THE LIBERTINES UNVEIL THE ALBION ROOMS RESIDENCE

The Libertines are equal parts delighted and gobsmacked to announce the grand opening of The Albion Rooms Residence in Margate on Friday, September 25th Rooms start at £114.00 a night and are available to book now from: www.thealbionrooms.live The opening sees the completion of a three year transformation of a five storey Victorian building overlooking the sea at 31 Eastern Esplanade Margate, CT9 2HL.

After the big makeover, The Albion Rooms, a one-of-a-kind boutique residence, now features seven individually decorated rooms with new conceptual design curated by The Libertines for comfort, functionality and Great British aesthetic pleasure. Conveniently located with timeless views across the Thanet Coastline in one of the most up-and-coming seaside towns in the UK, The Libertines are proud to be part of the vibrant rejuvenation of Margate.

The Libertines acquired the keys to the Albion Rooms, in September 2017. Peter Doherty describes The Albion Rooms as “A fine Arcadian bolthole, a perfect place for prophets new inspired, to recline, write, record, with rejoicing and knees up a plenty.” Says Carl Barât: “It might be a while before we challenge The Savoy or The Grand Budapest in the hotel stakes, but we’ve put a lot of love into this. Meanwhile it’s a colourful and inspiring home for the Libertines and I look forward to the Albion Rooms being our very own Warholian Factory.”

The seven room residence makes the most of its heritage and premier location on the Margate seafront. All rooms include upgraded bathroom facilities, beautiful soft furnishings and subtle references to the Libertines and their lyrics are featured throughout. The Albion Rooms also comprises a restaurant, coffee shop, two bars and a state of the art recording studio.

The Rooms: Apple Beats have generously equipped each room with a sound System. The penthouse was coordinated by the famous print design house Anna Hayman (famous for their luxury velvet fabrics). The rooms were overseen by Rhiannon Sussex a creator of bespoke interiors, infused with a boldly elegant and glamorous aesthetic with an expertly curated mix of vintage and contemporary objects. All beds are by Nimbus, allowing guests to purchase their mattress to replicate their stay once they return home.

The Restaurant: the kitchen offers three individually curated menus including a unique fine dining experience, overseen by renowned chef Joe Hill who has been head chef for some of the biggest names in the industry – Gordon Ramsay, Tom Aikens and Hamyard Hotel. Joe utilises local ingredients to create sexy, considered and irresistible menus.

Arcady Coffee House: situated in the upstairs bar, serves its own Libertines house blend, coffee and brunch seven says a week until 4pm. A fantastic mix of healthy and naughty options as well as drinks, pastries, bites and cakes to have in or take away. Open daily to both residents and non-residents from 6pm, pop in for a classic or Libertines inspired cocktail or a wine.

The Waste Land: the downstairs bar, is the artistic hub of The Albion Rooms hosting poetry, life drawing, music, dancing and comedy. The name is a homage to the T.S Eliot poem, written two doors down from The Albion Rooms, whilst Eliot was recuperating from a nervous breakdown. Opened at the end of last year serves a bar menu including the famous burgers (The Albion, The Pigman, The Can’t Stand Me Cow) as well as an extensive snacks menu.

The Albion Rooms have partnered with Scottish punk beer specialists Brewdog to create their very own ‘Wasteland IPA’ (infused with the botanical ingredients of The Libertines’ Gunga Gin distilled, blended, bottled and labelled by hand in small batches at Silver Circle Distillery in Monmouthshire. Available now at The Albion Rooms and online from: www.thealbionrooms.live Riot Squad have also created an exclusive vape with Gunga Gin oil.

The Albion Rooms will be utilised as an installation art space and studio, hosting a collection of artworks by local artists. It’s a perfect place to relax and recharge and experience Margate’s temperate climate and glorious sunshine. The Albion Rooms are just a few minutes’ stroll from The Turner Contemporary, The Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, Dreamland and the rest of Margate’s myriad iniquitous delights.

The Libertines have worked with many local craftspeople to refurbish and supply the hotel including:  Haeckels natural skin care and wild fragrance company based in Margate who use hand-harvest seaweed from the Margate coastline as the base for all of their 100% natural products to create shampoo, body wash… Rocket St. George, Junk Yard Deluxe, Paraphernalia, Scotts and Valentine’s Vintage in Whitstable.

‘Wasteland Live’ will be launched later this year, featuring live sets from established and local musicians. Art & design at www.thealbionrooms.live  is by Chu in conjunction with Tribes.