Hotels by the sea
Soar Mill Cove Hotel - Three Night Midweek Break Special Offer
Salcombe
Binoculars are supplied for dolphin- spotting at this much-loved, family- friendly hotel. Bedrooms have glass doors leading to patio or balcony, views of cove and coastal gardens, or National Trust countryside. Wild-flower walks and beach days beckon.
Talland Bay Hotel - 'Blooming Flowers and Spring Showers' Special Offer
Talland-by-Looe
There is such a spirit of caprice about this cliff-top hotel, with its playful décor, its sub-tropical gardens filled with whimsical sculptures. A place for leisure and pleasure, with sea views from many bedrooms, alfresco dining on the terrace.
Knockinaam Lodge - Early May Availability Special Offer
Portpatrick
A ‘wonderful country house hotel in a peaceful location by the sea’ this former Victorian hunting lodge comes with panelled walls, log fires, period furniture, the obligatory stag’s head, a dazzling array of malt whiskies, and views across the water to Northern Ireland.
La Sablonnerie - Suite Upgrade Special Offer
Little Sark
Arriving at this pretty 17th-century farmhouse with roses round the door ‘is part of its enormous charm’: guests are met at the ferry from Guernsey in horse-drawn carriage and clip-clop over La Coupée, a dramatic, narrow isthmus 80 metres above the sea.
The Nare - Traditional Four Day Break Special Offer
Veryan-in-Roseland
The prices might look ‘eye watering’ at Toby Ashworth’s family-friendly, dog-loving Edwardian hotel in a fantastic position above sandy Carne beach, but they are ‘great value for this level of luxury’.
The Atlantic Hotel - Free Dinner Offer
St Brelade
Overlooking St Ouen’s Bay on Jersey’s west coast, The Atlantic has a hint of ocean-cruising glamour with its retro, streamlined looks, fine dining and emphasis on relaxation.
Romney Bay House - 'Easter Weekend by the Sea' Special Offer
New Romney
In the elemental landscape of Romney Marsh, between English Channel and golf course, this remote 1920s house, built for Hedda Hopper by Clough Williams-Ellis, is an oasis of warmth and civilisation. Bring boots and binoculars, not bucket and spade.
Moonfleet Manor - Two night Weekend Break Special Offer
Fleet
‘An excellent place for a family reunion with young children’, this Georgian manor house above Chesil Beach, on Dorset’s Jurassic coast, has a seriously impressive list of facilities.
Fowey Hall - Two Night Weekend Break Special Offer
Fowey
A new ‘cool contemporary look’ combines with ‘a huge sense of fun’ at this Victorian mansion on a hilltop with ‘beautiful views’ over the Fowey estuary, fondly believed to have been Kenneth Grahame’s model for Toad Hall.
Titchwell Manor - Complimentary Pre-Dinner Cocktail Special Offer
Brancaster
With views to the north Norfolk coast and the reed beds and lagoons of Titchwell Marsh RSPB nature reserve nearby, this characterful family-friendly, dog-friendly hotel is set in a Victorian farmhouse.
The White Horse - 'Complimentary Fizz' Special Offer
Brancaster Staithe
There are Brancaster oysters and beer- battered cod on the bar menu at this family-run inn with views across the salt marshes to the sea. Close by are miles of unspoilt honey-hued sandy beaches, perfect for kite-surfing.
Trefeddian Hotel - Summer 'Kids Go Free' Special Offer
Aberdovey
A hotel for family holidays, not boutique or trendy, but relaxed, with the beach just across the road, sea-facing lounges, packed lunches to order, children’s supper, tea on the terrace, a putting green, and good, old- fashioned hospitality.
Seaham Hall - Spring Break Special Offer
Seaham
A striking sculptural fountain in front of a white classical porticoed facade is a clue that this spa hotel offers luxury with a contemporary edge.
