Allow me to preface this review by saying I’m a snob when it comes to beaches – especially in the UK. Having grown up on the Cornish coast, I was thoroughly spoiled with a plethora of sandy enclaves and crystal-clear bays to visit after school, on a lunchtime dog walk or on weekend day trips. Kynance Cove, Lantic Bay and Perranporth Beach were practically on my doorstep. Good beaches weren’t the exception, they were the norm – so you’ll understand why I’ve been hard-pressed to find a beach further east that really competes. Then I visited Camber Sands. 

I needn’t wax lyrical about the revelation of Camber Sands’ beauty – but I will. As the only dune system in East Sussex, this wide sandy expanse is home to towering peaks dotted with marram grass and sea buckthorn, while the main beach lies low and flat, lapped by calm, shallow waters. Many compare it to New York’s elitist coastal getaway, the Hamptons, with the five-mile stretch of golden sand regularly ranking as one of the UK’s best beaches. 

Among those who aren’t so ignorant (yes, I admit it) and steadfast in the opinion that Cornwall is the best place in the world (it is, though), it’s common knowledge that this slice of Sussex easily competes with the south west coastline. One thing I will readily admit, however, is that this destination boasts something special my home county doesn’t: The Gallivant. Take it from me; this gorgeous boutique hotel, alone, is enough to tempt even the most discerning to eschew Cornwall for Camber this summer. 

A 10-minute drive from Rye – which regularly scoops awards for being the prettiest town in the UK – this property has stood proudly on Camber’s shoreline since the 1960s, having seen the village evolve from a heritage holiday spot (the now-closed Pontins park is a stark reminder of its former life) to a more upmarket, bohemian and design-led destination home to properties that frequently appear on Grand Designs. The site of the Gallivant, however, chopped and changed hands many times until it fell into the lap of current owners Harry and Sigrid Cragoe in 2010, and who immediately set about putting the former motel back on the map. 

Unassuming from the outside but bold on the inside, interiors pack a punch, with all of The Gallivant’s 20 rooms and social spaces individually designed by former Hollywood costume designer, Sigrid. Rooted in a sense of place, walls across the hotel are adorned with framed vintage swimsuits, black-and-white photographs depicting Camber’s ‘60s and ‘70s heyday, old cartoon postcards, and works by local St Leonards-on-Sea-based multi-media artist Sophie Malpas and Plein Air painter Karl Terry. The reception offers a warm welcome, not only from the staff but from the space, with racks of sunhats, deck chairs and Hunter Wellington boots for guests to use at their leisure. A home from home, indeed. 

Rooms range from Snug cabins, featuring bleached wood and Pinterest-worthy headboards, to Luxury Garden Rooms, which boast French doors opening out onto a shared garden, tactfully divided by gravel paths, large bushes and pear-green garden furniture so you feel like you have the place to yourself. In my garden-adjacent suite – named Cromarty, joining a roster of rooms named after areas in the BBC’s shipping forecast – Cragoe has leant into a Hamptons, coastal-chic aesthetic. A teal headboard and white linen bed centres the space, while sage green panelling and bookshelves frame the room, with titles such as James Joyce’s Ulysses, Pride and Prejudice and Goodnight Mister Tom acting as eye-catching accents. 

Elsewhere, antiques such as ruby-red jewellery box and tarnished gold trays, are contrasted with modern amenities such as Wildsmith products in the bathroom, a flat screen TV on the wall and a fully-stocked mini fridge. Modelled on a Scandinavian beach cabin, the room is separated from the bathroom by a curtain and sliding doors, with a gorgeous rolltop bath with vintage taps sandwiched between a marble double vanity and small wet room decked out in turquoise tiles. 

Interiors follow suit in the main hub of the adults-only hotel: the bar and snug, which bleeds into the Harry’s restaurant (more on that later). Peppered with packs of playing cards, a working piano and a giant drinks cabinet, featuring prized bottles of Château de Lacquy armagnac and Paul Giraud cognac, the snug is the perfect spot for aperitifs and digestifs. Luckily for guests, The Gallivant is no stranger to aperitivo hour, presenting trays of homemade cake everyday from 4pm, before English wine at 5pm, where we were treated to ice-cold glasses of Canterbury’s Simpsons chardonnay on the sun-drenched terrace. 

