10 Best UK Beach Hotels and Gastropubs with Rooms

There’s only a clutch of luxury hotels, boutique inns and gourmet restaurants-with-rooms in the UK that have a direct beach or private walk-way to a beach. And then only one that carries a AA five star hotel rating. We scour the ruggedly beautiful, wind-buffeted and (currently) sun-drenched coastline to select the best beach front hotel locations for the luxury UK traveller and diner:

Cary Arms, Babbacombe Beach, Torquay, Devon TQ1 3LX

Discerning travellers may well know the de Savary name, that’s Peter and Lana de Savary, the internationally renowned owners of the Cary Arms. They have over forty years of experience owning and operating some of the finest properties around the world, including the St. James’s Club, Skibo Castle, Bovey Castle and Stapleford Park, amongst others. When they took over at the Cary Arms they spared no expense in restoring this historic and well-known seaside inn, otherwise known as ‘The Inn on the Beach’. It exudes charm, fun and values of a good English pub with all the style and comfort of a chic boutique hotel. It has recently been awarded 5 AA star inn status and serves the very best of seaside gastro-pub food and real ales, complemented by accommodation, facilities and activities to rival the finest hotels in the country. All set within Babbacombe Bay. This is possibly the smartest inn you will ever visit.

Hotel Tresanton, 27 Lower Castle Rd, St Mawes, Truro, Cornwall TR2 5DR

Strictly speaking this isn’t a beach…however, this is the ‘Beach Club’ part of Olga Polizzi’s very chic and smart Hotel Tresanton…and it’s private. Olga recently bought the large garden directly below Hotel Tresanton and has transformed it into this fine Mediterranean style Beach Club set just above the waterline. A place to relax, the breezy private terraces have a Juice Café with cold-pressed juices, coffee, tea and snacks. It’s a sun-soaked oasis for lounging, dreaming, stargazing and listening to the sound of the waves. Added of course to the allure of the hotel itself, its rooms, restaurant and terraces looking out to Cornwall’s stunning Roseland Peninsula, that we think this perfectly equals beach status.

Enjoy Luxury Restaurant Club offers at this location. Download the free app and follow steps to join the Club.

Bailiffscourt, Climping Street, Climping West Sussex BN17 5RW

We accept that Bailiffscourt may not be directly on the beach, but set within its own 30 acres leading on to Climping Beach – but then, no blog on beach locations should be without this luxurious hotel and spa. Bailiffscourt has a uniquely special set up – it has a main hotel and a series of utterly charming houses and cottages in the grounds. The restaurant offers indoor dining or outdoor courtyard dining during suitable months. Climping Beach itself is one of those peaceful locations, actually quite a small area and is dog friendly. Bailiffscourt Hotel and Spa is part of three exceptional, privately owned hotels in West Sussex, named collectively as Historic Sussex Hotels, although this is the only one by a beach.

Enjoy Luxury Restaurant Club offer of complimentary dining at this location. Download the free app and follow steps to join the Club.

Burgh Island Hotel, Bigbury-on-Sea, South Devon TQ7 4BG  

Burgh Island Hotel is an iconic Devon landmark on its own tidal island and surrounded by golden beaches and silver seas. It is a very special location that you’ll probably recognise as an Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot film location. Built in 1929, extended in 1932 and now restored to its 30’s glamour, lovers of the Art Deco period will be in veritable heaven. Arriving at Burgh Island is unlike any other as it usually involves the use of the third generation hydraulic Sea Tractor, the only one in the world. Designed in 1969 by Robert Jackson CBE in exchange for a case of champagne and costing £9,000 to build, the Sea Tractor is an historic icon – recently renovated, she is the best way to arrive through the surf to Burgh Island. Non-residents are also welcome to join in The Ballroom for a black tie three-course evening meal or Sunday lunch. Perfect for dress-up and drama.

Driftwood, Rosevine, Portscatho, Cornwall, TR2 5EW

At the Driftwood you can enjoy Michelin dining by the sea from Head Chef Chris Eden and his team. It sits at the top of the bay with a pathway down to its own beach. The food is astonishingly good, with its local seafood and game deeply satisfying, and the back drop of the Bay and Roseland Peninsula, breathtaking.  There’s a total of 15 rooms with all but one with the stunning sea views.

The Scarlet, Tredragon Road, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall TR8 4DQ

Here is that very rare commodity of beach resort that is a peaceful haven away from the kids – welcome to the Scarlet, a luxury eco hotel and spa, adult only (over 18’s), looking over the Mawgan Porth beach in Cornwall. Its stylish modern European restaurant is open seven days a week and their daily changing menu reflects their ethos of working with the most innovative, organic and sustainable growers, fishermen and farmers of Cornwall.

The Grand Hotel, King Edwards Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4EQ 

This is another property immortalised in Hercule Poirot films –  The Grand Eastbourne will forever be the most quintessential of English seaside gems. Known as the ‘White Palace’, this luxe five star destination (the only five AA star hotel in the UK on the beachfront – please note there is a road between the hotel and the beach) is part of Elite Hotels. It has been marvelling overnight guests and diners alike since 1875. Step forward to this year in March 2018 when it had a new blast of seaside air with a significant refurbishment to its fine dining and award-winning restaurant, Mirabelle.

Enjoy Luxury Restaurant Club offer of complimentary dining at this location. Download the free app and follow steps to join the Club.

The Brudenell Hotel, The Parade, Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP15 5BU  

We head over to East Anglia to the beautiful Suffolk coastal town of Aldeburgh and its most famous of contemporary seaside hotels, The Brudenell. Dining at the Seafood & Grill Restaurant is relaxed, the hotel is informal and provides a wonderful setting for a variety of occasions. Enjoy panoramic sea views from every table and a decor that is inspired by the vibrant colours found on the Suffolk coast throughout the year. There is also a stunning terrace for outdoor dining. The menu features the freshest local fish, seafood and free-range meats delivered to the door each morning, all lovingly prepared by Head Chef, Ben Hegarty.

Enjoy Luxury Restaurant Club offers at this location. Download the free app and follow steps to join the Club.

The Nare, Carne Beach, Veryan-in-Roseland, Truro, Cornwall TR2 5PF

A beautiful country house hotel by the sea, The Nare offers the comfort and elegance of a quintessential English country house, in a secluded tranquil bay by the sea, and is the only AA four red star hotel in Cornwall. A stunning location, it is surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens, rolling hills and boasts panoramic sea views over Carne beach, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Dining Room has magnificent sea views on three sides and offers five-course Table d’Hote dining, which changes every evening, although the excellent Portloe lobster stays on the menu every night. There is also the Quarterdeck restaurant which has classic yachting decor and teak panelling, giving a more informal, relaxed dining experience for all day dining.

Haven Hotel, Banks Rd, Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset BH13 7QL

The Haven Hotel and Spa is situated on the tip of the Sandbanks peninsula, just a few minutes away by the chain ferry from The Purbecks –  and the perfect location to discover Studland beach, the Old Harry Rocks and beyond. The Point Restaurant offers a fine cuisine using local and sustainable ingredients, where you can certainly embrace the sea air, in fact you couldn’t get much closer to the water.

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