The Good Hotel Guide is the leading independent guide to hotels in Great Britain & Ireland, and also covers parts of Continental Europe. The Guide was first published in 1978. It is written for the reader seeking impartial advice on finding a good place to stay. Hotels cannot buy their way into the Guide. The editors and inspectors do not accept free hospitality on their anonymous visits to hotels. All hotels in the Guide receive a free basic listing. A fee is charged for a full web entry.
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Hotels for Christmas by the sea
Featured Hotels with Special Offers
Harbourmaster Hotel
Aberaeron, Ceredigion
20% Discount Christmas Special Offer
Celebrate Christmas by the sea at the Harbourmaster.
Beachcroft Hotel
Bognor Regis, Sussex
Christmas and New Year Festive Package Special Offer
A stay in Felpham inspired William Blake to write of 'England's green and pleasant land', but it's the beach that draws holidaymakers to the de Savarys' South Coast hotel.
The Nare
Veryan-In-Roseland, Cornwall
'Four Day Break' Special Offer
At this seaside hotel, Christmas is all about home-made mince pies, crackling fires and black-tie dining.
Shieldaig Lodge
Gairloch, Highland
'Romance Getaway' Special Offer
At this magical Highland retreat, you're welcomed in festive style, with a wee dram and Christmas cake, before a three-course dinner. The enchanting surroundings are perfect for waking to on Christmas Day when you can enjoy roaring fires,
big breakfasts, afternoon teas and hot toddies, as well as the full Christmas lunch.
Cary Arms & Spa
Babbacombe, Devon
'25% Off' Winter Special Offer
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.
Knockinaam Lodge
Portpatrick, Dumfries And Galloway
'Knock 30 Package' Special Offer
A Victorian hunting lodge overlooking the Irish Sea, Knockinaam Lodge celebrates Christmas complete with a traditional Christmas lunch, boardgames, Boxing Day suppers, long walks and plenty of time for a good snooze
Bedruthan Hotel and Spa
Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
'Winter Warmer' Two Night Break Special Offer
On show through walls of windows, the sea is a huge presence at this family-run hotel on the cliffs above a surfers' beach, which offers craft sessions as well as a spa and kids club.
The Scarlet
Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
'Essence of Scarlet' Special Offer
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.
Soar Mill Cove Hotel
Salcombe, Devon
Ultimate Coastal Canine Escape Special Offer
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.
The Atlantic Hotel
St Brelade, Jersey
Atlantic 'Taste Jersey Break' Special Offer
Glamorous ocean vistas are on show through the floor-to-ceiling windows of this hotel, which sits on a headland above St Ouen's Bay. Designed to recall 1930s marine architecture, it has holiday fun and leisure baked into its DNA.
Titchwell Manor
Brancaster, Norfolk
Spring Two for the Price of One Special Offer
A dinner of Christmas classics re-worked, Christmas is a romantic and intimate escape.
The White Horse
Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk
Three Nights for the Price of Two Special Offer
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.
Polurrian on the Lizard
Mullion, Cornwall
Easter Break Special Offers
'Hotel settings don't get much more spectacular than the Polurrian's, on the cliff edge overlooking its own beach,' writes a guide insider. The relaxed family and dog-friendly hotel makes the most of the coastal views.
The Royal Hotel
Ventnor, Isle Of Wight
'Sail, Dine & Stay' Special Offer
Set on the cliff top, in sub-tropical gardens with pool and geranium terrace, this 19th- century former coaching inn found great favour this year. The style is country house, smart but relaxed, with fine cooking of local ingredients.
Watersmeet
Woolacombe, Devon
Three Night Ramblers Package with Dinner Special Offer
'The location is stunning, with views of the Devon coast with its sandy beaches and tumbled rocks,' writes a reader delighted by this family-friendly hotel.
More Hotels for Christmas by the sea
Hotel Tresanton
St Mawes, Cornwall
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.
Alexandra Hotel
Lyme Regis, Dorset
Family run, fun, friendly and relaxed, this hotel with a sea-facing garden and views over Lyme Bay has many fans among our readers.
The Ship Inn
Elie, Fife
The catch of the day could be Shetland hake in the restaurant or nifty fielding on the sands at this pub-with-rooms overlooking the Firth of Forth, with its own beach cricket team.
The Wentworth
Aldeburgh, Suffolk
'Our favourite hotel in the whole wide world,' writes a devotee of this seafront grande dame, run by the same family for 104 years.
The Gallivant
Sussex
Miles of unspoilt beach lie beyond the only sand dunes in East Sussex, across the road from this fun hotel modelled on a California beach motel. There is a laid-back vibe, seaside-chic style, freshly caught fish on the menu, golf nearby.
Talland Bay Hotel
Talland-By-Looe, Cornwall
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.
South Sands
Salcombe, Devon
The bright and breezy restaurant, terrace and many of the New England-style bedrooms overlook South Sands beach at this contemporary hotel, where you can bring your dog, dine alfresco on Fowey mussels or crab linguine, and sleep within sight and sound of the waves.
Coll Hotel
Isle Of Coll, Argyll And Bute
Beside the ferry landing, with views to Mull and Staffa, this family-run hotel and island social hub has smart, uncluttered bedrooms, and short menus of locally fished and farmed produce.
The Seaside Boarding House
Burton Bradstock, Dorset
On Chesil Beach, drawing inspiration from Edward Hopper's Cape Cod, this is a hip but laid-back operation. All bedrooms have a sea view. You can eat on the terrace – crab sandwiches, home-made ices, Dorset cream tea.
