CABÜ by the Sea, Kent: A Family-Friendly Review

CABÜ by the Sea manages to pull off the increasingly elusive balancing act of being stylish and yet also family-friendly. Affectionately described by returning guests as ‘Center Parcs for millennial mums’, CABÜ sits on the Kent coastline, combining Scandi-inspired cabins, communal outdoor living and interesting family facilities with the sort of design details that make aesthetically minded parents weak at the knees. We visited for a weekend getaway, arriving after school on Friday and heading home on Sunday. And I’ve come to realise these no-annual-leave-required resets are some of my very favourite holidays. Two nights away can feel surprisingly transformative when you’re somewhere this lovely. That said, don’t mistake CABÜ for a quick stopover. There is so much to do on the doorstep, from some of the UK’s best beaches and charming seaside towns to wildlife parks, that it could just as easily replace your usual week-long European holiday in the summer. We checked in to see whether CABÜ really lives up to the hype. Here’s our first-hand family review

Words by Frankie Collinson

Published: 15th June 2026 | Last updated: 23rd June 2026

Your most asked questions, answered

CABÜ by the Sea: What Makes It So Good For Families?

CABÜ has managed to crack something a lot of family-friendly staycations never quite achieve: creating a place that feels equally designed for parents and children. At first glance, with its Scandi-cool cabins, nature spa and impeccably curated interiors, you could easily assume it’s geared primarily towards couples. From photos alone it gives ‘Soho House by the Sea’ vibes. But beneath the beautiful aesthetics lies an incredibly family-focused setup. The gated grounds layout gives children a joyous sense of freedom, with safe spaces to scoot, cycle and make friends, while the communal feel means impromptu playdates often form within hours of arrival. The heated outdoor pool (open March-October) is a magnet for little ones in summer, while vintage wooden games and nearby beaches provide plenty of opportunities to burn off energy without anyone uttering the words ‘screen time’

What makes CABÜ particularly clever is that it understands family holidays aren’t just about keeping children entertained – they’re about making life easier for parents too. While kids are busy splashing in the pool or making friends, adults can book into the Nature Spa, soak in the wooden hot tubs, unwind in the barrel sauna or even enjoy a cocktail delivered directly to their spa session. It’s this balance – freedom for kids, relaxation for parents and beautiful surroundings for everyone – that makes CABÜ feel so special. The result is a family break that manages to be both wonderfully laid-back and quietly luxurious, proving that travelling with children doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style along the way

What’s included for Families at CABÜ by the Sea?

Tiny Traveller Highlights

Cots & highchairs available
Bikes to borrow, including with child seats
Go-karts for zooming around the grounds
Table tennis
Direct beach access
Two heated outdoor pools (one toddler-height) (open March–October)
Swim nappies available to purchase
Suncream available if you’ve forgotten yours
Baby food pouches, children’s pasta, ice cream, chocolates and holiday treats available in CABÜ Corner
Safe, gated grounds where children can roam, ride and make holiday friends

Parental Perks

Licensed Cabin Club Bar serving cocktails, wine and beer
Nature Spa, featuring two hot tubs, a sauna and cold plunge tub (one hot tub and sauna session are included per booking. Pre-booking is required and further sessions are £20 per hour. Children have to be over 12 and accompanied by an adult and not allowed to use them after 2pm)
Massage & facial treatments

What’s the dining set up?

CABÜ is technically self-catering…but not as you know it. The usual boxes are ticked, of course. Every cabin comes with a fully equipped kitchen, complete with gorgeous crockery and even your own picnic basket to borrow for beach days. There’s also a Tesco just two minutes down the road if you need to stock up. But trust me when I say you’ll want to pay a visit to CABÜ House, which I can only describe as a very boujee general store. The fridges and freezers are stocked with everything from Crosta Mollica pizzas and Allplants meals to deli dips, charcuterie meats and all the essentials for an epic breakfast or BBQ. Music to my ears, there was also dairy-free milk available, alongside plenty of family-friendly snacks including popcorn, olives, teacakes, crisps, S’mores kits and, of course, ice cream. Speaking of S’mores, the Sitooterie is one of CABÜ’s secret weapons. This gorgeous communal space is home to two pizza ovens, two BBQs and fire tables for toasting marshmallows as the sun goes down. It’s the perfect setup if you’re travelling with friends or extended family. You get all the privacy and space of your own cabin, but with beautiful communal areas where everyone can come together for meals, drinks and evenings around the fire. And the best bit? CABÜ is a licensed premises, meaning the onsite bar can shake up cocktails for you to enjoy wherever takes your fancy – in your cabin, by the pool, in the Sitooterie or even from the comfort of the hot tub

Where is CABÜ by the Sea?