Cary Arms & Spa - 'Dogs stay free in May and June' Special Offer
Babbacombe
You can arrive by sea and moor at this secluded hotel, which clings to the cliffs above the Teign estuary. Beach huts in tropical coastal gardens have wall-to-wall glass doors, a sunbathing deck, views across Lyme Bay.
The Dial House - Free Bottle of Wine Special Offer
Norwich
You might fancy you are in a Parisian garret, in the mysterious east, on safari, or (mama mia) in a Venetian palazzo, when you book into Hannah Springham and Andrew Jones’s hotel, with rooms themed on the Georgian Grand Tour and Victorian globe trotting.
Polurrian on the Lizard - Spring Special Offer from £159
Mullion
In a ‘wonderful clifftop position’ on the Lizard peninsula, this relaxed hotel exults in stunning coastal views over Mount’s Bay.
Watersmeet - Three Night Midweek Break Special Offer
Woolacombe
Perched above Combesgate beach, this former Edwardian gentleman’s retreat benefits from ‘wonderful’ clifftop views.
Lewinnick Lodge - Complimentary Breakfast Special Offer
Newquay
Atop the craggy Pentire headland, this cliff-edge hotel looking north along the Cornish coast dispenses ‘fabulous’ views and the soothing sounds of the Atlantic.
Knockderry House Hotel - Two Night Mini-Break Special Offer
Helensburgh
By the shores of Loch Long, romantic turrets and towers add to the Scottish country house experience of Beth and Murdo Macleod’s dog-friendly hotel.
The Blakeney Hotel
Holt
Kids enjoy crabbing and mud, glorious mud, on the quay at this well-run hotel. Older guests prefer local crab in a sandwich with chilled Picpoul de Pinet. All love north Norfolk’s unspoilt beaches, the indoor pool, seal trips to Blakeney Point.
Hell Bay Hotel
Bryher
Outside, calm protected beaches and dreamy views of outlying islets. Inside, rooms with a breezy New England style, an acclaimed collection of Cornish art and a menu highlighting gloriously fresh produce from the Isles of Scilly. Its crab shack is a popular summer fixture.
Talbooth House & Spa (formerly Maison Talbooth)
DEDHAM
‘It felt like staying with friends, albeit very hip ones,’ says a Guide insider, of the Milsom family’s hotel outside Colchester, in a ‘wonderful setting’ where windows frame views of Constable’s Dedham Vale.
The Pier at Harwich
Harwich
With its belvedere and striking iron-lace balcony, this hotel is a distinctive presence on the quay of a port town on the Stour and Orwell estuaries.
Morston Hall
Holt
Thirty years after they first welcomed guests to their knapped-flint former farmhouse on the edge of the marshes, Tracy and Galton Blackiston preside over a thriving hotel with Michelin-starred kitchen.
The Seafood Restaurant
Padstow
The words Padstow and Rick Stein go together like fish and chips, and his flagship restaurant offers stylish rooms so you can totter up to bed after your fill of the sea.
Driftwood Hotel
Porthscatho
Sink into a recliner on the terrace at this cliff-top hotel, and you can gaze out at ‘panoramic sea views’ over Gerrans Bay – or lie back and think of New England, prompted by the seaside-chic decor.
Star Castle
St Mary's
You can take tea on the ramparts or imbibe history along with a St Agnes gin in the Dungeon Bar at the Francis family’s hotel, occupying an Elizabethan artillery castle within star-shaped fortress walls.
Porth Tocyn Hotel
Abersoch
The first generation of children to stay at this family-run hotel will be grandparents or great-grandparents now, but the timeless beauty of the view across Cardigan Bay, the fun of a safe sandy beach, great food and warm hospitality are as they ever were.
Cnapan
Newport
Second-generation hosts, Judith and Michael Cooper with their son Oliver, welcome new arrivals with tea and Welsh cakes in the lounge or in the ‘lovely’ garden at their pink-washed Georgian house on the bustling main street of this small town on the Nevern estuary.
The Colonsay
Isle of Colonsay
It's a scenic crossing from Oban to this island of white-sand beaches, where the one hotel stands on a hillside overlooking the harbour with views to neighbouring Jura.
