Tourism Profile in the South East

Hotel Supply

The Thanet resorts have a total of 20 hotels with 896 rooms between them. Nearly three quarters of this supply (73%, 656 rooms) is located in Margate/Cliftonville, with a further 16% in Ramsgate and the remainder in Broadstairs and the surrounding rural area.

There is no 4 star hotel in any of the resorts, but there are five three star hotels representing just over 20% of the rooms. Nearly half the supply is in 2 star hotels. There is only one budget hotel — the 44 room Premier Travel Inn at Margate. There is also a sizeable stock of lower grade accommodation — 8 hotels in all with nearly 200 rooms between them. Most of the hotels are small in size, other than the 265 room Grand at Margate.

Thanet Resorts Hotel Supply — by Standard — 2003
Standard Estabs Rooms % of Rooms Av. Size of Hotel
4 star - - - -
3 star 5 200 22 40
2 star 5 440 49 88
Budget 1 44 5 44
Country Inn 1 13 1 13
Lower Grade 8 199 22 25
Total Supply 20 896 100.0 45
Thanet Resorts Hotels — by Size and Location — 2003
Hotel Location Rooms Grading
Smiths Court Margate 50 3 Star
Grand Margate 265 2 Star
Lonsdale Court Margate 63 2 Star
Glenwood Margate 57 2 Star
Walpole Bay Margate 42 2 Star
Clintons Margate 13 2 Star
Premier Travel Inn Margate 44 Budget
Elonville Margate 23 Lower Grade
Westbrook Lodge Margate 10 Lower Grade
Belair Margate 58 Lower Grade
Ocean View Margate 31 Lower Grade
Comfort Inn Ramsgate 44 3 Star
Ramada Jarvis Ramsgate 58 3 Star
Royal Albion Ramsgate 19 3 Star
Fayreness Ramsgate 29 3 Star
Pegwell Bay Ramsgate 25 Lower Grade
Oak Ramsgate 12 Lower Grade
Castle Keep Broadstairs 29 Lower Grade
Velindre Broadstairs 11 Lower Grade
Stanwell Hall Staines 18 2 Star
Crowne Inn Sarre 13 Country Inn

Hotel Demand

3 Star hotels in Ramsgate averaged 71.5% in 2002. Weekday occupancies are high with weekend occupancies strong in some hotels, less so in others. Demand is steady throughout the year with January and February the only quieter months. Room rates averaged £48 in 2002. The mix of business in Ramsgate 3 star hotels is 68-70% business, 30-32% leisure; Pfizer is the key corporate client. Leisure demand is made up of leisure breaks, weddings and events. There is evidence of consistent and significant declined weekday demand in Ramsgate

In Margate/Cliftonville, 2/3 star hotel performance varies significantly, but a number of hotels are achieving occupancies of 75-85%. The market tends to be highly seasonal and biased towards leisure business, with coach business being the mainstay for many hotels. The contractor market is also important for hotels especially out of season. This impacts upon average room rates, which are low as a result. However, there are individual hotels attracting a local business market and leisure break demand.

Hotel Development Opportunities

The Thanet resorts are changing; a series of major regeneration schemes are underway in Margate and Ramsgate that will result in changing the face of these resorts as visitor destinations. The Ramsgate Renaissance project involves a £50 million investment in the waterfront and harbour; investment here to date and a series of events are already generating new markets for the resort. A major masterplanning exercise underway for key seafront sites in Margate will incorporate the new Turner Gallery of Contemporary Art, expected to attract 300,000 visitors.

The performance of key hotels together with the prospects for growth on the back of major investment here is likely to result in an expanding market for certain hotel products and locations. These include: