England - Travel Blogs & Travel Guides: 2025

The Alternative Guide To Hastings, England

There are plenty of unique things to do in Hastings, including sampling delicious homemade food, visiting a hipster barber shop, feasting on chic desserts, skating, enjoying live music and staying in boutique accommodation.

Hastings is a classic English seaside town. I visited last June and enjoyed a fun, but perhaps slightly unoriginal day trip. It was Hastings for first-timers! I tucked into fresh seafood by the fishermen’s huts, played miniature golf, rode the funicular up East Hill, shopped for cute souvenirs, checked out the sweet shops, and took photos of the candy coloured beach huts. Oh and I even received the traditional Hastings welcome – a dalliance with a seagull who took one look at my tasty ice cream, and thought ‘I’ll be having that…’

Minus the interference with the seagull, it was everything I wanted from my first visit. When the team in Hastings sent an invite to see the town in a different way, I was intrigued. By different I mean: a) off season (hello winter) and b) not treading the obvious path. I sent a big fat yes, received a few Southeastern train tickets in the post, and headed down in the middle of February. It’s easily accessible by train, and only takes an hour and a half – perfect for those craving a change of pace from city life.

My trip was timed perfectly to coincide with one of the town’s biggest festivals: Fat Tuesday. Running for five days and nights, the town’s bars and pubs celebrate with a varied schedule of live music. The climax is on Fat Tuesday itself, (aka Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras) – the day of my trip. This year over 20 acts were playing, and I was excited for a night of bar hopping!

But first, it was time to explore a few sights I didn’t see last time. I spent most of my time in the areas known as Trinity Triangle, White Rock and the America Ground. It’s a small area with a fiercely independent vibe. I thought the main High Street in Hastings had this covered, but this small area close to the pier has a lot going for it. There are places that have been trading over 30 years, and new spots breathing new energy into the area. Stylish barbers? Tick. Record store? Tick. Organic food store. Tick. Funky homeware store? Tick. Hey there’s even The Cake Room. What more could you need?

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Exploring the park in front of Hotel Du Vin Wimbledon

Forget the tennis, there’s another BIG reason to take a trip to SW19 – for a relaxing getaway at Hotel Du Vin Wimbledon!

When it comes to mini-breaks, London might not be your first choice, but that’s where a hotel like this is just perfect! It has the feeling of being in the countryside, set in beautiful parkland and close to upmarket Wimbledon Village, yet you’re just a short tube ride to the bright lights of the city. It really does offer the best of both worlds.

I visited in October, enjoying the Eat.Love.Stay package, which included a three course dinner, a glass of wine per person, an overnight stay and a full breakfast the next morning. So, time to find out more… what’s the hotel like? Where is it? Who’s it suitable for? And most importantly – is the food any good?!

Hotel Du Vin Wimbledon: Hotel Overview

Hotel Du Vin has a collection of smart hotels around the UK, many in unique and historic buildings. I was familiar with the brand after eyeing up their gorgeous hotel in Brighton many times! Cannizaro House, their Wimbledon outpost, is a large 19th Century house overlooking Cannizaro Park – a sprawling collection of parkland and gardens that was looking particularly pretty as Autumn rolled in. There was a sense of grandeur as we entered, peeking through to the bar, lounge and the floor to ceiling glass of The Orangerie. After reading about the history, it felt appropriate to hear the house had hosted the likes of Lord Tennyson and Oscar Wilde! It was quintessentially British in character.

The beautiful lounge of Hotel Du Vin Wimbledon

Hotel Du Vin Wimbledon: Style and Décor

I loved the bar and lounge area of the hotel, which is both sophisticated and cosy! In the centre of the lounge there’s a striking circular banquette with seating around it. To the side, a fireplace with an ornate marble mantelpiece, topped with bottles of champagne. There are tall columns topped with gold, mirrors with thick gold frames and chandeliers. It definitely feels like somewhere you’d visit for a special occasion. Just beyond is The Orangerie, Hotel Du Vin’s restaurant where we enjoyed both dinner that evening, and breakfast the next morning. What a room! While it’s a lovely open space (with retractable roof and huge doors opening straight out into the park) it’s the view of Cannizaro Park which makes it extra special. The greenery is uninterrupted, with the autumnal colours of red, orange and brown making it especially pretty.