Down the rabbit hole

Published Apr 21, 2015

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London - If you ever wanted to go to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party or follow the white rabbit around a strange world, then you had best head to the south coast of England.

Brighton holds the ultimate fantasy for fans of the Lewis Carroll classic, with not one but two Alice in Wonderland themed houses to stay in.

The Wonderland House in Brighton sleeps up to 24, with tea party sets, Queen of Hearts themed bunk beds or, alternatively, try the snug Looking Glass Cottage with décor inspired by the fantasy story.

Every inch of The Wonderland House is creatively designed to reflect the fantastical story.

The dining room comes ready prepared with teapots, cups and saucers - thankfully without the addition of a dormouse. Enjoy a delicious tea party with multiple cake stands, and chairs designed in the shape of teacups.

Choose to spend the night as the sassy Queen of Hearts in themed bunk beds, or in a separate room as heroine Alice.

Guests will feel like they have stepped into the pages of the popular book, as no detail has been overlooked in bringing the story to life.

From themed flamingo wallpaper and feather light fittings in one bedroom, to crown wallpaper and elaborate mirrors in the Queen of Hearts bedroom, each room takes you through the magical story.

The kitchen even has a chequerboard floor, reminiscent of Carroll’s second book in which the characters represent chess pieces with Alice starting out as a pawn.

Jacqueline Martin designed the incredible house in less than a year, sourcing the materials online from other countries on Ebay and Pinterest, finding trinkets in junk sales, or getting her family to help make bespoke items.

She said: “I have always been mad about the story and it was my favourite Disney film.

“I completed the project while I was pregnant, and the whole family helped.

“My teenage daughter helped by making holes in saucers to make chandeliers, and my husband transformed a teapot and server into a bathroom sink.”

The plush lounge features playing card wallpaper and a kettle lamp, reminiscent of the Mad Hatter.

There is also champagne available labelled with the “Drink Me” tag.

Creatively, in the bathroom guests will find teapots instead of regular taps.

The location of this quirky hideaway is perfect, being right by the seafront in the area of town known as Kemptown.

The house currently holds a perfect 5/5 score on TripAdvisor with many customers singing its praises.

HannahB861 gave it five points and said: “We had an amazing time here for my hen do - everyone loved the house and we were all continually spotting little details here and there that just added to the specialness of the house.

“A lot of my friends asked if we could just move in and never have to leave.”

The five-floor seafront house costs from £450 (R8 000) a night.

For guests requiring a smaller property Looking Glass Cottage could be the perfect themed stay.

This property sleeps up to eight people and is spread out over three floors.

Also owned and created by Martin, this was the first of the properties to be created three years ago.

Following the success of this snug cottage, the mom-of-three branched out to a second, larger house in order to create the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party room.

Looking Glass Cottage costs from £253 a night and guests are advised to book in advance as weekend slots get filled very quickly.

“There has been such a great reaction to the house,” Martin said.

“I get numerous enquiries daily and I am very lucky as there is hardly any damage as people love the house as much as I do.”

Becky Pemberton, Daily Mail

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