There are few things more quintessential than a British seaside escape. And while some of the UK’s seaside towns are not what they once were, plenty of five-star hotels have moved in to offer luxury, sophistication and high-end hospitality in spades. From coastal retreats in Yorkshire and Durham, to modern spa stays along the south coast which come into their own in the summer, here are our favourite hotels for a feet-in-sand escape in the UK. 

The Scarlet, Mawgan Porth

An adults-only hotel overlooking the Cornish sands of Mawgan Porth, The Scarlet blends five-star sophistication with an eco-spa concept centred around reconnecting with nature. The glass-fronted, 37-key hotel offers uninterrupted views from every room while abundant terraces, relaxation rooms and lounges prioritise light and space. The hotel’s on-site restaurant offers all-day casual dining curated by head chef Chris Whitman, who sources local produce to form dishes of whipped cod roe with Aral Farm crudites, crab linguini, and Duchy charcuterie with quince membrillo and focaccia – or opt for the seven-course tasting menu paired with wine to really push the boat out. 

The real draw here is the world-class spa. Featuring an outdoor pool cleansed by a living reed bed, a clifftop barrel cedar wood sauna, indoor steam room and meditation space, the focus is on holistic wellbeing. Spend your days exploring the Cornish coast, making the most of the complimentary wellness sessions, which include Know Your Dosha workshops that will give you a deeper understanding of ayurveda, and tap into a treatment menu featuring hot poultice massages and nourishing facials. 

From £385 per night. 

The Gallivant, Rye

Just a stone’s throw from the quaint East Sussex town of Rye – which regularly ranks as one of the prettiest towns in the UK – lies The Gallivant. Nestled behind the undulating dunes of Camber Sands, this adults-only escape also benefits from being surrounded by English vineyards, so there’s plenty to do when you’re not busying yourself at the hotel. Inside, interiors really do the talking, having been curated by the current owner, whose former career as a Hollywood costume designer speaks to the bright art, monochrome photographs and beach-chic design which fills its spaces. 

Pick from 20 suites, with some boasting their own sun-drenched patios, before venturing to the dunes with a Camberfornia tote in hand filled with your favourite tipple. Return to dine at Harry’s: the food critic-approved restaurant by former Bibendum chef, Matthew Harris, whose menu toes the lines between French and British cuisine. It has received brilliant reviews for a reason. 

From £400 per night.

Carbis Bay Estate, St Ives

Want to stay in St Ives without actually being in the throes of St Ives? Carbis Bay Estate is for you. And ‘estate’, it is. Comprising the 35-key Carbis Bay Hotel, beach lodges, self-catering cottages, and serviced apartments, the estate is arranged around a privately-owned 25-acre Blue Flag beach. The choice of dining is varied and ranges from cocktails and snacks at Walter’s on the Beach to the newly-launched Mor by Tom Sellers (of two-Michelin-star Restaurant Story fame), who taps into the Cornish seafood bounty on the hotel’s doorstep. If the four on-site restaurants aren’t enough, the estate also operates the nearby Gannet pub and the newer Basset Arms in the town of Portreath. 

Guests can also enjoy the award-winning C Bay Spa, offering coastal-inspired treatments by Bamford and Oskia, and make the most of an outdoor heated pool overlooking the beach below, sauna cabins nestled in the manicured gardens, a new fitness studio, or roster of wild swimming, yoga and sound bath sessions. 

From £250 per night. 

Watergate Bay, Newquay

Sandwiched between craggy headlands on the northern coastline of Cornwall, just minutes from the hustle and bustle of Newquay, Watergate Bay offers everything you need for a memorable family break. Rooms range from dog-friendly doubles to family apartments, but our pick of the bunch are the beach lofts. Offering a ski chalet-inspired experience, the seven beach lofts boast uninterrupted sea views, Japanese-style, roll-top baths, direct beach access, and even surfboard storage. Sounds like a surfer’s paradise to us. 

The three on-site restaurants are enough to tantalise tastebuds, from laidback fare at the Beach Hut to sharing antipasti boards and wood-fired dishes at the Living Space. For guests of all ages, there’s plenty to entertain, from surf lessons at Wavehunters – the Surfing England Centre of Excellence hub which provides group and individual tuition – beach HIIT sessions, and padel at SeaSpace. 

From £280 per night. 

The Pig on the Beach, Studland

Image: Jake Eastham

Scattered around the south of England is the portfolio of Pig hotels, but the Studland location on the Jurassic Coast is quite literally within touching distance of the sand. Housed in a 19th-century villa are The Pig on the Beach’s 23 characterful suites, ranging from Comfy rooms, featuring plump double beds, walk-in showers and stocked larders, to stand-out stays at The Bothy: a kitchen-garden room which offers glorious views onto the sheep-dotted fields beyond. 

You can tap into the surrounding landscape’s bounty at the on-site greenhouse restaurant which looks out to Old Harry Rocks. Venture further beyond the hotel’s five acres to discover a curated little black book of coastal walks that stop off at the Isle of Purbeck and Corfe Castle’s ruins, as well as plenty of country pubs. Return to relax at the Potting Shed treatment rooms for a naturally nourishing massage or facial – you won’t regret it.

From £140 per night. 

No.124, Brighton

Having only opened last summer, No.124 is the newest arrival from the GuestHouse group and promises to bring all the personality of its sister properties in York, Margate and Bath to Sussex’s south coast. Spanning three Georgian and Victorian townhouses, the 32-key hotel overlooks Brighton’s West Pier and its interiors nod to the heyday of seaside holidays, featuring vibrant parasol-inspired palettes and kitsch touches of Palace Pier-inspired décor. Our top suite? The Hideout, which is set directly on the seafront and features sweeping sea views, a bespoke super-king bed, a personal pantry, and a spa-like bathroom complete with a copper tub, rainforest shower, and Wildsmith bath products. A private open-air courtyard with its own hot tub, along with the option of a private street-level entrance, makes it especially indulgent. 

