Short stay in the tower is only for big spenders
Pricy break costs more than the Ritz hotel
The immaculate manor near Ashford, offers elegance and luxury in manicured grounds. A one-night stay in the luxury suite will cost you around £120, while two nights in a standard double costs £315. Set in a picturesque setting on the Kent shore, Lodesman Cottage at the North Foreland Lighthouse in Broadstairs has stunning views out onto the sea. A two-night stay in March will cost you £521. Holidaymakers keen on a Gothic getaway can now book up a short stay in a real-life Rapunzel Tower – but at £700 for a two-night stay, it costs more than the Ritz.
The grade I listed Hadlow Tower was built in 1838 having been commissioned by wealthy businessman Walter May as a means to keep an eye on his wife who he suspected had been sleeping with a farmer in the village.
In the Second World War it was used as a landmark by Luftwaffe pilots on their way to London and provides spectacular 360 degree views across the Medway valley.
The 170ft tower, off Hadlow High Street, was included in the top 100 most endangered historic buildings in the world in 1998 by the World Monument Fund and can now be rented for week-long and short-break stays.
Paula Alexander, from Holiday Cottage compare, said: “We do really well for quirky and unusual properties. We have some extremely unusual places including lighthouses around the UK and this is at the top.
“The tower appeals to the shortbreak market with more and more people choosing a short break rather than a week away.”
The five-floor tower was badly damaged during the great storm of 1987, leaving its then owner with a repair bill of more than £1 million.
A compulsory purchase order from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council then forced the owner to sell the property to charitable trust Vivat for just £1.
A £4 million restoration project was completed in September 2013, but when the Vivat Trust entered liquidation a private buyer is reported to have bought it for £425,000.
Sleeping six guests in three bedrooms, the restoration includes an octagonal dining room and lounge with a large fireplace and a wood-burning stove.
The tower offers guests a minimum of a two-night stay, with prices from £700.