Meet the Hotelier - Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve
Tony Kelly, Managing Director of Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve
What are the benefits of your location?
We are situated in a beautiful part of the UK with easy access from central London and southern England either on the rail or motorway network. We are also 10 minutes from the Channel Tunnel or 20 minutes from the ferry ports so access to mainland Europe is simple and fast.
We are situated high on an escarpment overlooking Romney Marsh and the English Channel. Our views are spectacular and just add to the overall experience of feeling that you are on safari in Kent.
What is the most luxurious villa to stay in?
Our Lion and Tiger Lodges are our most luxurious villas with wall-to-ceiling picture windows into the enclosures enabling you to get up very close and personal to these magnificent big cats. The lodges themselves are luxuriously furnished in a contemporary African style and come with a hot Swedish outdoor bathtub, again with a picture window into the enclosures. You can sip away at award-winning locally grown sparkling wine whilst watching the big cats only a few feet from your bath.
What can you tell us about the history of the resort?
The original mansion was built in the early 19th century by Phillip Sassoon and was renowned for its lavish and decadent parties. The gardens, some of which were designed by Capability Brown and the 600 acres surrounding the house became the playground for the rich and famous of that era. Notable attendees included Charlie Chaplin, Lawrence of Arabia, Grace Kelly and Winston Churchill.
Now the house and ground are home to over 1,000 animals and 92 units of accommodation in 14 different styles.
How would you describe your dining experience?
We offer many styles of dining in our three restaurants and on-site cafes. The garden room is our all-day dining restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a laid back unpretentious British style. Babydolls serves homemade sourdough pizzas and pasta, and Bear Lodge serves grills, burgers and a selection of family-friendly meals.
Afternoon tea is served in the grand mansion and when the weather allows tea, lunch and bar snacks are served on the Mansion Terraces or in the Moroccan Courtyard.
Of all the facilities the resort offers, which is your favourite?
Despite the range of hospitality services on offer perhaps the Giraffe Safari, or any of our big cat or rhino experiences has to be my favourite. After all, where else in the UK can you get close to and feed these magnificent creatures in the company of experienced and passionate guides? You just have to remind yourself you are in Kent.
What makes a stay at your resort stand out from your competitors?
Undoubtedly the interaction with the animals. Port Lympne was the first to develop this style of resort in the UK and is at the forefront of conservation and care for the species based at our parks. As a Charitable body, the profits from our business activities are used to further our conservation goals and rewilding aims.
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