Hotels in Maidstone

Surrounded by rolling hills, meadows that are a sea of reds and blues and gently flowing rivers, Maidstone is perfectly nestled amid the idyllic Kent countryside. Its town center is thriving with fascinating museums, historic attractions, lush green parks, buzzing bars, and restaurants offering tantalising international dishes. Its links to London make it a great base for exploring the hustle, bustle and many cultural sites of the Big Smoke, too.

Things to see

Having been lovingly restored to its full former glory, Leeds Castle is a must see site while in Maidstone. Surrounded by a majestic moat, the castle's honey-colored stone and towering turrets make an almighty impression. Inside you'll find antique furnishings, lavish tapestries, and colorful paintings while outside you can get lost in the Yew tree-lined maze, watch armoured knights on horseback joust for victory and picnic in the expansive lush, landscaped grounds. Maidstone's not short on wide green open spaces, with Mote Park the largest of all. Covering over 450 acres, you can row on its large shimmering lake, sit back and watch the white swans glide on the waters or amble through its mature parkland. White Horse Wood Country Park, set within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is home to the medieval ruins of Thurnham Castle, as well as traces of an Iron Age settlement and over 20,000 oak, ash, silver birch, wild cherry, and crab apple trees while Teston Bridge Country Park with its red and blue meadows sits beside the River Medway and is an idyllic spot for fishing, relaxing, and playing with kids.

Hotels in Maidstone

Maidstone's a fairly large county town and there are plenty of options when it comes to places to stay. Country house hotels set in sweeping grounds are ideal for those seeking peace and quiet amid the Kent countryside and offer convenient amenities like flat-screen televisions with satellite channels and free breakfasts, and some also offer indulgent luxuries like in-room massages. More centrally located hotels in Maidstone range from big chain names offering modern rooms with WiFi, indoor pools, and spa services to smaller guesthouse and B&Bs catering to more personal stays.

Where to stay

If you want to be in the heart of all the action and within strolling distance of Maidstone's many shops, bars and restaurants as well as its lush green parks and myriad of museums, the city center is the ideal base. The surrounding Kent countryside with its bright red poppy-filled meadows and rolling green hills, is home to plenty of rural B&Bs and lavish country piles that are within easy reach of the city center and surrounding must-see sites like Leeds Castle.

How to get to

The nearest major airport to Maidstone is Gatwick which is around 42 miles away. You can catch a train from the airport to Maidstone East which routes via London Victoria and takes just under two hours. There are three train stations in the town, with Maidstone East directly linking to London Victoria as well as Ashford International which receives Eurostar services from France and Belgium. Maidstone Barracks (the most centrally located) and Maidstone West both have direct trains to Tonbridge and Strood. The very center of the town is compact enough to explore of foot, but to get to Leeds Castle a car will come in handy.