Cathedral Gate Hotel — Hotel in Canterbury

Absolutely perfect location, in the middle of the town centre, down a beautiful cobbled street leading to a town square overlooking cafes, specialist shops & boutiques, adjacent to the famous Canterbury Cathedral.

Rooms were spacious, comfortable, luxury toiletries & good quality hot drinks facilities, massive stand fan (we went during a heatwave), soft plush towels, and a good solid bed. Plus complimentary chilled still and sparkling water on tap by reception 24/7. Loved the character of this old hotel, quaint and historic.

The downside only is the lack of ramps or other access for wheelchairs/those with walking or stair climbing difficulties. We found it very tiring with having an infant and trying to manoeuvre with a two part travel system (stroller frame with car seat / bassinet). There were several staircases to climb, roof terraces and outdoor fire exit paths to cross before we got to our room! However I must stress that the staff were exceptional ! In particular Debbie, Nina and Kishan. They were shockingly fabulous in their approach to customer care, offering to carry everything and even carrying our bags on check out to any location we desired. What hotel does that?!!! I saw this team pull suitcases for guests along the street to the train station. The staff would do literally anything to please it’s guests, and this is why I wouldn’t hesitate to return - even with all the stair gymnastics that is involved!

The continental breakfast was amazing. Never before had such a delicious fruit salad with every piece of exotic fruit you can imagine. With the best quality M&S Greek yoghurt, selection of 6 jams, toast, croissants, cereal, all washed down nicely with a pot of tea / coffee. We sat by the bay window overlooking the town square and what a magnificent start to our day. They always asked if baby needed anything and then helped us wheel baby or lift his stroller down the various stairs back to reception where we could store his equipment.

In all my years of travel, with probably staying at 500+ different hotels/accommodations I have only twice ever been taken aback by the superior level of customer service provided - (1) at the now closed Mercure Karnak hotel in Luxor, Egypt, and (2) this amazing place…. Cathedral Gate Hotel, Canterbury, UK.

Well done to the hotel team for making our stay memorable...

We share our wedding anniversary with my brother and his wife (double wedding). We like to chose a different location each year. This year it was either Canterbury or Cambridge. We opted for Canterbury as the overall holiday worked out cheaper. We chose the Cathedral Gate hotel for it’s beautiful rooms and central location. There is no car park but there is one a short walk away. Check the hotel website for parking information. We could have phoned ahead to get the barriers dropped but decided it was not worth it. On reaching the hotel we were met by a lovely receptionist who talked us through everything we needed to know about the hotel and restaurants. Our rooms had been changed from those we selected but the new ones were just as lovely and quiet. Breakfast is continental, croissants, fruit, toast, but you can opt for a cooked breakfast if you want at an extra fee. With all the restaurants, cafes and pubs there is no shortage of food in Canterbury, and we did frequent quite a few! The hotel itself is set over many floors. So if you have difficulty with stairs this may not be the place for you, it is though a fantastic place for hide and seek 😁. It has a small bar in the first floor which overlooks the buttermarket below. It has a few comfy chairs along with a bookcase should you find yourself wanting to unwind with a glass of wine. The hotel is very old and with old buildings comes the quirky floors and doors. The floors are not level and the doors an odd shape. The breakfast room floor is the best but the view of the market as you are eating or just pondering is fantastic. This just adds to the beauty of this hotel along with the staff who are just amazing. They were all really helpful and had a good knowledge of the area and what restaurants would be the best for our anniversary meal. Knowing that restaurant would be busy they booked a table for us. Overall this was a great stay I just wish we had stayed longer. Thank you Cathedral Gate for making our stay a...

The hotel is in the perfect location - literally right next to Canterbury Cathedral and looking over a quaint square in the centre of old Canterbury. And this is what you're paying for.

The room (called 'Cloud') was small, with a small double bed (propped up in one corner with a pile of books due to the sloping floor!), a desk and some hooks and clothes hangers on the wall (no wardrobe), a sink and mirror and (old) TV. The furnishings were nice, and the bed comfortable. I asked for an iron and board, and it was brought to the room. There are two shared bathrooms on the floor, with stand-up showers in, which were both good. I never had to wait for the shower or toilet, and I think the place was pretty fully booked.

There is one small sash window, not double glazed, and the sound from the street comes right up to the room. However, they provide ear plugs which were very effective, and even with the window open (it was hot, and there's no air conditioning), I slept well.

There is a small bar and roof terrace. The continental breakfast was very good, and the full-English (extra £7.50) looked amazing.

Staff were good, but they could do with putting some - any - info in the rooms: there was nothing about wifi (they do have it) or the breakfast or check-out times.

Remember it is an old, crooked, listed building, so you get all the 'charms' that come with it: no air-con, no double-glazing, very steep stairs, very wonky floors. Be prepared for what you get, and you'll have a lovely time. Take advantage of the car parking deal offered, it's better than paying full price down the road. The pub across the square does a very good...