Take advantage of the Field Trip Spa, accessed via an aromatic garden to reach a cave-like space that offers a coastal-inspired treatment menu including a deep sea scrub and hot sandstone massage. The in-house restaurant, Pearly Cow, is the place to while away the hours over a refined menu of casual plates but, if the sun is shining, book the terrace and you’ll have bagged one of Brighton’s hottest tables. 

From £175 per night.

Harbour Beach Club, Salcombe

Occupying a prime stretch of sand on Salcombe’s South Sands Beach, Harbour Beach Club is one of few luxury hotels in Devon to grant its guests direct access to the shoreline. Blending thoughtful design with state-of-the-art spas and destination dining, it follows the same successful blueprint across the rest of the Harbour Hotels portfolio in Sidmouth, Padstow, St Ives, Christchurch and Fowey, so you can trust you’re in safe hands here. 

Inside, all 50 rooms overlook South Sands Beach, and feature soothing natural hues and sustainable fabrics inspired by life outside its four walls, while carafes of gin or sherry come as standard as part of the group’s Little Luxuries programme. Elsewhere, while away the hours on the Mediterranean-style terrace, or for those who can’t sit still, opt for adventures on the water, from wild swimming to paddleboarding. At its heart, the Beach Club Spa features a 12m indoor pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub and an outdoor relaxation terrace.

From £170 per night. 

The Idle Rocks, St Mawes

Relais & Châteaux membership and a Michelin key is enough to make any discerning traveller book – but we will wax lyrical about this gorgeous, independently-run hotel in St Mawes anyway. Housed in a historic white-washed building that dates back to 1913, it underwent a thorough renovation by current owners David and Karen Richards to combine period features with contemporary beach-chic elements across its 19 rooms, lounges, and restaurants. 

The latter is led by executive chef Guy Owen which has transformed Idle Rocks’ restaurant into a sought-after locale for locals. Start your evening on the sun-dappled, south-facing terrace at Owen’s Reef Knot Restaurant, which takes farm-to-fork seriously with in-house fisherman Gareth Austin catching fresh seafood just metres from the hotel. Plus, thanks to a new summer partnership with Maison Mirabeau, Rosé on the Rocks returns to the hotel’s waterside terrace, with all dining guests welcomed with a complimentary glass of Mirabeau Rosé, setting the tone for an afternoon shaped by the tides.

From £400 per night. 

The Nici, Bournemouth

Step onto The Nici’s sun-drenched terrace on a warm summer’s day and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Miami. Its outdoor pool is everywhere this summer – and has done a good job fooling people into thinking this Bournemouth hotel is, in fact, anywhere but. The uber-stylish hotel, which opened in 2022, is the brainchild of Nicolas Roach, the founder of the aforementioned Harbour Hotels group, which took a punt on this not-so-glamorous stretch of coastline and turned it into something very glamorous indeed. 

Inside, 88 stylishly refurbished guest rooms and suites, ranging from cosy doubles to sea view suites, are complemented by two restaurants: South Beach Bar, which offers exceptional seafood with a wide outdoor terrace for al fresco dining, and the newer Old Harry Rocks Restaurant, a breezy beachside hangout overlooking the Purbecks and serving sumptuous seasonal dishes from the ocean or field. The best bit? The 30m heated outdoor pool and adults-only spa, home to a heated indoor pool, hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room and cabins where you can enjoy treatments using Oto and Oskia products, and make the most of the glass-fronted yoga and activity studio. 

From £290 per night. 

Saltmoore, Yorkshire

Perfectly positioned between the sweeping sea and vast heather-clad North York Moors, Saltmoore provides a sophisticated coastal retreat on Whitby beach. A huge part of the hotel’s draw is its surroundings, and Saltmoore invites you to make the most of it via cycling the coastal paths, horse riding across the moors, or catching the waves while surfing on Whitby beach. But returning to its 72-key property, and being cocooned by its coastal interiors created by ⁠Sapin Studio, makes the experience all the better. 

Don’t miss the opportunity to dine at The Brasserie, led by head chef Adam Maddock, who has curated a menu inspired by the bounty of Saltmoore’s kitchen garden and spotlights ingredients from across the region, with fresh fish and seafood from local fishermen and heather honey from the moors. No coastal hotel is complete without a spa, and Saltmoore’s nature-based wellbeing vision comes to life with an indoor pool, sauna, cryo chamber and ice pool, as well as a treatment menu centred around Wildsmith Skin products. 

From £190 per night.

Seaham Hall, Durham

Seaham Hall, north-east England’s leading boutique spa hotel, is situated on Durham’s beautiful Heritage Coast. Just three and half hours via train from King’s Cross station, expect endless opportunities for long, mindful coastal walks, serene rambles in the countryside or days spent unwinding and relaxing in this cosy bolthole. Featuring 26 rooms, pick from the opulent Ada Lovelace of Millbanke suites or push the boat out with one of the four-person coastal lodges with private terraces, barbecues and hot tubs. 

Foodies can enjoy fine fare at the Dining Room, positioned on a clifftop location high above the rugged North Sea, or Japanese-inspired cuisine at Geko. Meaning ‘moonlight’ in Japanese, expect crispy chicken karaage, crab rice, and tofu tonyu ramen. Elsewhere, the indoor-outdoor spa has everything you need for a rejuvenating break – especially when you book the TempleSpa or Ishga massages and facials. 

From £445 per night. 

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