Having recently reached 40,000 followers across our Instagram account, we felt as though a little celebration was in order, and with the cold weather stepping up a notch and sending us spiralling into sub-zero conditions, an invitation to blast away our Seasonal Affective Disorder was extremely timely!
So we were delighted when the lovely folk at Beach Sun Retreat offered us the chance to retreat to the south coast of Kent in Dymchurch for a couple of days of sunlight-filled restoration. It felt a little odd to be packing our summer shorts for a staycation in the UK in January, but pack we did, and headed for the seaside… so why on earth would we be packing shorts for January in England you ask? Well, read on to find out more…
Ever since we added this quirky beach house over a year ago it has been one of our firm favourites, so when we pulled up on the driveway we felt childlike excitement at what was to come! We were greeted with a rather pleasant surprise, a hamper that contained some nice goodies – a bottle of Italian sparkling wine, gourmet biscuits, crisps and a box of chocolates in the hallway of the house.
Moving through to the main living space inside the house and this instantly felt like the central hub of the property, so rather fitting that it contained the pièce de resistance and something truly unique that sets Beach Sun Retreat apart from anywhere else – its very own tropical beach themed sun room!
The sun room is teasingly decorated with a stunning tropical beach backdrop, and comes with sun loungers, towels and a mini sandy beach area to fully create those tropical vibes that are so absent in winter.
The technology is by Real Sunlight, a Swedish innovation that replicates natural sunlight at a steady 30 degree Celsius whilst simultaneously filtering out the harmful UVA and UVB rays that are damaging to the skin, meaning that you can get your endless fill of vitamin D without fear of nasty after-effects – good for the soul, and for overall well-being! So needless to say our group were quick to start shedding their winter layers faster than you could say ‘SAD’ in favour of the sun loungers.
We all agreed the feeling of heat on the skin was more Costa del Sol than Kent, and we even had a set of decks in the sun room for our DJ Dom to spin some beach tunes for us while we took those rays (you get to choose between vinyl, CD, and digital music too). Now that’s what we call essential party ingredients!
We were quite often to be found milling around the sun room area doing our best impressions of lizards, but this actually formed just part of what was a very spacious lounge that was beautifully adorned in a Mediterranean style and filled with driftwood tables and chairs, comfortable sofas, mood lighting cleverly hidden in Buddha statues, large faux-tropical a hanging swing chair, and plenty more besides.
In fact this was something that we discovered in every room of the house, quirky and eccentric details could be found everywhere you looked, from dolphin tap in the ground floor bathroom to the peacock masks adorning the wall of one of the spare bedrooms, the popcorn maker in the kitchen, and then of course there were the themed bedrooms.
From full size wall murals of clock faces with an inviting roll-top bath tub in the Time Traveller Room, a full size swing hanging from the ceiling along (yes, really!) with wood carvings, palm leaf wallpaper, peacock wall murals, handcrafted four poster style twin beds, Indian artefacts and more in the bright and cheery Pondicherry Room.
On the ground floor the Bling room was perfect for those with looking for a midas touch, its gold walls and black ornate bed frame creating a truly elegant finish, and it came perhaps the swishest bathroom in all the bedrooms with a freestanding tub and gold-leaf walk-in shower room – wow factor bathroom if ever we saw one!
Then there’s a surf shack inspired room, ideal for the younger guests with hanging surf board, bunk beds and games console in the room. There really is a room to please everyone here.
From the first floor is a separate front entrance to the house with a wooden bridge walkway leading to direct beach access, and even though our visit was in winter, we could just imagine balmy summer days spent on the beach in the day and returning to the house in the evening, maybe cooking a meal using the really well equipped kitchen with American freezer (with that all important ice maker!), followed by a movie in the plush cinema room, complete with the same crimson wallpaper and cinema seats that cleverly evoke old cinema halls. The popcorn maker was also a great touch!
Evening time in the house was a real contrast too, as the clever mood lighting gave the guest rooms and main living space a very different atmosphere, along with the bar area, and of course the huge contemporary dining table where we enjoyed dinner communal-style. We all agreed it was the perfect house for a group stay where people could relax and enjoy each other’s company with some unique and quirky touches and it was so easy to feel entertained and special here.
In summary, if the winter blues are starting to kick in, or if you want to be close to the sands during the sun-soaked summer months we definitely recommend you arrange a trip with your clan – and your four-legged friend – to the remarkable year-round haven that is Beach Sun Retreat!
Take a little look around Beach Sun Retreat with us:
Video by Adam Wenborn
Music used with Permission, track: Snow Top Artist: Ketsa http://ketsamusic.com/
