The Gallivant Hotel ... quirky retro by the sea.

You might have read my post a few weeks ago about our friends wedding at Camber Sands. I thought, with Half Term coming up, that you might want to see where we stayed. Its a lovely little hotel called The Gallivant.

Our friends had organised their wedding around the hotel and had both the ceremony and their reception there. It has obviously, in the past, been a little seaside motel, but the current owners have styled it beautifully - very beach chic - and it is a little gem of a place.

It is located just over the road from the stunning golden sands of Camber.

Each of the rooms are clean, simple and very comfortable.

photo courtesy of The Gallivant

There is a certain retro feel to the place, with quirky touches here and there like a beach bag and a large honesty larder in the corridor, packed with everything from artisan popcorn to flasks of milk for your tea and coffee.

We stayed two nights and the breakfast was delicious! I chose pancakes with maple syrup and bacon while my husband went for the full English. Both were freshly cooked and absolutely scrumptious.

One of the things I really loved was the thoughtful extras. For example the Recovery Station at breakfast, which we obviously did not need as our bodies are our temples ...

The Recovery Station - photo courtesy of The Gallivant

I thought it was funny to offer vitamin c tablets and "make your own" Bloody or Virgin Mary kits for breakfast at a wedding venue.

I think that the only down side to this charming hotel would be the lack of experience staff wise. The staff we came across were all very young and all very lovely. Everyone, without exception treated us with a friendly smile and couldn't do enough for us. However, I heard a few of them talking amongst themselves about the lack of staff and about how ridiculous it was that they be expected to cope with the number of guests present. Breakfast seemed a particular area of difficulty.

I always think that any complaining done infront of guests is rather unprofessional.

And yet this was an understandable failing and one that did not bother us as, as I have mentioned, the staff were great. Perhaps a bit of training is needed - things like never going back to the kitchen with empty hands... taking orders on a pad rather than trying to remember them ... 

I would definitely go back to The Gallivant. Its situation was brilliant - less than 5 minutes walk to the beach and the food was really delicious. We slept well, ate well and felt really at home. If they iron out the tiny issues of inexperience they will be fabulous.

photos courtesy of The Gallivant