CABÜ by the Sea is tucked away on the Kent coastline at St Mary’s Bay, around two hours from London and perfectly positioned for exploring some of the South East’s loveliest seaside spots. Within easy reach you’ll find the vast sandy beaches of Camber Sands, the elegant seafront and independent shops of Hythe, and the increasingly trendy harbour town of Folkestone, home to its vibrant Creative Quarter, excellent restaurants and galleries. Venture a little further and you’ll reach picturesque Rye, famous for its cobbled streets, antique shops and historic charm. It’s a part of the country that effortlessly blends classic British seaside nostalgia – think fish and chips, arcades and ice creams on the promenade – with boutique shopping, gastro pubs, artist studios and some genuinely excellent food, making it just as appealing for parents as it is for children

Best Time To Visit CABÜ by the Sea?

With a heated outdoor pool, sand and sea just steps from your cabin, Kent’s epic coastline on your doorstep and holiday-worthy touches like a spa, hot tubs and an onsite cocktail bar, I’d argue CABÜ by the Sea is one of the few UK destinations that can genuinely rival a week-long summer trip abroad – the sort where you genuinely won’t regret not booking those plane tickets. My kids love swimming, so for me March – October would be the sweet spot – when the pool is open. That said, summer isn’t the only season when CABÜ shines. Autumn and Winter often bring quieter attractions and a slower pace, making them brilliant months for families not yet tied to school holidays. There’s something particularly special about returning from a windswept beach walk to a cosy cabin, lighting the log burner and settling in for the evening

Cabins

Center Parcs for the Pinterest generation

We stayed in a two-bedroom, dog-friendly Beach House and, if I’m being completely honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so lovely. Usually, whenever four-legged friends are involved, the aesthetics get dialled down a notch and you can sometimes feel like you’ve been allocated the room for the poorer relations. That couldn’t have been further from the case here. There was absolutely no design discrimination for bringing a dog. You walk into a small but perfectly formed kitchen, complete with a hob, microwave, kettle, fridge and every utensil you could possibly need, before moving into the open-plan living space. Here, CABÜ’s famous Crittall doors frame the grounds beyond, providing that real ‘wow’ moment. The living room centres around a log-burning stove, with two seriously comfortable sofas dressed with throws to protect them from muddy paws and sticky fingers alike. There are thoughtful, tongue-in-cheek touches everywhere, including coffee table books on ‘cabin porn’, which felt entirely appropriate given the setting. Off to one side is a compact shower room, while the sleeping accommodation consists of a master bedroom and a separate bunk room, which my children absolutely adored

I loved the little luxury additions that elevate CABÜ beyond your average self-catering stay: think cocktail shakers waiting for sundowners, dressing gowns to borrow, beautiful crockery and even a clothes horse for drying swimwear

Cabins range from one-bedroom studios through to three-bedroom houses, and some even come with their own private hot tubs (for children over 12). Safe to say I’ve already got my eye on one of those for our return visit. The overall feel is chic but child-friendly in the very best sense

The magic of the grounds is actually quite difficult to describe and I’ll do my best to do them justice. As a child, I spent a fair bit of time at family holiday parks. And I remember something really special about that sense of freedom – spending entire days outdoors with cousins and friends and only returning when somebody called you in for dinner. As an adult, though, holiday parks don’t tend to align with my aesthetic or relaxation requirements quite so well. CABÜ somehow manages to capture all of that nostalgia whilst feeling undeniably grown up. The site is gated at the front and opens directly onto the beach at the back, creating a safe, enclosed environment where children can enjoy a level of freedom that’s increasingly rare. It’s the sort of place where bedtimes are quietly forgotten for a few days. Parents sit outside their cabins with cocktails in hand while children whizz around on bikes and go-karts, making new friends and squeezing every last drop out of the evening

