Dreamy Coastal Stays To Book For Summer 2026

There’s nothing better than waking up to fresh sea air – or going to sleep to the soothing sound of waves lapping against the shore. And you don’t need to fly thousands of miles to find beautiful seaside escapes: Britain’s coastline is lined with glorious coastal hotels. Below we bring you the best of the best, from beachside spas in Cornwall to wild boltholes in Scotland’s seaside towns.

This piece is taken from Great British & Irish Hotels 2026

Best Coastal Hotels In Great Britain & Ireland

Carbis Bay Estate, St Ives, Cornwall

Complete with its own 25-acre Blue Flag beach on the edge of St Ives, Carbis Bay is a dreamy Cornish coastal escape – which most famously hosted world leaders at the G7 summit in 2021. The biggest decision is whether to stay in the main house, in the suites and cottages in the wooded valley (ideal for families or larger groups wanting a little more space), or by the water’s edge in a luxury beach lodge, which comes with its own hot tub and private garden. You’re spoilt for choice with food too, from the bay-side Walter’s on The Beach cocktail bar and restaurant (which has an alfresco terrace for sundowner barrel-aged negronis), to Tom Sellers’ MOR, opening this summer. There’s also the recently extended Beach Club Restaurant; a deli on the promenade; and The Orangery restaurant, added as part of the renovation in 2021 when the big guns came to town. Part of the same revamp is the enhanced C Bay Spa, which has candlelit treatment rooms for heavenly Bamford facials, a hydropool, sauna and – the star of the show – an outdoor infinity pool with sensational views of the bay below. 

Doubles from £225; +44 (0)1736 795311

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Hell Bay Hotel Bryher, Isles of Scilly

Perched on Bryher’s wild west coast, this stunning waterfront hotel blends California cool with Atlantic charm. Created by the Dorrien-Smith family, stewards of nearby Tresco, it offers a rare combination of untamed beauty and effortless elegance. The hotel’s 25 lightfilled suites mix antique charm with contemporary sophistication and sweeping sea views. Relax with morning yoga, swim in the heated outdoor pool, or enjoy a bespoke massage in the Treatment Shed, while the family room offers air hockey, games and creative activities. Picnic on hidden beaches, kayak through crystal-clear waters, and hike along rugged coastal trails. Dining is exceptional: head chef Richard Kearsley uses the finest ingredients from the islands, Cornwall, and the wider West Country. Choose between Scilly’s only three AA rosette restaurant which delivers island-inspired dishes, while The Crab Shack serves just-caught seafood. At Hell Bay, luxury isn’t loud – it’s elemental and deeply considered. Plus this remote paradise is easier to reach than you might think: a helicopter flight from Cornwall to Tresco, followed by a short boat ride to Bryher’s shores. 

Doubles from £105 per person, per night; +44 (0)1720 422947

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The Idle Rocks St Mawes, Cornwall

Perched on the rocks in the heart of St Mawes on the beautiful Roseland Peninsula, The Idle Rocks features 19 individually designed bedrooms, providing the ultimate seaside escape. This intimate, Michelin Key hotel – part of the Relais & Châteaux collection – boasts a south-facing terrace for drinks and dining, offering spectacular sea views across the harbour and beyond. At The Reef Knot Restaurant, executive chef Guy Owen showcases the best of Cornwall, with a strong focus on seafood. Expect seasonal dishes built around local ingredients and the daily catch from the hotel’s own fisherman. Whether you’re seeking coastal walks, wild swimming, sailing lessons or simply the restorative calm of the sea, the hotel is perfectly positioned for both adventure and tranquillity. Tucked away upstairs, SEVAN Spa offers holistic therapies and skincare rituals – perfect for unwinding after a day on the water. Reflecting pure Cornish style and understated elegance, The Idle Rocks is a year-round boutique haven. Just a short stroll away, sister property St Mawes Hotel offers a lively bar, sea-view restaurant and hidden cinema.

Doubles from £350; +44 (0)1326 270270

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The Old Coastguard Mousehole, Cornwall

Of all the properties in Charles and Edmund Inkin’s collection of effortlessly laid-back places to stay (also including Felin Fach Griffin), this has the best location. Overlooking the ocean in the enchanting fishing village of Mousehole, The Old Coastguard has been a hotel since Victorian times and boasts 14 attractive, mostly sea-facing bedrooms. All have superb beds, Roberts radios, natural Reia products, auction room finds, local art and striped curtains. Downstairs in the open-plan bar and dining room, tuck into delicious dishes showcasing local ingredients cooked by head chef Olly Gardner. There’s an excellent wine list, too; keep an eye out for Bottle Shop Thursdays, where you can try lovely wines for less. During your stay, make the most of the vista, the sun-filled sitting area runs the length of the ground floor. Lazing there, looking through the palm trees and agapanthus – or reclining on the new sun terrace just above the rocks (complete with The Crab Shack in warmer months) – you’ll keep delaying your departure by another hour. It’s that kind of place. Happily, there are dinner and breakfast offers across the year. 

