Hotel experts from Good Hotel Guide reveal their choices
Milo Boyd and Jeff Reines
06:00, 03 Jan 2026
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If you’re craving a peaceful escape from the daily grind without leaving the UK, our country is home to a wealth of stunning beaches and breathtaking coastal spots – and you don’t even have to leave Cornwall to experience the best stays.
Treat yourself to a well-deserved break in a location that Queen Victoria compared to a scene from an enchanting ballet, try spotting dolphins and seals, or relax in expansive subtropical gardens overlooking a sandy cove before plunging into crystal-clear waters for a snorkelling adventure.
From the balmy shores of Cornwall and sun-soaked Devon to the secluded Isle of Harris via the awe-inspiring Snowdonia National Park, we’ve consulted with the experts at Good Hotel Guide to bring you their top seaside stay recommendations – with two in Cornwall topping the list.
The Nare, Cornwall
Offering ‘all the comforts one could possibly desire’, the much-adored Ashworth family’s hotel is nestled in two-acre subtropical gardens above sandy Carne Beach in the untouched National Trust landscape of the Roseland Peninsula. Catering to guests of all ages with its country-house comforts and timeless allure, it’s ideal for multi-generational family stays, reports the Express.
The well-trained, friendly staff ‘make it so special’ according to Guide readers.
Set in National Trust landscape, The Nare has incredible subtropical gardens(Image: undefined)
The most affordable countryside-facing bedrooms feature comfortable seating areas and delightful details such as fresh blooms and fruit, periodicals, a Roberts radio and Penhaligon toiletries. Amenities encompass a lounge, drawing room, sun lounge, bar, library, conservatory and gymnasium, alongside indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis and croquet.
There’s a lift available, and communal areas provide wheelchair accessibility. Time can be spent constructing sandcastles, exploring tidal pools, snorkelling in pristine waters, traversing the Southwest Coast Path or aquatic adventures aboard the hotel’s motor vessel Alice Rose.
Guests may enjoy à la carte dining in the Quarterdeck seafood brasserie, on the terrace, or in the restaurant from a five-course set-price menu, where silver service, and hors d’oeuvres and cheese trolleys recall a more refined era, and “being able to choose from a sumptuous selection of puds is true luxury”. They offer cream teas (naturally), an excellent Sunday roast, and early evening meals for youngsters under seven.
Canines are welcome in the bedrooms and grounds, and Carne remains amongst the few local beaches permitting dogs throughout the year, though do ensure you adhere to the Canine Code.
Countryside-view doubles from £406.
Bedruthan Hotel and Spa, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Emma Stratton’s delightful hotel, perched on a clifftop above a sheltered sandy beach complete with caves and rockpools, offers stunning Atlantic views through its expansive windows. Built in the Californian Modern style and featuring Scandi-inspired interiors, it was established by Emma’s father, a farmer and engineer, in 1959.
While it has evolved over the decades, it continues to reflect his passion for sustainability in Mawgan Porth, the spot dubbed Hollywood-on-Sea for all the celebs drawn to take up residence there.
Bedruthan has stunning views of the Atlantic(Image: undefined)
This is very much a family-friendly establishment, with spacious bedrooms offering sea and countryside views, some accommodating three or four guests. In a separate building, apartment suites designed for four to six guests feature a separate bedroom or bunkroom for children, a living area, and either a Juliet balcony or patio (if you opt for a ground-floor apartment, your dog can join too).
The hotel provides two-hour sessions in the play-space crèche for under-fives, and a kids’ club for those over five, giving parents a chance to unwind, perhaps with spa treatments, wellness classes, or a soak in the hot tub in the sensory spa garden.
An all-day menu in the Wild Café caters to every taste, with nibbles, salads, sandwiches, pies and grills, moules frites, fish and chips, risotto… Adults can sip cocktails in the bar and on the terrace, with wine tastings and sophisticated dining in Ogo restaurant. Menus reflect the hotel’s values of locality and seasonality, with such dishes as whole lemon sole with mussel butter, rock samphire and elderflower caper sauce; Mora Farm roasted cabbage with smoked potato, Cornish gouda and potato skins.
Walk the Coast Path to sharpen your appetite.
B&B doubles from £129.
