Bay Tree Broadstairs

Had the best afternoon tea here for a friends birthday today , the sandwiches were lovely and fresh , the scones was freshly homemade and lovely and soft and the homemade brownie was to die for , will definitely return not just for the afternoon tea but for the conversation with Lee too who was a great host .

My partner and I arrived at the Bay Tree Hotel for a two night stay. We were visiting friends in the area and were excited to check into what looked online like a lovely, welcoming hotel (complete with a dog!), with great reviews. Unfortunately, our expectations were not met. From the outset when we arrived, we did not feel particularly welcome. On arrival, the door was opened wordlessly by one of the co-owners (Alistair I believe) with no greeting whatsoever, let alone a smile and some warmth. How odd, we thought. We followed him into the lobby where he went into the office on the computer, presumably to find our booking. A number of minutes passed and still, literally not one word from him to address us! After some time, another one of the co-owners (Robert) appeared, who was marginally more friendly but it also felt like the bare minimum of attention you would offer to paying guests. We weren’t told anything about the hotel facilities (for instance, we could see a bar in the lobby but weren’t told anything about it nor was it mentioned). We were shown to our room which was comfortable. When we left to go for dinner, Alistair was sat in the office by the door and we said a cheery ‘goodbye!’ and again, literally received no response. I had emailed ahead in reply to the welcome letter we received, seeing that they offered breakfast as room service. After a very long working week, we were keen to take them up on this offer, and left our breakfast orders with Robert for a 9.30am service. 9.30am came and went with no breakfast appearing, so I had no option but to head downstairs to enquire (there are phones in the rooms but they don’t seem to connect to reception, or at least there is no dial through or instruction on how to reach reception via phone). I managed to locate a member of staff who was apologetic but had to reissue the order. Robert appeared in the middle of this en route to the office (no ‘good morning’ or even a ‘hello’) but didn’t stop to ask what the issue was. Breakfast arrived to the room about 30 mins later. I did later receive an apology and an explanation from Robert whilst enquiring about the use of an iron but not great service it has to be said. We opted to go downstairs for breakfast the next morning given the events of the day prior. Alistair was in the dining room along with other members of staff but again, no ‘good morning’ or even a look in our direction was offered. Overall, we were very taken aback by the lack of friendliness or even politeness from the co-owners, Alistair in particular. We felt uneasy and most definitely unwelcome. Mistakes happen, (or lack of attention to detail in the case of the missing breakfast), but being openly unfriendly bordering on rude to your paying customers is inexcusable. The welcome that a hotel provides to guests really does set the tone for the experience going forward, and this time fell very short. We won’t be back.

Had the pleasure to stay at the Bay Tree for one night recently. It was no problem to get there early and to leave the car in the car park. Very smooth check in and we were shown to our room which was a nice touch. We stayed in Maple which is on the 2nd floor and has lovely sea views. The room was comfortable and we had good nights sleep. Breakfast in the morning was well cooked and tasty. Would definitely stay again if ever in Broadstairs

Excellent hotel. Stayed for three nights in late October 2023 in Room 6 for end-of-season holiday. Clean, well-maintained (sometimes these older buildings show signs of wear and tear, not this one) and attractive, clearly a lot of effort has been put into the decor and fixtures and fittings. Pretty and comfortable lounge at the front of the building with period furniture and decor. The Harry Potter elements are understated and charming, and I'm not a big Harry Potter fan. The bold solid colors on the walls and the pretty carpets have a pleasing effect. How often have you stayed at one of these hotels and the stairs creak and groan as you go up and down? Not here. Although I did not need the parking, the size of the parking lot behind the building was impressive. Bed was very comfortable and I had a nice three-window sea view. Even in rainy weather, I was able to keep the windows open to be able to hear the sound of the surf without rain getting in. Windows look new, and open and close very easily (in these older buildings windows can be wonky). Bathroom (wetroom really) fixtures are modern and lovely, if a bit minimalist (I would have liked a larger sink). Water pressure in the shower is excellent and it got nice and hot. The wood (or composite wood-look) floors in the room are noticeably high-quality. One of the most important things to me about a hotel is the towels, and the towels at The Bay Tree are luxurious -- better than the towels I have at home! Service is professional and friendly. Location is a 5 - 10 minute walk to the center or Broadstairs. Although technically "beachfront" as there is only a (quiet) road between the building and the waterfront, be advised that the hotel sits atop a cliff, so you can't just walk straight out to the beach. There is a path down to the beach very close by, so not a problem. Very quiet neighbourhood, dead silent at night. Food is a mixed bag. I had breakfast twice, both times the Eggs Benedict (I should say "egg" Benedict as there was only one egg on two muffins), the muffins and Hollandaise sauce were especially good. Nice fruit salad and juices make it a good value. I also had the Sunday roast, which was less successful. They didn't have any beef (the chef came out and explained their last meat delivery didn't have the beef, and he was not going to go to the local Tesco to get beef there, so I salute the commitment to quality), so I went with the pork. Gravy was luxurious, and the potatoes were beautifully crispy, but the rest was just ok. For £20, you could probably do better at a local pub. Dog-friendly hotels sometimes make me cringe, but no issues with noisy dogs. There are only a handful of beachfront hotels in Broadstairs. I've also stayed at the Royal Albion, which is also nice but much bigger. As I plan future trips to Broadstairs, my favourite English seaside town, I will definitely make the Bay Tree my first choice.

We enjoyed an idyllic four days at The Bay Tree. The beautiful location on Stone Bay is perfect and the artistic and thoughtfully designed hotel is also one of the cleanest and most comfortable we have ever stayed in. We loved our balcony room overlooking the sea. The gentle, peaceful atmosphere at all times made us feel completely at home, the cooking was just superb, and all guests were attended to with great consideration. We cannot wait to return! Thank you, Robert, Alistair, Rob, Lee and everyone concerned in making The Bay Tree such a happy and welcoming place. Chrissy and David.

The Bay Tree offered a haven for me for a few nights as I was driven out of my house by plumbing problems. I much appreciated the lovely shower and wet room ensuite with a beautiful room. The whole place is colourful, comfortable and peaceful. Sitting on the front terrace overlooking the sea and in the sunshine was a highlight. The good service and kindness rounded off a very pleasant experience.