Best Seaside Hotels in the UK

FAQs: Seaside Hotels

Where is the oldest seaside hotel?

Of course not everyone agrees, but it’s generally thought that Britain’s oldest seaside hotel is The Grand, in the country’s oldest resort, Scarborough on the North Yorkshire coast. We recjkon the originally 17th-century Greenbank Hotel in Falmouth comes pretty close while at the same time providing thoroughly 21st-century comforts and a spectacular location.

Are the seaside hotels family-friendly?

There is the odd exception but for the most part Britain’s seaside hotels have been built with families in mind and come equipped with all sorts of family-friendly facilities, from pools and games rooms to day creches and babysitting for harassed parents. Many seaside hotels offer apartments and lodges for those who want to self-cater while at the same time enjoying the facilities of the hotel, and most will boast at least one child-friendly restaurant with kids menus; a few even have special sittings for kids at dinner. Perhaps the epitome of a family-friendly seaside hotel is the Saunton Sands Hotel, a wonderful place for both kids and their parents, perched high on a cliff above one of North Devon’s most magnificent beaches. Other include The Rosevine in Cornwall and The Grove Cromer in Norfolk.

Do these seaside hotels offer direct beach access?

A few seaside hotels enjoy access to their own beach, while others overlook fabulous beaches that are just footsteps away from your room. There are also some that are well positioned for the beach but a few minutes’ walk away, while a few enjoy a convenient location in a busy seaside resort but are a short walk away from the nearest beach. At any seaside hotel, it’s unlikely that you will more than a 5–10-minute walks from a beach, but bear in mind that some hotels, for example those in Cornwall or Devon, are close to a variety of the beaches, and that the closest one won’t necessarily be the best. Direct access to beautiful beaches is available at all of the following hotels: Watergate Bay Hotel, the Relais Cooden Beach,  Luccombe Manor and The Ship Inn at Elie in Scotland.