Royal Albion

The staff were friendly and helpful, and the food and drinks were lovely. The restaurant and bar were great. Our room, though, was a problem, and the spectacular sunrise from the balcony was its saving grace. At first it looked clean and nicely decorated, with a small but very nice bathroom and a great sea view from the balcony. But the jute-style carpet seemed to have just been washed and was literally wet underfoot, as was the shower room. We thought the heating might dry it, and didn’t expect to spend much time in the room, so we didn’t complain then. When we got back late, the room smelled damp. Moisture was running down the windows and balcony doors, the curtains felt damp, and the carpet still wasn’t dry. The windows were sealed shut, and opening the balcony doors would have left the room accessible from the shared balcony. There was also an enormous gap under the door that can’t possibly meet fire safety rules.

The sea views from the restaurant are the best in Broadstairs, and I’d highly recommend eating here. I had a lovely lunch at the Albany Hotel, starting with trout pate, then rib eye steak, and finishing with sticky pudding and custard. Every course was delicious. The team were great. Ryan and Hermes looked after us well, and Shyanne’s attention to detail when setting the table really stood out. I’ve never seen anyone be so particular about it, and I hope she goes far in the company.

We had a fantastic roast dinner on table 28 today. The food was great, and the staff made the day for us. The man who explained how things worked took our order and brought drinks, and the two men serving the food were all polite and really helpful. Thank you!

The ocean view is lovely. The food, though, was poor for the price of the Christmas dinner. Some of the staff didn’t even want to pour the wine so we could try it, and said they’d run out of wine glasses even though service had only just started. I can imagine Dickens eating here before writing Bleak House.