A vegan hotel with a rooftop terrace is opening in Margate

The owner of Margate’s popular vegan café, Beet Bar, has big plans to turn a former bookstore on the high street near Margate’s Old Town into a fully vegan hotel with a restaurant and a rooftop bar.

Thanet council has recently approved plans for the former Hooked on Books store at 21 High Street to be transformed into a five-bedroom hotel complete with a restaurant on the first floor and a roof terrace.

Guests will be able to enjoy a relaxing seaside stay when the hotel opens its doors safe in the knowledge that all of the food an drink on offer is suitable for vegans, as well as the toiletries, pillows and bed covers in their rooms.

Owner Paul Blayne, who turned vegan after opening the Beet Bar café to improve his health says it was the natural next-step to turn his accommodation vegan.

Speaking to local news outlet KentOnline, Blayne said: “We had opened two rooms and soon realised with having the vegan food in the bar, it wouldn’t be too much of an ordeal making them vegan.

“So doing away with feather pillows and having all-vegan toiletries. It’s great for vegans but also doesn’t push out those who aren’t.”

Due to the pandemic, work on the hotel is suspended for time being, but Blayne hopes things will pick up soon.