The Old Alma

The room was spacious, and the double quilted duvets made it easy to adjust the warmth while sleeping. Staff treated me and my partner with great courtesy and decorum throughout our fantastic stay at the Alma inn. The bathroom looked exquisite and modern, though I had trouble adjusting the showerhead and temperature control. The water was still a great temperature. Breakfast was a delicious full English. A great stay, whether you’re passing through or this is your destination.

This was absolutely the worst place I’ve ever stayed. Do so at your peril. From the reviews, the same problems keep coming up: the shower doesn’t work, the toilet won’t flush, there’s road noise right outside the window, breakfast is very ordinary, and the hosts seem unusually uninterested in guests’ welfare. Then there are the lies he tells in his defence. We complained to the hosts, and then, very strangely, our room key vanished and he fraudulently charged us £70 for a replacement. Avoid this place like the plague!

The location was very handy, right by Chilham Station and a short walk from the charming village. The only small drawback was having to cross the busy road. Our room was nice, with comfortable beds and an ensuite shower and toilet. The landlord and landlady were warm and welcoming, and upgraded our room for one of the nights because it was vacant, which was a lovely surprise. Breakfast was cooked to order with plenty of choice, and they fully catered for my girlfriend’s complicated dietary restrictions. The owners also accepted a very late booking from a Dutch couple who were stuck without a place to stay because of major ferry delays. They called in the middle of the night, though we didn’t hear anything and met them at breakfast. It says a lot about how accommodating the people at The Old Alma are, and how far they’ll go to make a stay a good one.

We had such a good time with Tony & Sarah. They even helped get our car fixed while we were staying at the B&B. In the evenings they’d hang out with us for board games and a few drinks, and breakfast was a fresh, smashing 5-star spread. They’re easygoing hosts who really go out of their way to make things pleasant. We’d definitely stay again.