Events as big as your imagination
Happiness
is a place
All Private Events at The Gallivant are individually curated so they deliver your exact requirements.
Each one handled with the same attention to detail and professionalism that you would expect.
Enriched with engaging experiences to elevate your event to something that is both memorable and effective.
We are proud to be members of Mr & Mrs Smith and Small Luxury Hotels of the World. They represent 500 of the best independent luxury hotels across 90 countries.
What sets us apart
Closer than you think
With the closest sandy beach to London with direct transport links that take just over an hour door to door, we are the ultimate coastal location in the UK.
Your exclusive beach house
The Gallivant will become your private beach house by the sea, typically exclusively yours for the duration of your event.
Flexibility
The flexibility of our beautifully considered spaces for meeting, relaxing, wellness and eating means you never need to compromise your aspiration.
Wellness is in our DNA
Exceptional on property wellness practitioners that can build into your event a unique program of experiences aligned to your participants.
Your menu not ours
Amazing food experiences that are rooted in delivering happiness, locally sourced and that have sustainability as their starting point.
The Gateway to English wine
With our exclusive partnership with one of the leading English wine Estates we can offer guests unique access to the Estate only 20 minutes away..
A team that genuinely care
Truly memorable experiences in hotels are created by humans. That's why we put so much energy into attracting the right people and then mentor them to be great at their job whilst retaining their personality and kindness.
A location that works
Located 30 minutes from Ashford we are quick and easy to get to from central London. The high-speed train from St Pancras to Ashford takes 40 minutes and by motorway it’s just over an hour.
From further afield, Gatwick is 85 minutes and Heathrow 120 minutes.
Lydd airport, 15 minutes away, has a 1,500 metre runway with ILS, RNAV and NDB instrument approaches. It can handle aircraft up to Boeing 737 / Airbus A320.
How we manage our impact
We are committed to reducing our impact on the world, improving our sustainable working practices and creating a working environment that we can all be proud to be associated with and recognised for.
Harry Cragoe, our owner, started this mission in earnest from 2016. It's a genuine philosophy and not a box ticking exercise.
As a hotel in a small village we recognize that our workforce diversity may be limited due to the demographics of the local area but we are proud to have acheived a 65% female team vs 54% in the rest of the UK.
You can see our Sept 2023 Sustainability credentials here
(We are always improving these - the next update will be published April 2024)
Considered inside and out
The Gallivant feels more like a private house than a hotel, overseen by a truly happy team that are here to make you and your guests smile.
This creates an environment of comforting familiarity that allows your group to completely relax so they can focus on the important stuff.
Whilst all our spaces are individually designed and curated with an exacting level of detail, we are also very flexible with their use so your event delivers exactly what you want it to.
The WOW factor
Not many property’s are set behind an enormous sandy beach.
Most of the year it’s deserted, and we take full advantage – hosting everything from yoga, wild swimming and barefoot drinks while the sun sets.
And if you're looking for a location for a shoot you can be confident you've come to the right place - its been featured in countless fashion shoots, music videos, TV productions and Hollywood blockbusters.
Wellness is in our DNA
With a combination of our proximity to the sea, our partnership with Bamford Spa and India, our amazing resident wellness practitioner, we can offer an un-rivalled program of wellness experiences.
So, as well as calming yoga in our studio, relaxing massages and facials in our Bamford Cabin, stand up paddle boarding and hosted wild swims in the sea, we can also offer:
- Moonrise yoga in the dunes
- Stargazing yoga in the dunes
- Wild Incense Wands
- Solstice Sound Bath in the dunes
- Equinox Tea Ceremony
- Supermoon yoga in the dunes
- Ecstatic Dance and Sound Bath
The Gateway to English wine
The Gallivant has partnered with Gusbourne Wine Estate, the leading English wine producer.
Located only 15 minutes from us, our guests receive exclusive access, opportunities to taste direct from the barrel and unique hosted tastings of latest releases and rare library wines.
England is probably the most exciting wine region in the world right now and a visit should be on every wine lovers bucket list.
With quality so good there has never been a better time to visit to taste some of the best wines whilst enjoying the off grid luxury of The Gallivant.
Exceptional Experiences
Wild swimming in the sea
Hosted wild swims with one of our open water swimming coaches.
Barefoot drinks party on the beach
With one of the most pristine sandy beaches in England on our doorstep hosting a barefoot drinks party for your guests is an opportunity too good to miss.
Outdoor kitchen / BBQ's
Al fresco dining is a great way to add variety and interest to your event, bringing your guests in close contact with ingredients, the cooking process and our chefs. Our terrace and coastal gardens make the perfect backdrop.
Wellness classes in the dunes
When the weather is fine we can host most of our wellness classes either in the dunes over looking the beach or directly next to the sea on the shoreline. This setting is unique and truly memorable that only hightens the wellness experience.
Hand crafted menus, individual for you
With a belief that good food makes everything better we have an amazing team in the kitchen that make food you want to eat, more often than not from a menu that you have had a hand in creating.
