A storied hotel where history meets heartfelt hospitality

The Royal Wells Hotel, perched gracefully on Mount Ephraim in the genteel spa town of Tunbridge Wells, a jewel in Kent’s crown. Its origins stretch back to the elegant Georgian era, when this handsome coaching inn welcomed dignified travellers seeking water cures from the nearby Pantiles springs. The carriage horses clattered on cobbles, their riders alighting into a world of refined parlours and genteel conversation.

Over the centuries, these walls have witnessed the ebb and flow of English society, quiet afternoon tea in sumptuous lounges, the occasional visit from Princess Victoria herself, whose royal coat of arms still adorns the façade. Come Victoria’s reign, the graceful Victorian frontage was added, a testament to the era’s architectural flourish.

Time, however, tested its stones and yet the Royal Wells was not resigned to memory. In 2015, following a sympathetic £2.4 million restoration, it emerged in renewed splendour. Vintage charm received a chic update, roll-top baths gleam, soft linens whisper of comfort, and contemporary design warms every corner, from the cosy bar to the chic dining spaces.

Today it’s less a relic and more a renaissance, a place where tradition flirts with modernity. Giant bay windows frame verdant views over Tunbridge Wells’ leafy townscape, while the service is as warm and polished as a saloon door swung open with gracious confidence.

Just a saunter from the Georgian Pantiles promenade, where costumed “Dippers” still serve chalybeate spring waters, the hotel is the perfect base for walks through the High Weald or refined shopping and afternoon tea adventures.

This is not merely a stay, it’s an unfolding narrative, old-world elegance interlaced with contemporary comforts. The Royal Wells Hotel is a heritage embraced and reborn for our modern desires.