The Cary Arms, Devon
Centred on a cosy, beamed pub in a stunning situation above Babbacombe Beach, Lana de Savary’s dog-friendly spa hotel is a resort in its own right. “It’s a beautiful spot,” noted Queen Victoria as she sketched the scene from offshore, “…red cliffs and rocks with wooded hills like Italy and reminding one of a ballet or play where nymphs appear – such rocks and grottoes, with the deepest sea on which there was no ripple.”
The road descent is a bit tricky, but there are moorings available for those arriving by yacht.
The Cary Arms sits above Babbacombe Beach(Image: undefined)
Guests can choose from ten stylish coastal-themed rooms and suites, some suitable for families, as well as eight beach huts, beach suites and fishermen’s cottages. All rooms offer captivating sea views and come equipped with an espresso machine, a decanter of sloe gin, and Temple Spa bath products.
Each room also features a private terrace or balcony, perfect for spotting dolphins and waving to Sammy the seal. The Shell Suite boasts a kitchenette, log burner and patio.
Beach huts feature a mezzanine bedroom, a waterfall shower, and bifold doors leading to a decking area. Keep an eye out for late availability for surprisingly low prices.
Dinner in the picturesque restaurant might feature Brixham crab and mussels, steak and ale pie, fish and chips, or courgette pappardelle with smoked mozzarella and wild-garlic pesto. When the sun is shining, they host lobster barbecues accompanied by live music.
Days can be filled with paddleboarding, sea kayaking, mackerel fishing trips, and generally enjoying time on the water.
B&B doubles start from £175.
Trefeddian Hotel, Gwynedd
A favourite amongst readers, some of whom have cherished it since their youth, this long-standing hotel is nestled on a hillside, set back from the road. It was established in the early Edwardian era and welcomed its first guests in 1904.
Initially an eccentric mock-Tudor-cum-château structure, it was owned by the Cave family for over a century who expanded and modernised it, including a 1960s makeover and an additional floor added in the 2000s. When they sold it in October 2025, BLS UK Hotels didn’t just acquire a hotel but a legacy of goodwill, with the new owners committed to retaining the same staff and values.
This continuity is crucial to its loyal patrons who prefer home comforts over trendy vibes.
The Trefeddian Hotel next to the awe-inspiring coastline(Image: undefined)
The location is “fabulous”, overlooking a golf course, dunes and sandy beach. The facilities are top-notch, boasting three sea-view lounges for afternoon tea, a tennis court, nine-hole golf course, heated indoor swimming pool and spa bath.
Both dogs and children are welcome. The spacious bedrooms, some suitable for families, offer sea or hillside views, are decorated in coastal hues and provide ample seating.
Guests can order from a lounge menu, while the restaurant (dress code smart casual) offers dishes such as garlic and thyme roast chicken with thyme jus, beef medallions with wild mushrooms and café de Paris butter, and baked Mediterranean vegetable and goat’s cheese cannelloni.
B&B double rooms start from £270.
Scarista House, Western Isles
Forget promenades and bandstands, crowded beaches and candy floss, amusement arcades and bucket-and-spade shops – only Machair and sheep-grazed pasture lie between Patricia and Tim Martin’s Georgian manse and the Atlantic, in this sublime, end-of-the-world location on the Isle of Harris, against a backdrop of heather-clad hills. It provides the cosy ambience you want after outdoorsy days of hiking, wildlife spotting, swimming, surfing and sailing, with a library and first-floor drawing room where you can take afternoon tea by an open fire.
Maud the pug, Brodie the spaniel and moggies Mister and Wee Hamish are quite amenable to sharing the library, but drawing-room and dining rooms are out of bounds for visiting hounds, who are charged at just £25 a stay (maximum two). Bedrooms (three in an annexe) are traditional cottage style with patterned wallpapers, solid wood furniture and pretty china.
The sublime location of Scarista House(Image: undefined)
All have views of garden, beach or hills; two have sitting areas with sofa and wrap-around windows.
An early supper is provided for children before guests gather for drinks and a set-price dinner featuring sophisticated dishes such as langoustine bisque with rouille and smoked scallop mayonnaise; roast quail and porcini risotto. A separate menu for vegans and vegetarians might include timbale of ratatouille, red pepper sabayon; Puy lentil, fennel and celeriac casserole, Strathdon blue cheese, honey and truffle vinaigrette.
A hearty breakfast brings freshly squeezed orange juice, organic porridge with cream, Stornoway kipper, a full Scottish. They’re closed now until April, so look (and book) ahead.
Doubles, B&B, £315 per night for stays of 2 or 3 nights.