Nico and his team effectively become your personal chefs using British ingredients exclusively and where the only limitation is your imagination.
The food we will produce for your event will be exceptional, local, sustainable and served when you want it. It is cooked mainly over an open fire using sustainably sourced charcoal from local woods.
We should also mention our wine list. For 7 years we have only listed English sparkling wine and have one of the biggest English wine lists of any restaurant anywhere in the world. We are proud to be able to say that almost 50% of the wine we sell every year is British.
Rest assured
A blast of sea air. Sensational beds. A beautifully thought-out room.
Every one of our twenty bedrooms is delightfully comforting with an informal, coastal vibe, full of interesting art, books you want to read and curated pieces. Most open into the coastal garden, with its natural scheme of billowing grasses and drought tolerant planting overlooked by maritime pines.
And if you need more rooms we have a number of beautiful coastal houses, some directly on the beach, that your group can expand into, with The Gallivant acting as the 'home' of your event.
Day events
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- One of our meeting rooms
- Audio visual equipment that seamlessly connects with Mac or PC
- Un-limited fibre broadband
- Delicious refreshments and lunch
- A member of our team assigned to your event for the duration
FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS
- Our famous house breakfast
- Working lunch full of local, seasonal ingredients
- Delicious and nutritious pick me ups throughout the day - granola bars, home baked cookies, energy balls, fresh fruit bowls, juices, superb coffee and energising teas
From £150 + vat per person
Overnight events
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- A beautiful bedroom for single occupancy
- One of our meeting rooms
- Audio visual equipment that seamlessly connects with Mac or PC
- Un-limited fibre broadband
- Delicious refreshments, including a working lunch and dinner
- A senior member of our team assigned to your event for the duration
- Wellness class in the Open Space studio or on the beach
FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS
- Morning breakfast brioche buns with coffee on arrival
- Working lunch full of local, seasonal ingredients
- Delicious and nutritious pick me ups throughout the day - granola bars, home baked cookies, energy balls, fresh fruit bowls, juices, superb coffee and energising teas
- An exquisite three course dinner, served in our private dining room
- Our famous house breakfast
From £465 + vat per person
Exclusive use
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Access to all of The Gallivant, inside and out, for activities, meetings and dining
- All our bedrooms to allocate as you wish
- The flexibility to run the timing of your itinerary as you wish
- Freedom to deliver your branding objectives, using specialist contractors if needed
- Audio visual equipment that seamlessly connects with Mac or PC
- Un-limited fibre broadband
- Delicious refreshments, including breakfast, lunch and dinner
- At least two senior members of our team assigned to your event for the duration
- Wellness class in the Open Space studio or on the beach
FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS
- Our house breakfast on arrival and on the day of your departure
- Individual lunch menu specifically for your event
- Delicious and nutritious pick me ups throughout the day - granola bars, home baked cookies, energy balls, fresh fruit bowls, juices, superb coffee and energising teas
- Individual dinner menu specifically for your event, typically cooked over an open fire and presented to your guests by one of our senior chefs
- The option for drinks, lunch and dinner to be served in one of our beautiful outside settings, the terrace or coastal garden
- The option for lunch or dinner to be a gourmet BBQ cooked in front of your guests on the terrace or in coastal garden
From £12,500 + vat
Trust us, it's all about our people
Conor Sheehan
Hotel Manager
Before joining us Conor worked for 15 years at Soho House in a number of senior operational / management roles, Ace Hotels and Tillingham Wine Estate. His super power is creating exceptional customer experiences overseeing our team of 40.
Nico Fitzgerald
Head Chef
Nico smiles a lot and that sense of happiness is in his food, a celebration of exceptional local produce. The bespoke menus his team of 10 will cook for you will be memorable and a highlight of your time with us (he's a BBC Masterchef finalist).
Lindsay Austin
Guest Happiness Manager
Lindsay's boundless energy and positivity helps make everyone feel uplifted and happy. This helps everything run smoothly without you having to worry. She oversees a team of 8 who are focused at creating happy guests.
Awards and reviews
In the press
THE BIGGEST TRAVEL TRENDS FOR 2023 | Conde Nast Traveller
THE HOTTEST DESTINATIONS TO TRAVEL TO IN 2023 | The London Evening Standard
TIMES 100 TOP BRITISH HOTELS
The Sunday Times
Recent awards
EVENTS VENUE OF THE YEAR 2022-23 | Beautiful South Awards
TOP 50 BOUTIQUE HOTELS 2023 | No 26
TOP 50 UK BOUTIQUE HOTELS 2022 | No 27
Recent clients
Next steps
Come down and have lunch with either Sarah or Dasiy
so we can show you around, go for a walk on the beach and talk about your event.
And if you are thinking about Exclusive Use come down and stay the night as our guest - there's no better way to appreciate everything we have to offer.
Call Sarah or Daisy on 01797 331 581
or email below