Doubles from £195; +44 (0)1736 731222

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The Pierhouse Hotel Port Appin, Argyll

Surrounded by the raw, breathtaking beauty of western Scotland, The Pierhouse sits on the shores of Loch Linnhe. It’s the ideal base for exploring this unforgettable part of the world while indulging in the finest local produce. The 12 comfortable bedrooms, some with loch views, look out directly across to the islands of Lismore and Shuna, with the Morvern Peninsula beyond. Location aside, a stay here is all about the seafood. Head chef Michael Leathley leads the two-AA rosette restaurant, one of only three in Argyll listed in the Michelin Guide, where he describes his unpretentious cooking style as ‘bringing the outside in’. Expect the freshest West coast seafood – such as creel-caught langoustines and Loch Creran oysters – alongside Scottish meats and vegetables, all prepared using simple yet refined techniques. After a day spent hiking or biking, relax in the lounge by the wood-burning stove, or head to The Ferry Bar – named after the foot passenger ferry that has been running from Port Appin since 1750. The bar boasts an impressive selection of Scottish gins and over 200 types of malt whisky to sample.

Doubles from £155; +44 (0)1631 730302

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The PIG – At Harlyn Bay Padstow, Cornwall

‘Which is your favourite PIG?’ It’s a tough question but this one often comes trotting to mind first. The hotel is a brooding, mysterious beauty overlooking sweeping Harlyn Bay near Padstow. It’s a sure-fire hit, with dark, velvety interiors behind dramatic Cornish slate walls and heavy oak doors that were inspired, says designer Judy Hutson, by the stillness of Mark Rylance in Wolf Hall. Contrast these rich and opulent rooms with a clutch of wonderful wagons to complement the bedrooms in the house and sympathetic new Stonehouse wing, and lawns strewn with wooden easy chairs and wildflowers. In the airy bistro, flavoursome Cornish dishes are made with ingredients plucked straight from the kitchen gardens or sourced from local farmers while the casual, seasonal Lobster Shed restaurant serves up crowd-pleasing seafood and chargrilled steaks on the terrace. On top of all that is a great wine cellar, and two treatment huts if for an ultimate wellness break. It’s a special place with a special atmosphere, and one that is as pleasing in winter as it is in summer. Though only opened six years ago, this PIG feels as if it has been here forever. 

Doubles from £260; +44 (0)345 225 9494

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The PIG – On The Beach Studland, Dorset

With its wacky profusion of turrets, gargoyles, stone casements and overlapping tiles on steep roofs, this enchanting 18th-century house will bring an instant smile to your face and memories of tales of Hansel and Gretel. As for the views? You’ll be entranced, especially looking across the sheep-flecked green fields and the sea to Old Harry Rocks (even the Sheep Hut spa treatment rooms have the same soul-soothing outlook). Built as a grand summer house on a cliff above Studland Bay, this is a much-loved seaside sibling in the droves of PIG hotels, and it positively brims with charm. In addition to the usual conservatory restaurant (with signature ‘25-mile’ menu) and walled kitchen garden, there are quirkily different bedrooms. This includes two charming shepherd’s huts: each has a bedroom and bathroom hut and a lounge hut with a sun deck, boasting the best vistas in the house. There’s a buzzy outdoor bar with a woodfired oven for sourdough pizzas, and a private dining room in a dreamy, thatched hut on the lawn overlooking the cliffs – perfect for gatherings of up to 12. A thrilling, wildly popular hotel. 

