20 of the best British beach hotels
Soar Mill Cove Hotel - 20% Discount Staycation Saver Special Offer
Salcombe
A single-storey hotel enfolded in a gorse-clad valley, a stroll through National Trust land to the eponymous cove, has been in the Makepeace family for three generations.
The Nare - Coronation Celebrations Special Offers
Veryan-in-Roseland
‘A year spent without a visit to The Nare is a year wasted,’ writes a returning guest of this perennially popular country house hotel overlooking the sands of Carne Bay.
Bedruthan Hotel and Spa - Advance Purchase Special Offer
Mawgan Porth
Seen through walls of windows, the sea is a huge presence at this family-run hotel ‘in a fabulous location’ on the cliffs above a surfers’ beach.
Trefeddian Hotel - 'June Breaks and Midweek Escapes' Special Offer
Aberdovey
The Cave-Browne-Cave family have kept a welcome in the hillside at their big, white hotel above Cardigan Bay since the days of silent film, when men wore bowler hats to the beach.
Seaham Hall - 'Dine & Stay' Special Offer
Seaham
Garden suites with hot tubs, a state-of-the-art spa, brightly coloured sofas under gleaming chandeliers . . . this country house hotel offers luxury with a contemporary edge.
The Old Coastguard - Winter Escape Special Offer
Penzance
‘My favourite hotel anywhere in the world,’ writes a reader, of this welcoming pub-with-rooms in an enchanting fishing village.
The Scarlet - 'Two Night Spend Time Together' Special Offer
Mawgan Porth
Eco values as well as enjoyment are fundamental to this cliff-top hotel, with sea thrift-covered roof, sweeping curves, reed-filtered pool and walls of windows to soak up the light and the seascape.
Cary Arms & Spa - 'Celebration Hideaway' Special Offer
Babbacombe
A cosy beamed pub is the warm heart of this hotel, in the shelter of wooded, red sandstone cliffs that reminded the young Queen Victoria of ‘a ballet or a play where nymphs appear’.
The Blakeney Hotel
Holt
‘A wonderful reminder of the delight a well-run, imaginative hotel can offer,’ reads one of many good reports of this family-friendly hotel with shimmering vistas over estuary and salt marsh.
Driftwood Hotel
Porthscatho
‘A very nice hotel with its own private beach, secluded and quiet,’ writes a reader of this cliff-top hotel in gardens overlooking Gerrans Bay.
Tresanton
St Mawes
‘You feel as though you’re on the French Riviera’ at Olga Polizzi’s seaside hotel ‘in one of the most idyllic locations you could hope to come across’.
Penally Abbey
Tenby
You would need a heart of stone not to be charmed by the creeper-covered facade of this Strawberry Hill Gothic house, with its pretty ogee windows, decorative eaves and hilltop position above gardens tumbling to the sea.
The Gallivant
Camber
The name says it all: a place to skip along Camber Sands, enjoy backgammon in the bar, chill in the garden or relax with yoga – and with no children to disturb the peace.
The Beach
Bude
The old, pointy-gabled Victorian Summerleaze Court Hotel hardly knows itself these days, with its cool New England style and sunny terrace above a sandy surfers’ beach.
The Pig on the Beach
Studland
There is a fairy-tale aspect with more than a hint of Hogwarts to this 1820s marine villa with a sandy beach at the bottom of the garden in a village that inspired Noddy’s Toy Town.
The Seaside Boarding House
Burton Bradstock
A playful mix of Edward Hopper’s Cape Cod and Edwardian seaside hotel, this white-painted villa above Chesil Beach has an easy-going stylishness, conducive to fun.
Fowey Hall
Fowey
‘The friendly, local staff are all smiles’ at this fun, stylish hotel occupying a baroque Victorian mansion on a hilltop above the Fowey estuary.
Boskerris Hotel
St Ives
Welcome to cloud nine, an adults-only hotel floating above Carbis Bay, where you can sit over a cream tea on a decked terrace, away from the bustle of hip, arty St Ives.
The Grand Hotel
Eastbourne
A ‘perfect position for walking on the Downs and the beach’, this majestic, white Victorian hotel is on the seafront and has views stretching along the coast.
Britain has plentiful coastline. From Cornwall to Scotland, and from the Welsh coast to the Kent sands, there’s a beach for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly hotel or a romantic room with a view, there’s a perfect seaside place to stay for you. This selection is taken from our seaside hotels.