Kids Entertainment

Beach. Pool. Repeat

For most children, the undeniable highlight of CABÜ will be the pool area. There’s a proper swimming pool alongside a separate toddler-friendly splash pool (both heated and open March-October), surrounded by cabanas and deck chairs that somehow manage to feel more boutique hotel than UK staycation. We visited in May and can confirm the water was genuinely warm enough to swim in. In fact, we arrived after school on Friday evening at around 6pm and before we’d even fully unpacked, my children were straight in the pool. The beach is also quite literally on your doorstep, accessed via a gate at the back of the grounds. My children loved tearing off there first thing each morning while I appreciated being able to take the dog for a 7am walk with absolutely no logistics or driving required. To the left you’ll find a dog-friendly stretch of beach, while the section to the right has seasonal restrictions during the summer months. The sea itself isn’t the prettiest and it’s not advised to swim in due to water quality, but the sand is fantastic, soft, expansive and perfect sandcastle-building territory

What to do locally?

Days Out Done Right

A pram-friendly promenade runs all the way to Dymchurch, around a 30-minute walk or just a couple of minutes by car. Here you’ll find all the classic British seaside staples: arcades filled with retro games, 2p machines that my children became completely obsessed with and a charming little funfair that’s perfectly geared towards younger children. Then there’s Dungeness, around a 20-minute drive away and unlike anywhere else in Britain. Wild, windswept and wonderfully peculiar, this vast shingle peninsula feels more Iceland than Kent, with weather-beaten fishing huts, enormous skies and enough dramatic scenery to fill an Instagram grid several times over. Train-obsessed tiny travellers shouldn’t miss the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway either. The miniature steam trains have been delighting children for generations and somehow remain just as magical today as they were a century ago

If you’re looking to venture further afield, Port Lympne Safari Park is just a 15-minute drive away and is, in my opinion, one of the best family days out in the UK. Think giraffes, rhinos, lions, safari truck adventures and enough animal encounters to keep little explorers happy all day long

Folkestone is around 20 minutes away and makes a brilliant family outing. The Creative Quarter is packed with independent galleries, coffee shops, artisan ice cream parlours and some seriously good seafood restaurants. Down on the Harbour Arm you’ll find even more independent food traders, a beach bar, a lighthouse champagne bar, beachside playgrounds and seasonal outdoor cinema screenings overlooking the sea. And then there’s Camber Sands, roughly 20 minutes from CABÜ and well worth a visit. Unlike much of Kent’s coastline, Camber offers vast stretches of golden sand backed by rolling dunes, making it feel almost un-British on a sunny day. It’s also well worth heading into nearby Rye for cobbled streets, antique shops, independent cafés and one of the prettiest towns in the South East

Our verdict

We visited CABÜ as a family of four for a quick weekend escape and returned home feeling far more relaxed than should really be possible after just two nights away. In fact, these easy, no-annual-leave-required getaways are rapidly becoming some of my favourite types of holidays. Arrive after school on Friday, switch off almost immediately, and be back home by Sunday evening feeling like you’ve really been away. One thing that became very apparent during our stay was how perfect CABÜ would be for a larger gathering. There were plenty of groups of friends and extended families staying together and, if I’m honest, I felt slightly envious. The setup is ideal: everyone gets their own stylish cabin and private space, but there are so many opportunities to come together around the pizza ovens, barbecues, fire pits and communal areas. It feels sociable without ever feeling forced

What I perhaps appreciated most, though, was that CABÜ strikes the balance between offering enough onsite to keep you entertained, whilst never making you feel guilty for leaving and exploring. This isn’t a resort designed to keep you within its gates for a week, and that’s part of its charm. Instead, it feels like the perfect base from which to discover an often-overlooked corner of England. Spend leisurely mornings by the heated pool, head off to explore beaches, safari parks and seaside towns in the afternoon, before returning for the sort of evenings that become family holiday highlights. Pizzas in the wood-fired oven, marshmallows around the fire pits, children racing around with new friends and parents lingering over a glass of wine in the Sitooterie. It’s the kind of setup that gives you the best of both worlds: enough onsite to feel like a proper holiday, but with so much on the doorstep that every day can look completely different. For London and South East families in particular, it’s something of a no-brainer. Book now. Thank me later