Burgh Island Hotel
Bigbury-On-Sea, Devon
Whether cosy or casual or stylish and sophisticated is your preference, it's all superbly chic at Burgh Island, where Christmas is experienced with sea views and a celebratory fashion.
The Cliff Hotel & Spa
Cardigan, Ceredigion
There is a spirit of inclusiveness about this family-friendly, singularly accessible clifftop hotel and spa, with a wide range of rooms and suites, from cheap and cheerful to luxury, and a menu to suit most tastes.
Orestone Manor
Torquay, Devon
In sub-tropical gardens with views over Lyme Bay, this family-run hotel offers a wide choice of accommodation, and imaginative, locally sourced food.
Fistral Beach Hotel
Cornwall
Overlooking an iconic surfers' beach, this adults-only spa hotel has a wide choice of rooms from very affordable to luxurious with sea-view balcony.
The New Inn
Tresco, Isles Of Scilly
The only pub on this family-owned, car-free island, the New Inn has smart contemporary interiors alongside plenty of innate charm.
The Gin Trap Inn
Hunstanton, Norfolk
Since the arrival, in 2023, of chef-patron Gareth Rayner at this gastropub just inland from the North Norfolk Coast, this dog-friendly gastropub with character bedrooms has been garnering awards for creative cooking.
Moonfleet Manor
Fleet, Dorset
A Georgian manor house above Chesil Beach, this is a dog- and people-friendly hotel designed for holidays and fun, catering to everyone from tinies to grown-ups with sophisticated tastes.
La Fregate
St Peter Port, Guernsey
High on the clifftop above St Peter Port, this town house hotel has enviable views over the harbour and neighbouring islands, sleek bedrooms and an established reputation for its food.
Kinloch Lodge
Isle Of Skye, Highland
Christmas here brings a feast of festive lunches and rustic winter picnics, mince pies, mulled wine, and whisky. There's always a log fire to relax by in the evening.
Mullion Cove Hotel
Helston, Cornwall
An iconic white Victorian hotel on a cliff-top is today a dog- and family-friendly hotel with spa, outdoor pool, informal bar dining, and more ambitious cooking in the Atlantic View restaurant.
Lympstone Manor
Exmouth, Devon
Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines has created a country house hotel for the 21st century, a foodie destination and place of soft-spoken luxury, in a Georgian mansion overlooking the Exe estuary.
The Pier at Harwich
Harwich, Essex
Cranes, container ships, Holland-bound ferries … The views from this quayside Victorian hotel, with its striking iron-lace balcony overlooking the Stour and Orwell estuaries, are ocean-going, stirring, never dull.
Twr y Felin Hotel
St Davids, Pembrokeshire
Once named Best Hotel in Wales Luxury Hotel and Restaurant in St Davids Pembrokeshire, Twr y Felin Hotel by the sea brings coastal inspiration into all parts of the experience from the food to the views.
Beadnell Towers
Beadnell, Northumberland
A stroll from the beach, this family and dog-friendly hotel offers a mix of individually designed bedrooms, a fun, quirky bar, and a restaurant serving locally sourced gastropub-style cooking.
Hotel Portmeirion
Portmeirion, Gwynedd
Coming here for Christmas is like stepping back in time in all the best ways - to a world of warm welcomes, good conversation, good food and seasonal cheer.
Chewton Glen
New Milton, Hampshire
Mince pies, mulled wine and afternoon tea are just part of the joys of Christmas at Chewton Glen spa and hotel.
The Pig on the Beach
Studland, Dorset
There's a fairytale quality to this 1820s neo-Gothic marine villa, in gardens looking towards Studland Bay and the Isle of Wight. The shabby-chic style within is typical of Robin Hutson's Pig hotels. Sleep in a shepherd's hut or a thatched bothy in the walled garden, explore miles of sandy beaches, then dine on whole Lyme Bay brill or Dorset venison 'stalker's pie' with home- grown vegetables, in the conservatory dining room.
Fowey Hall
Fowey, Cornwall
Avowedly family-friendly and fun yet stylish, this hotel with spa occupies a Baroque Victorian mansion in five acres above the Fowey estuary.
Bunchrew House
Inverness, Highlands
There are glorious views from this traditional country house hotel with formal dining room, set in gardens and woodland on the shore of the Beauly Firth.
The Idle Rocks
St Mawes, Cornwall
For more than a century, this family- friendly harbourside hotel has entertained happy holidaymakers. Smart bedrooms have a sea or village view, perhaps a freestanding bath set in a window overlooking the water. On sunny days, eat on the terrace – there's a dedicated oyster menu, plus Cornish crab, lime, Thai foam; roast hake, monk's beard, mussels. Go crabbing or kayaking; explore coast and countryside.
Seaham Hall
Seaham, Co. Durham
From deliciously decadent dining and spa days with added sparkle to dancing the night away at the hotel's glitzy New Year's Eve ball, visit for a magical two or three-night Christmas mini-break by the Durham coast.
The UK has a variety of hotels for Christmas by the sea... There's nothing quite like a walk on the beach to work up an appetite for Christmas, or perhaps you're the adventurous type and will even get in a swim or surf before the festivities really begin! Then again, you might be more like us and simply happy to enjoy views of crashing waves as you sip on mulled wine and tuck into, just one more, mince pie before the day is through. For something truly magical at Christmas time it's hard to beat a setting by the sea. From spa hotels to pubs with rooms, family friendly escapes to romantic retreats, there are so many options to choose from when it comes to a coastal Christmas this year. We're fans of loch-side lodges in snow covered woods, eco-friendly getaways and log fires in townhouse hotels. We've made our list and checked it twice and there's definitely something for every mood and every type of Christmas celebration.
