The Best Coastal Stays in England

Harbour townhouses, beachfront estates and shepherd's huts within sound of the waves. The best places to stay by the sea in England.

13 places, ranked by our editors.

Boutique hotel 9.4
St Ives, Cornwall

Trevose Harbour House

An adults-only townhouse a few steps from St Ives harbour, full of colour, craft and Cornish light.

Adults-only
From £215 / night
Seaside hotel 9.2
Studland, Dorset

The Pig on the Beach

A mellow-yellow manor above Studland Bay, with sea views, garden-to-plate food and the Pig group's signature charm.

Dog-friendly Spa
From £250 / night
Luxury hotel 9.0
Carbis Bay, St Ives, Cornwall

Carbis Bay Hotel & Estate

A five-star estate above its own Blue Flag beach, with a spa, sea-view suites and room for the whole family.

Dog-friendly Spa Pool Hot tub
From £300 / night
Seaside hotel 9.1
Sandsend, near Whitby, North York Moors

Saltmoore

A contemporary coastal hotel near Whitby, with a spa, pool and the moors meeting the sea at Sandsend.

Dog-friendly Spa Pool Hot tub
From £250 / night
Family-friendly 9.0
Watergate Bay, near Newquay, Cornwall

Watergate Bay Hotel

A relaxed beachfront hotel on a two-mile Cornish strand, with pools, a spa and an easygoing welcome for families and surfers.

Dog-friendly Spa Pool Hot tub
From £230 / night
Boutique hotel 9.0
Burton Bradstock, Dorset

The Seaside Boarding House

A stylish clifftop bolthole above Chesil Beach, all sea air, good food and elegant rooms.

Dog-friendly
From £210 / night
Boutique hotel 9.0
Southwold, Suffolk

The Swan, Southwold

Adnams's smartly refreshed coaching inn in the heart of Southwold, a short walk from the famous beach huts.

Dog-friendly
From £200 / night
Boutique hotel 9.0
Brighton, Brighton

Artist Residence Brighton

An arty, characterful townhouse near Regency Square, a block from Brighton's seafront, with a buzzy restaurant and bar.

Dog-friendly
From £180 / night
Boutique hotel 9.0
Brighton, Brighton

Drakes

A sleek seafront townhouse in Kemptown, famous for romantic rooms with freestanding baths facing the sea.

From £175 / night
Seaside hotel 8.9
Salcombe, Devon

Salcombe Harbour Hotel

A bright, nautical hotel and spa overlooking the Salcombe estuary, with a pool and sea-view rooms.

Dog-friendly Spa Pool
From £245 / night
Seaside hotel 8.9
Aldeburgh, Suffolk

The Wentworth Hotel

A genteel, family-run seaside hotel facing Aldeburgh's shingle beach, classic and timeless.

Dog-friendly
From £175 / night
Seaside hotel 8.9
Ventnor, Isle of Wight

The Royal Hotel

The Isle of Wight's grandest Victorian seaside hotel, with a heated outdoor pool and sub-tropical gardens above Ventnor.

Dog-friendly Pool
From £170 / night
Seaside hotel 8.6
Whitstable, Kent

Hotel Continental

A relaxed Art Deco seafront hotel in Whitstable, with converted fishermen's huts on the beach.

Dog-friendly
From £120 / night