The best boutique hotels in Kent, including cathedral views and Tudor-style suites

From castles and cathedrals to seaside hotels and country mansions, Kent boasts a diverse collection of boutique hotels. Intimate by their very nature, these properties offer all the cosiness, discretion and attentive service you want from a hotel while adding more unusual touches such as a landmark cathedral or castle on the doorstep, centuries-old architecture, a rock’n’roll past or sea-view balconies. A few of them also offer out-of-hours and complimentary access to the areas' most sought-after attractions. Here's our pick of the best boutique hotels in Kent, in and around Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Margate, Ramsgate, Sissinghurst and Faversham.

Canterbury’s best-located hotel – situated within The Precincts, the Unesco World Heritage Site Cathedral grounds – is owned by the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury. The distinctly contemporary Lodge is built from local stone and timber to reflect the Gothic lines of the Cathedral, a largely successful marriage of old and new. This, in conjunction with modern and fairly minimalist interiors, lends a slightly institutional feel to the public areas, yet the overriding ambiance is welcoming, peaceful and unfussy. The 29 bedrooms in the main, L-shaped Lodge all offer uninterrupted views of the Cathedral. Access to the Cathedral (£12 per adult) is included in the room rate.

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Sands Hotel is set on Marine Drive, which skirts Margate's sandy beach. It boasts a winning location and sea views; all Margate's key attractions – the beach, tidal pools, Turner Contemporary gallery, Dreamland amusement park and Margate Museum – are within five minutes walk. The slick, slightly superyacht-like interiors provide a soothing if incongruous contrast to Margate's renegade artsy scene. Bedrooms are all decorated to a very high, contemporary (somewhat flashy) standard, with indulgent features such as superbly comfy beds with jasmine silk-filled duvets and pillows, rainfall showers, big bathtubs and mood lighting. There’s also a smart restaurant and buzzing rooftop bar.

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The double-moated Hever Castle dates back to the 13th century and is best known as Anne Boleyn's childhood home. The 28 bedrooms, all decorated with plush fabrics and antique furnishings, are spread between the ground and first floors of the two wings. Deluxe rooms have four-poster beds or roll-top baths – but Feature and Superior rooms add extra space, castle views, ornate four-poster beds, chaise-longues, fireplaces or palatial marble bathrooms (it's hard to beat a soak in the bathtub overlooking the castle). Entrance to Hever Castle and its gardens is included in the room rate, and guests can relax in the Astor Wing lounge and Billiards Room, and use the tennis courts.

• The best hotels in Kent

Originally built in 1766 as a country mansion, the house is steeped in history. The lobby, where afternoon tea is also served, is Parisian opulence with shades of calming blue, glass chandeliers and sofas to sink into. The fine dining Chandelier Restaurant follows a similar theme, with high ceilings, huge sash windows and sweeping, velvet curtains. Bedrooms don’t follow a decorative theme, so while some are a similar style to the beautifully renovated downstairs areas, with dashes of deep greens and velvet headboards and curtains, others might have faux-antler chandelier and four-poster beds, or pine furniture and straw yellow wallpaper.

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An historic Sissinghurst pub that's been tastefully restored into a thriving local's favourite, complete with a restaurant, large garden and four bedrooms. Owners Dane and Sarah Allchorne have retained much of the history of the 16th-century hall house, such as its original timber beams and Tudor fireplace, as well as the village pub feel. The Milk House name stems from the original name of The Street, Mylk Street, and gives rise to a light-hearted dairy theme: fresh flowers are displayed in milk pails, an intimate dining area is separated from the restaurant with plaited hazel hurdles, and staff areas are marked Udderly Private. The overall feel is fresh, relaxed and contemporary.

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A stay here offers a unique opportunity to sleep in the grounds of Leeds Castle, sharing the heritage site with just a smattering of fellow guests in the morning and evening. Dating back some 900 years, Leeds Castle oozes history, romance and intrigue. In addition to self-catered cottages and medieval glamping tents, there are 22 elegant b&b rooms, 17 in the 1930s Stable Courtyard and five in the 16th-century Maiden's Tower. Breakfast and dinner are served in the 17th-century oak-beamed and timber-framed Castle View Restaurant. Other highlights include exhibition centres, falconry centre, Go Ape Tree-top adventure course, and adventure playgrounds.

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Read's, housed in a Georgian mansion on the north Kentish coast, is a smart restaurant with six rooms, owned and run by acclaimed chef David Pitchford and his wife Rona. The manor sits in mature gardens encircled by trees, with a fabulous walled kitchen garden. The first floor accommodates six bedrooms and a pantry, while the ground floor comprises two intimate dining rooms, a drawing room, and light-filled breakfast room. The style throughout is comforting and traditional: think floral curtains, antique furnishings and muted pastel colours. The Pitchfords were friends of artist Ronald Searle, whose Christmas cards and colourful, humorous drawings adorn several of the walls.

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Albion House dates back to 1791 and enjoys a raised position on East Cliff, affording sweeping views of the Royal Harbour and East Pier. With Albion Gardens to one side, Wellington Crescent and the Ramsgate Bandstand to the other, it's ideally located for exploring the town's attractions. The property is run by husband-and-wife team Ben and Emma Irvine, who installed 14 stylish bedrooms and transformed the grand Mayor's Chamber into a popular bar and restaurant, and Mayor's Parlour into a second dining area. Original Georgian and Regency features abound: think elegant cornicing and architraves, intricate wrought-iron balconies and shutter-panelled windows.

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The Pig at Bridge Place was Kent’s foremost rock 'n' roll venue in the Sixties and Seventies and the vibe has been preserved with a decadent, velvety feel in the series of cosy sitting rooms, the bar and the main house bedrooms: think Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithful, Biba. The heart of the hotel is the restaurant, while the huge kitchen garden dominates outside, complete with quail house, hen house and mushroom house. All the well known and much appreciated elements of the Pig hotels are in place, including romantic and beautifully furnished rooms, two Potting Shed treatment rooms, and the barbecue and ‘Garden Oven’ for flatbreads and outdoor eating.

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Set within Port Lympne reserve, home to over 700 rare and endangered animals, this plush eight-room hotel offers a unique opportunity to sleep at the heart of the Aspinall Foundation’s 600-acre park. The Grade II-Listed house was built in the early 20th century for Sir Philip Sassoon in Dutch Colonial revival style. Over the years it has been renovated but very much remains a house built for entertaining in grand style with flamboyantly painted rooms, pools, restaurant, bar, gardens and a large south-facing terrace. Guests get complimentary access to Port Lympne reserve and its sister property, Howletts Wild Animal Park, and all accommodation profits go to the Foundation’s conservation work.

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This sensitively restored medieval pub (dating to 1574) is one of two properties owned and run by chef Matt Sworder and his father. Matt embraces its Kentish heritage while elevating it from pub to restaurant (or, arguably, gastropub) with rooms. Archive photographs and a historical timeline of the building adorn the walls of the wood-panelled, candlelit dining area, with ancient beams running overhead. There are four bedrooms; Dickens (rumoured to have stayed here) and Tourtel on the first floor above the dining room, the Attic Room above and Chaucer to the rear of the property. Sloping floors, low beamed ceilings and original fireplaces are standard.

Contributions by Beth Colmer