Argyll Hotel
Isle of Iona
The best tables in the sun lounge gaze across the water to Mull at this owner-run hotel occupying a row of crofters’ cottages. Menus embrace locally caught fish, hand- creeled langoustines, crab and lobster, organic garden produce.
The Airds Hotel
Port Appin
'Spectacular views' across Loch Linnhe to the Morvern mountains are available from some of the rooms, from the fine-dining restaurant (Relais & Châteaux), and from the waterside gardens just across the road from this former ferry inn.
Gregans Castle Hotel
Ballyvaughan
There isn’t a castle, but there is a 15th-century tower house, built for the ‘Prince of the Burren’, the unearthly glaciokarst landscape said to have inspired J R R Tolkien.
Rathmullan House
Rathmullan
Overlooking the long sea arm of Lough Swilly, this Georgian house in wooded grounds on the Wild Atlantic Way, is family-run and family-friendly. There are play facilities, an indoor pool, a choice of dining options, a beach at the end of the garden.
Scarista House
Isle of Harris
The only sounds are the soughing of the sea and the cry of gulls at this remote Georgian manse in an 'extraordinary setting' between a three-mile sandy beach and heather-clad mountains.
Bedruthan Hotel and Spa
Mawgan Porth
‘The location is stunning, the views as the sun sets truly magical’ from this family-run, cliff-top hotel and spa, with acres of Scandi-style relaxation space, squashy sofas, and plenty of things to do, from relaxing in a spa pool to surfing at the beach.
Kinloch Lodge
Isle of Skye
‘A great place to stay if you’re after excellent food and high standards of comfort’, the family home of Lord Macdonald and his wife, cookery writer Lady Claire Macdonald, is ‘in a beautiful position’ on the shores of Loch Na Dal.
Burgh Island Hotel
Bigbury-on-Sea
A sea tractor ferries guests across the sands to this white concrete Art Deco edifice on a tidal island, built as a party venue in the 1930s, and what a swell party it is!
Tresanton
St Mawes
Olga Polizzi’s labour of love has been contrived from a former yacht club and fishermen’s cottages to create a harmonious whole. Works of Cornish art hang in sea- facing bedrooms. Dine alfresco, enjoy the beach club, sail on a vintage yacht.
Cley Windmill
Cley-next-the-Sea
A Norfolk icon, this19th-century windmill, rising from reed beds by the River Glaven, has wonderfully characterful guest rooms in the tower and converted outbuildings.
Hotels by the sea
British weather aside, the summer is in full swing, and it’s the perfect time to head to the seaside. With bucket and spade in hand, whether you’re looking for a family holiday or a romantic mini break, British beach hotels have a reputation for historic charm and the most spectacular scenery across England, Scotland and Wales.
The variety of hotels is something we often talk about – you hear seaside and it’s so often simply connected with family holidays. Of course, there are few places as charming or as wholesome as our beaches to take children to enjoy the summer (or indeed a bracing walk in the winter), but there’s also a wealth of opportunity for a luxurious or romantic break.
Chewton Glen, the famed spa hotel in New Milton for example, has a glowing reputation as part of the Relais & Châteaux collection for wonderful food, pristine surroundings and a sophisticated experience. With a view to counter all others, on the other hand, Soar Mill Cove Hotel, just outside the seaside town of Salcombe, has been wowing visitors for decades, nestled as it is into a dip in a valley that meanders down to a quiet beach – perfect for a quiet swim if you dare.
In Scotland, the rugged beauty of the landscape is really something that belongs in storybooks. A favourite location amongst hikers and those seeking adventure, the likes of Romney Bay House, surrounded by shingle beaches and marshland is a delight for the senses. Alternatively, the Channel Islands has a wealth of spectacular escapism to offer, including La Sablonnerie, which we have visited time and again, in love as we are with the 16th-century farmhouse that has been operating as a hotel since 1948.
This is a selection of all of our hotels by the sea.