Mr & Mrs Smith

Drive out to beautiful Peasmarsh (the home of Paul McCartney's recording studio) for the day and explore the walking routes and pubs. For a traditional Sunday Roast with all the trimmings, try the beautiful old coaching inn The Royal Oak in Brookland. If it's a nice day there is a patio to sit on in their garden at the back. If you're in the mood for some shopping, Bird in Rye High Street stocks some beautiful one-off designer pieces created by some of the best labels in the industry. Further afield, re-developed Hastings now has some fabulous vintage shops.

I have to recommend the Classic Car Package: it's by no means cheap but the look on my boyfriend's face when I surprised him with the most beautiful 1963 Jaguar E Type for the weekend will stay with me forever. Take it on a road trip from Rye to Brighton with the top down – good times guaranteed. As for the George itself, I would advise against Room 2 – it's billed as a luxury room but it's small and overlooks the inner courtyard of the pub which can get noisy. Room 9 however is lovely: big, full of character and very peaceful.

Had a fabulous birthday at The George in Rye, which is a fabulous little gem and an unexpected find in the higgledy-piggedly medieval town of Rye. The staff were friendly and helpful, and staying in a old coaching inn with modern touches is charming. The decor and styling of the hotel is eclectic and cozy and the hotel pub The George Tap is buzzy with a cool vibe you would expect to find in a city bar with a varied clientele of all ages. Enjoyed a room upgrade without even having to ask and had a wonderful reasonably priced dinner in the hotel restaurant, the twice baked gruyère soufflé, the scallops with chorizo salsa and the romney marsh lamb were melt-in-the-mouth. The town of Rye is charming and quirky, recommend having a drink in the Mermaid Inn, which is steeped in history and has the biggest open fire we have ever seen. For superb fish and chips and great service Dinos fish and chip shop, a five minute walk from the hotel in the high street, is superb. If I wanted to be ultra critical we found a seven pound room service charge a bit steep for two glasses of champagne delivered to the room, but otherwise would definitely stay there again and highly recommend it to other members.

If you are looking for a decent wine list and a reasonable (though not entirely intimate dinner) then opt for the hotel's restaurant. I asked for a dinner recommendation and was told to go to Webbe's Fish Cafe for good seafood. Though it obviously has a good reputation, it was too much of cafe for my liking, especially as I was planning a special dinner. Definitely take the time to drive over to Camber Sands for a beautiful walk on the beach and dunes.

Great Dixter house nearby has the most fabulous gardens, the best English garden I have seen.

Also, Smallhythe Place, which was the home of Ellen Terry the actress, is a wonderful romantic small Tudor house.

Firstly parking is an issue as the High Street where The George in Rye is situated is both very narrow and busy. You will be certainly lucky if you manage to get to park outside and drop your bags off. Parking is relatively nearby and cheap in the nearby market car park at £1 for 24 hours, this however is not good for visitors that have a problem with walking as the hill is very steep and it is a good five minute walk.

Upon arriving on a Sunday lunchtime the hotel was very busy, which was to be expected given the reputation of the hotel. Although this does mean that the chances of you being able to check in promptly were extremely slim, if not non-existent. Finally after about a 10 min wait and a member of staff finally walking past we were able to check in.

We were shown to our room (seven) and our bags promptly followed. I was surprised that some of the rooms were on the Main High Street, thankfully our room was on the street to the side of the hotel. The room was on the small side, this I could excuse given that we were in the lower end of the Hotel’s pricing structure. What I couldn’t excuse was the state of the carpet. It had more stains than the front room of any halls of residence living area. I wouldn’t expect this from a hotel that was so popular and one that appears on Mr & Mrs Smith.

Thankfully we were moved to another room (three), which was everything I expected from The George in Rye, well decorated, comfortable and with the Aveda/Ren products you find in hotels of a similar nature. Although the room was again situated on the street to the side of the hotel, it did not pose any problems with noise.

The Courtyard is a lovely place to enjoy a few afternoon drinks with the sun beating (weather depending) down on you. To accompany your afternoon drinks the bar (The George Tap) has a good selection hot and cold of bar snacks available.

The restaurant focuses on a Mediterranean theme with a focus on fresh and seasonal ingredients, sourced from the local farms. Although we were too late to book a table in restaurant (it is advised you book early), we ate in The George Tap. The food (Seared wood pigeon breast, Ribeye steak, and Vanilla pannacotta) on the whole was well prepared, rich in flavour, and good value for money. As for the service: The food was delivered promptly and we were well looked after by the bar staff.

Overall I would suggest that the service you receive from the staff can be hit and miss depending on who might be working, although none of the staff seem particularly well trained compared to other hotels of this nature.*

For somewhere to eat away from The George in Rye then I would recommend The Fish Cafe. For those looking for light snacks, the café will provide from 11 am onwards, whilst on the first floor the restaurant opens from 6 pm to 9 pm every night of the week. A function suite provides ample space in this historic listed building for up to 70 people. There is no denying the obvious and fish predominates on all the menus but carnivores and vegetarians are by no means precluded.

In the café expect to find a good range of starters, shellfish platters, main courses and puddings with a special menu for children. Much the same approach prevails upstairs in the restaurant, except that the choices tend to be rather more sophisticated and substantial, which is naturally reflected in the prices.

*Please note: since Matt visited, the hotel has changed their General Manager and has recruited some new staff.

We had a fantastic 24 hours at The George – absolutely lived up to – in fact, exceeded all its promises. Dinner and breakfast were delicious. We were tempted to have lunch there too but thought we ought to venture out. Katie, the owner, recommended a pub just down the hill in Rye called The Ship. It was spot on. Blazing fire, lots of comfy chairs to choose from and quirky original decoration. Delicious lentil, ginger and lemon soup followed by scallops and risotto for me and chicken liver on toast for my husband. Highly recommended.

Had a lovely lunch of bubble and squeak with bacon and eggs in the Hope and Anchor pub overlooking the harbour.

A fantastic hotel for a cold winter weekend! Make sure you book into the Aveda spa for some treatments. There's nothing nicer than coming back to the hotel after being pampered, to curl up in front of the fire with a bottle of red wine. Bliss!!

Arriving at the hotel was like stumbling onto a secret. Beautiful entrance, with attentive and friendly service from the quaint main desk reception. The room was elegant. We ate at the hotel restaurant, wherethe food and service were excellent. I highly recommend a visit.

Having recently stayed at the George in Rye I can thoroughly recommend the hotel for a romantic getaway. After dining in the hotel restaurant on our first night (very good), we ventured to the Fish Café on Tower Street for our second evening. Attentive service, good wine and well worth the visit for the reasonably priced seafood. We both ate lobster for a fraction of the price we'd normally pay in London. On a much-needed and awaited romantic getaway, and after a marriage proposal written in the sand on Camber Sands that morning, my partner and I were only interested in each other and our bottle of celebratory champagne.