I have just returned from a 2 night stay at the Blue Pigeon and can't tell you how impressed I was with the service food and rooms which were provided. I stayed in the vintage room which was an absolute delight. The staff were helpful on places of interest around the area and the barman chef and watress we had throughtout our stay were professional and friendly and very caring. lastly may I say that Marylyn really makes this place tick she is a fantastic character and her personality shines through in all that she does Thank you Marylyn and all your staff for such a wonderful weekend we will be back!!!!!!!

When you walk into the blue pigeons pub/ b&b it is the most amazing welcoming feeling that you could possibley have, the rooms are boutique and can make you feel like your in 4 different worlds, the continental breakfast was so amazing better than we have ever had, beautiful fresh fruit and yogerts ham cheese, the whole experience in the blue pigeons well WORTH, no wonder it won 3 in a bed.

We stopped off at the Blue Pigeons on Thursday night en route to a seaside weekend, and had such a great time we came back for the Saturday! So welcoming, lovely bar, fabulous food and above all, welcoming host, staff and locals alike. The rooms are quirky, clean and comfy (not 4 star hotel but all the better for that!). Nice radiator was off on arrival, allowing our temperature control. The evening meal was absolutely delicious, breakfast just what was wanted and great strong coffee. Return visit for the halloween party night lived up to expextations, such a good atmosphere, all the bar staff were exeptionally friendly. Lovely quiet village and a very handy base to visit Deal, Sandwich, Margate and surrounds. Good luck to Marilyn and Team!!

As an American family living in Europe, we have certain preconceptions (call them stereotypes if you like) of British culture, living, and food. We found the Blue Pigeons a charming example of British country life, as we had expected. Quirky is certainly the word that prevails at the Blue Pigeons, but don't let this be an obstacle ; if you can put aside certain expectations of "normal" hotel or B & B accommodations, and embrace the ambiance, then you will come away from the experience richer than when you went in.

We found Marilyn to be a gracious hostess, helpful in almost every way (even giving us a lift to the nearby train station at Sandwich & shared her spaghetti with our hungry youngest daughter...). The rest of the staff were equally friendly and helpful. The evenings with the local townspeople and mingling with them were probably our favorite part of the stay : special mention to Roy and Dave, both the spitting images of local British pub-goers that we always imagined (or recall seeing on British TV...). Had we been back on Wednesday evening on time (no thanks here to Southwest Rail, who made us late getting back from London thus missing the local chatter), we would have been returning the favor of the rounds bought by Roy that made us feel like a local Sandwicher.

The rooms were clean and comfortable, although there were some negatives nothing that I would qualify as an obstacle to staying here. Yes, the Spanish room wasn't terribly Spanish (but who really cares ?), didn't have a TV remote and therefore only had 4 channels on the TV (this is more of a issue when you have teenage kids staying in that room). Probably be a good idea to replace the remote, get all the channels on the telly and this would cease to be an issue. The Vintage room was nicely furnished, probably too nice for a family with a small child, but does sleep 3 comfortably (if the third is small enough to sleep on the daybed).

The food was good both times we ate dinner although there was considerable wait the second night. As we weren't in a big hurry, we made nothing of it, although the kids were impatient. The breakfasts were hearty and well cooked, I can't say I've had enough English breakfasts to compare this one favorably, but what can you say ? How much criticism do you need to offer up for eggs, beans, sausage, mushrooms, tomato and bacon ?? Pretty straightforward in my opinion. Yes, the radiator did make a horrible noise at one point, but it went away when I turned it down and the boiler did go out in the night leaving the heat off and no hot water. Should I hold that against Marilyn for not having an efficient heating system ? Hey, it is an old vicarage so you have to expect some issues related to the age of the building. Probably could use double pained windows as you do get street noise (bells were not a factor for us, heard them maybe twice...) for the rooms overlooking The Street.

The kids enjoyed the garden and Marilyn's cute dog but in all honesty this is a better spot for couples rather than large families. While we felt at home, comfortable and well treated, I wonder if the real objective shouldn't be on the pub itself and not all the events and special occasions... ; as we say in the US you can put lipstick on a pig but it remains a pig. Not trying to make any comparison here mind you, its just a saying !! Blue Pigeons will and should be a public house, local flavor and fellowship and good, honest food. Anything else will transform it into something perhaps that it is not. But you have to give Marilyn credit for trying to make it different, and in that particular respect, she has succeeded.