The Mermaid Inn, East Sussex, UKHistoric Rye stay with award-winning dining

Exclusive deal

Four Poster room
Rye

Property details

Escape to a historic smugglers' inn behind a stunning Tudor façade in Rye, with award-winning dining - includes breakfast
  • Historic stay: Mermaid Street in Rye exhibits some of the best antiquity to be found in the UK, and this extends all the way to The Mermaid Inn, originally built around 1156. Ships' timbers were used in the reconstruction in 1420, and fireplaces were risen from French stone scavenged from the harbour. Not much has changed since, making this a truly unique destination in the East Sussex countryside.

  • Award-winning dining: Boasting two AA Rosettes, the restaurant offers British and European cuisine. Medieval artwork by the Slade School of Art adorns the walls, which are covered in linen-fold wooden panelling. The infamous Hawkhurst Gang of Smugglers once frequented this historic spot, smoking their pipes with their pistols leisurely laid on the table.

  • Characterful rooms: The unique and historic interiors extend all the way to the guest bedrooms, where low beamed ceilings, latticed lead windows and antique beds await – the Four Poster room is an experience truly reminiscent of the hotel's roots. Previous visitors include Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Prince Edward.

How to get there

The Mermaid Inn is just a five-minute walk from Rye station, with connections from St Pancras, London Waterloo East and London Victoria, all with just one change.

Entry requirements


The passport, visa and health requirements at the time of booking can be viewed on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for UK citizens, and on the Department of Foreign Affairs website for IE citizens. It is your responsibility to ensure that you and all members of your party are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents, and in compliance with any other immigration/entry requirements before you travel, including whether your passport must be machine readable or which visas/waivers may be required for entry, such as ESTA for USA travel and/or ETIAS for EU travel. Please also be sure to check the validity of your passport and allow up to 10 weeks for passport renewals.

Location and what's nearby

static map

Mermaid Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7EY

Rye is a picturesque town located in the East Sussex countryside. It was described by the Victorian poet, Coventry Patmore, as "a little bit of the old world living on in pleasant ignorance of the new" and we're not in mind to argue. It's a truly charming place, with cobbled streets, mysterious passages and ancient buildings, all set near the East Sussex coast.

You're just on the border of the High Weald Area of National Beauty which extends all the way from Horsham to the south coast. Indulge in some bracing country walks in these surrounds, or pootle down to Camber Sands, one of the coast's best-loved beaches. 

Five-star booking service? You bet.

Need additional help with your booking? Call our Concierge team on + 44 2039 807 015 (Monday to Sunday, 9am-6pm).

Consumer's information

This booking is for accommodation only and Secret Escapes are acting as an agent of the accommodation provider. Your contract is with the accommodation provider The Mermaid Inn. The Secret Escapes Terms and Conditions Sections A and B as well as our cancellation terms apply to your booking. Travel is not included.

Secret Escapes Limited a company registered in England & Wales under number 07026107, registered office 88 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6AA. © Secret Escapes 2019