Nodding to its location among some of the UK’s best vineyards, with Gusbourne, Tillingham and Chapel Down all less than half an hour away, The Gallivant’s wine list is extensive, featuring more than 40 cuvées. Sample some of your favourite bottles with the Drinks in the Dunes package, which includes a perfectly-packaged ‘Camberfornia’ tote filled with beverages of your choice, at just the cost of the bottles. From cans of local lager or pre-mixed cocktails to large pours of ice-cold wine (I opted for London-founded, South of France-sourced Amie rosé) in thermos flasks, take your tote, complete with a warm rug, glasses and ice, into the dunes that are a five-minute walk away for the chicest of sundowners. This is a must for every guest of The Gallivant. 

Return to dine at Harry’s – the in-house restaurant which gave the hotel a lease of new life when it opened last year under former Bibendum chef-director, Matthew Harris. Food critic Grace Dent named it one of the UK’s greatest restaurants outside of London, and it’s now a destination in its own right; Reservations on a weekend are hard to come by but are prioritised for guests. Serving an Anglo-French menu, with 90 per cent of its ingredients sourced from the British Isles, start with jambon persillé with sauce gribiche, sourdough and cornichons – a classic Burgundian charcuterie dish set in a savoury wine gel – and oily, garlicky and delicious escargots to sample Harris’s Gallic gastronomic training. 

Larger plates look to the coast, with skate wing, sole and halibut all mainstays on the menu. You may think of a chicken Kyiv as underwhelming, but Harris’ version was a highlight, served with buttery mash on the side. Staying true to its French roots, there’s also cote de boeuf, and a fennel and red onion tarte tatin, as well as the signature caramelised apple tart flambéed tableside. Bon appétit. 

Breakfast is a very different affair, veering away from the white tablecloth, fine dining vibe in favour of a continental spread to refuel from. Sourdough and croissants sit alongside fresh fruit, ginger shots and a boil-your-own-egg station, or opt for the breakfast tray which delivers local cheese, homemade granola, Northiam Dairy live yogurt, Norfolk ham and Wimbledon Smokehouse smoked salmon straight to your table. Some may grumble at the lack of hot dishes or full English breakfasts – but given the indulgence the night before, a light breakfast made for a refreshing change. 

It certainly proved enough for daily morning yoga, priced at £8 per person and hosted at the on-site studio, the Open Space, and, as of last month, joined by mat Pilates classes every Friday. Not your thing? Get out and explore Camber – Leo’s on the seafront serves great coffee – or enjoy quick sojourns to Rye (Rye Fish Market is a must for seafood fans) and Hastings should you want to venture a little further afield. There’s plenty of gallivanting to be done on The Gallivant’s doorstep – but you’re also more than encouraged to hunker down and relax in this coastal retreat too. 

So coveted are The Gallivant’s 20 keys that 2026 will see the hotel launch its second property, The Gallivant Littlestone Beach, in Kent. Just a 25-minute drive from Camber Sands and sitting on similar sand dunes, this adults-only property will have 13 bedrooms and, excitingly, a Nordic-inspired spa complete with sauna, plunge pool, therapy room and relaxation space with views to the White Cliffs of Dover. Interiors have been created yet again by Cragoe to nod to the Hamptons while invoking the style and glamour of the early 1920s – watch this space. 

I left The Gallivant on a sunny Sunday not only as a Camber Sands convert, but also a loyal Gallivant disciple. News of its second act left me feeling giddy about what this hotel group does next, but also of the mind to encourage everyone and anyone to visit the flagship. Offering style, substance, and sand in, quite literally, spades, this is a seaside getaway steeped in heritage while meeting the needs of the modern traveller looking for laidback luxury just a short jaunt from the city. You better get booking. 

From £397 per night for The Whole Gallivant (including breakfast, English Wine at 5pm, £65pp dinner allowance, and complimentary yoga). 

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