Best Boutique Hotels by the Sea
There’s nothing better than waking up in a huge comfy bed with sun streaming through the curtains and seagulls crowing (quietly) in the distance. Then throwing your windows open and being greeted with a gorgeous sea view. It makes for the perfect relaxation. Here are some of the best boutique hotels with sea views.
The Scarlet – Bedruthan, Cornwall
The Scarlet has one of the most perfect sea views in the UK (pictured top). Based in Bedruthan, Cornwall, the hotel is built into a cliff and is just a short (slightly precarious)l walk down to a secluded bay. Your sea view (best enjoyed from one of the spa’s outdoors hot tubs) is idyllic. The hotel is also eco-friendly so you’re doing your bit for the planet while you relax your stresses away. Prices for a spa break start at £325 per person.
Tredragon Rd, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall TR8 4DQ / 01637 861800 – visit website
Villa Rothsay – Cowes, Isle of Wight
Where better to enjoy a view of the sea than in Cowes, famed as the yachting capital of the world. Charming Villa Rothsay enjoys spectacular views across the Solent – a view that is filled with yachts during Cowes Week, the annual regatta held early in August with up to a thousand boats taking part. But the nautical outlook doesn’t stop at the view from the window: this is a property steeped in yachting history and is the favoured place to stay of many top yachtsmen who are following in the footsteps of Queen Victoria’s oldest son who was a regular visitor as Duke of Rothesay (hence the name) before ascending to the throne as Edward VII. The hotel itself is a quirky, charming hotel which will transport you back in time with its attentive service and elegant, stylish interiors adorned with maritime memorabilia.
29 Baring Rd, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 8DF / 44 (0)1983 295178 – visit website
The Crab & Lobster, Chichester
The Crab & Lobster doesn’t actually have a coastal view. Instead, the boutique Chichester hotel has a view of Pagham Harbour – a protected coastal wetland that spans 1500 acres. This is as close as you can get to having the countryside and coast in one lovely package. And amazingly, it’s just two hours from London. There are only four rooms in this small but oh-so-perfectly formed hotel, make sure you get the room in the eaves. Prices start at £145 per night.
Mill Ln, Sidlesham, Chichester, West Sussex PO20 7NB / 01243 641233
Pebble House – Mevagissey, Cornwall
Located in the delightful Cornish fishing village of Mevagissey is Pebble House (pictured above), offering luxurious adults-only bed and breakfast. This stylish guesthouse combines five star comfort with some breathtaking views out to the sea. The guestrooms are all named after types of fishing boat and four of them have wonderful floor to ceiling windows from which to enjoy the stunning vistas which include Chapel Point and Eddystone Lighthouse.
Polkirt Hill, Mevagissey, Cornwall PL26 6UX/ 01726 844466 – visit website
Amhuinnsuidhe – Isle of Harris
A castle with a sea view? That’s just showing off. But that’s exactly what you get when you book a room at Amhuinnsuidhe on the Isle of Harris. Yep, this beautiful hotel is in the secluded and unspoilt Outer Hebrides. As well as the sea view, you’re surrounded by hidden lochs, waterfalls and beautiful scenery no matter which window you’re looking out of. A double suite with a sea view is £119.50 per person per night.
Amhuinnsuidhe Castle Estate Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, HS3 3AS / 01859 560 200 – visit website
Salt House – St Ives, Cornwall
This isn’t your average B&B. St Ives’ Salt House has just 2 rooms, each with huge glass windows so you get the perfect view. You can even have a soak in your bathtub and look out at beautiful view (don’t stay there for hours, you will go wrinkly). Salt House is the ideal coastal retreat for those of you who like mod-cons and don’t really do ‘countryside chic’. And it’s more affordable than you’d think – prices for the slightly smaller room start at £180 per night.
Venton Rd, St Ives TR26 2AQ / 01736 791857
Drakes – Brighton
It’s really not hard to find a hotel in Brighton. It’s not even hard to find a hotel in Brighton with a sea view. But with such a bustling tourist turnover, it is surprisingly hard to find a boutique hotel on the coast that’s worthy of the inevitably high room price. But there is one that stands out from the rest. Drakes, a beautiful Georgian townhouse, has just 20 rooms, each one with a contemporary design. Sea view rooms start at £145.
43-44 Marine Parade, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 1PE / 01273 696934 – visit website
The Gallivant – Camber Sands, Kent
The only hotel that’s right on the Camber Sands beach, The Gallivant is a perfect weekend retreat. It’s a beautiful hotel with 20 bright and fresh coastal-inspired rooms. They’re famed for their seafood and the Beach Bistro. But the best thing? Their dog Camber. You can borrow him for walks on the beach! Prices start at £115 per night.
New Lydd Road, Camber, East Sussex TN31 7RB / 01797 225057 – visit website
The Tide House – St Ives, Cornwall
Another St Ive’s gem, The Tide House overlooks Godfrey Lighthouse – the location that inspired Virginia Woolf’s classic To The Lighthouse. But it’s not the lighthouse view that keep people coming back to The Tide House. It’s actually the stunning views of the harbour. Rooms with a sea view start at £155 in low season, but even in high season, the Godrevy penthouse is just £240 a night.
Skidden Hill, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 2DU / 01736 791803
Did we miss a boutique hotel with a great sea view? Tell us your tips for the best stays with the nicest coastal views.
Author: Sian Meades. Article updated February 2017.