County town Maidstone lies on the A20 (M). Its Archbishops’ Palace Stables houses a remarkable collection of antique carriages. Nearby at Lenham, another of our favourite Hotels in Kent Chilston Park, another Handpicked Hotel, sitting in its own 23-acre park. It overlooks a lake, has a fine restaurant and the room which we stayed in was actually in an outside converted stable – very comfortable and with good, discreet service. A smaller and less luxurious but good value Hotel in Kent might be the Harrow Hill at Warren Street, near Lenham. South-east of Maidstone is Pevsner’s ‘Loveliest House in England’ Leeds Castle, where Kings have trodden the floorboards and wandered in the Capability Brown-designed grounds. Today concerts and son et lumiere takes place there in the summer.
South of Maidstone is Boughton Monchelsea Place, an Elizabethan manor house with battlements, Tudor kitchens and displays of farm implements. Continuing South, you come to Sissinghurst Castle gardens, designed by Harold Nicholson and Vita Sackville-West, near to Tenterden. Here is another Signpost Hotel in Kent Little Silver Country House Hotel, with exceptional gardens. Next to it, one of the Golf Hotels in Kent, is the London Beach Country Hotel, Spa and Golf Club. Biddenden has the Michelin-starred West House Restaurant.
Tunbridge Wells, a Spa since Victorian times, boasts a number of good Hotels in Kent, The Spa with health club and extensive gardens, formerly owned by the Goring family (of Goring Hotel, Victoria, London fame). The Hotel du Vin, near the station, is part of the stylish chain and certainly one of our favourite Hotels in Kent. It is a very popular place in the town centre. 
Best hotel in Sevenoaks is probably the Donnington Manor, with 15th century origins, one of the oldest Hotels in Kent. Two good inns in West Kent are The Star & Eagle in Goudhurst and the George Hotel & Brasserie in Cranbrook.