 miles from the Channel Tunnel and ferry terminals at Dover, making it an ideal stop over.

We were running early so decided to visit neighbouring Canterbury, a delightful medieval town with an enormous amount of character and charm (we definitely recommend a day here to soak up the sights). After a stroll along the river it was time to head off and 20 mins later we arrived at this country haven.

The Marquis serves lunch up until 6pm on a Sunday and with an hour to go we decided to trial the delights of the kitchen. The food really was incredible, we opened with a Foie Gras and Plum Tomato & Cucumber terrine then both opted for the Roast Sirloin Beef and fresh veg – if you follow this blog then you`ll realise that we`ve had a few amazing hot dinners in our time, but this particular course needs a special mention as it was faultless in taste, quantity and presentation – hats off to the chef!

We finished off with English cheeses and cheese cake… very satisfying way to finish a fantastic meal overall. Possibly the best thing to mention about this meal was that it costs just £19.50… the best value we have come across to date, honestly. We`ve eaten at much more expensive places and the food has been half the standard… anyway, hopefully you`ve got the message that the food is really very GOOD!

The accommodation was also highly impressive with quirky, contemporary wallpapers and furnishings. The bed was incredibly comfy and all the mod cons supplied, including a Nespresso machine and a vast selection of coffees to choose from.

Breakfast the next morning was as fresh as it gets with a great spread laid on, and priced at £15 we felt this was also good value for money.

Overall we felt the Marquis extremely well priced for the level of luxury on offer and very well positioned to explore Kent or beyond.