Doubles from £350; +44 (0)1929 450288

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Portrush Adelphi Portrush, Northern Ireland

The latest hotel to join the Marine & Lawn collection is the Portrush Adelphi, a reimagined seaside stay that reopened last year. It’s just five miles from Giant’s Causeway – making it a great place to bed down while exploring the golden sand beaches of Northern Ireland’s spectacular coastline – and a few minutes’ drive from the prestigious Royal Portrush Golf Club, home to one of the most challenging courses in the world. Rooms feature dramatic, green and blue jewel tones that nod to the surrounding landscape, classic tartan bedheads, and bespoke furniture. The social hub of the hotel is the Red Sail Room bar and restaurant, where locally sourced Irish ingredients and Mediterranean-inspired techniques meet regional Italian favourites: think chicken Milanese, spicy meatball marinara and whisky-cured salmon fillet on the all-day menu. For anyone who misses lunch, sandwiches are served in the afternoon – plus, there is afternoon tea Friday to Sunday, and a roast every Sunday. In the summer, activity highlights include boat trips, sea swims and cliff path walks; in winter, Dunluce Castle and Old Bushmills Distillery await. 

Doubles from £199; +44 (0)28 7082 5544

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The Seafood Restaurant Padstow, Cornwall

Padstow is synonymous with Rick and Jill Stein. And if a restaurant can be a hub, then Rick’s famous Seafood Restaurant, fresh from celebrating 50 years, is just that. Red-aproned waiters whizz about in the airy, colourful dining room and a chandelier made of bobbing white fish creates an eye-catching start to your meal. The menu showcases the best of local and sustainable seafood. Alternatively, eat at St Petroc’s Bistro, Rick Stein’s Café, Stein’s Fish & Chips, or spend the day at Rick’s cookery school. As for sleeping, choose from a variety of stylish lodgings, each designed by Jill and Kate Stein (their daughter-in-law), and set in charming buildings around Padstow. There are stunning rooms above The Seafood Restaurant, while the simplest can be found above the café and the most luxurious in St Edmunds House, which has oak floors and views across the Camel Estuary. You’ll find four sunny rooms in Prospect House and a further ten in St Petroc’s. For a romantic retreat, one-bedroom Bryn cottage has estuary views and a secluded garden. Finally, for the more adventurous, six shepherd’s huts offer beautiful countryside accommodation. 

Doubles from £183; +44 (0)1841 532700

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Slieve Donard Newcastle, County Down

Originally built by the Belfast and County Down Railway in the 19th century as an end-of-the-line holiday destination, this Victorian hotel is flanked by a golden beach on one side and the world-famous Royal County Down golf course on the other. Now part of the Marine & Lawn collection, the hotel’s recently-renovated rooms are decorated in nature-inspired greens, with checked carpets and floral bedheads. The Mourne Mountains are on the doorstep, offering fantastic walking and climbing opportunities, while Tollymore Forest Park is a few minutes away by car (the hotel is also only 30 miles south of Belfast and 90 miles north of Dublin). Make sure you pay a visit to the spa, which has a pool, steam room and sauna, plus a fitness studio, Zen studio (for classes such as yoga and tai chi) and Espa treatments. And there are four restaurants to choose from for drinking and dining: J.J. Farrall’s, with its burgundy leather banquette seats, greenery-hung ceiling, open fire and locally sourced fare; the cosy Lighthouse Lounge café in the spa; The Wolf bar for Carlingford oysters and draught beers; and The Percy French for pub classics. 

Doubles from £220; +44 (0)28 4372 1066

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Trewornan Manor Wadebridge, Cornwall

Paul and Lesley Stapleton are natural hosts and have created a laid-back and welcoming home-from-home set in 25 acres of mature gardens. They rescued this handsome Grade II-listed manor in 2014, retaining the original architectural features while transforming it into a tranquil, adults-only B&B. The seven bedrooms are beautifully decorated, and each has its own charm: in an annexe adjoining the main house, Finisterre is the most spacious with high ceilings and wooden beams, while Greenaway has a lovely window seat overlooking the courtyard. All bathrooms have walk-in showers. Plus, there is the Boat Store, a one-bedroom, self-catering cottage with a private patio. Social spaces include a light, airy sitting room and a cosy snug where tea and homemade cake (made by Paul’s mum) is served. Log fires, delicious breakfasts and an honesty bar ensure guests can kick back and relax. The location, on the outskirts of Wadebridge and close to the Camel Estuary, is within striking distance of some of North Cornwall’s best and prettiest towns, beaches, golf courses and Michelin-starred restaurants in Port Isaac and Padstow. 

Doubles from £175; +44 (0)1208 812359

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Twr y Felin Hotel, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Once a 19th-century windmill, this boutique hotel sits on the breathtaking peninsula of St Davids, Britain’s smallest city. Over 250 specially commissioned artworks celebrate the local landscape, setting the tone in the minimalist bedrooms. Opt for a Windmill room with charming original features or an Oriel room for a sleek, modern aesthetic; some have sweeping sea views while others are dog-friendly, with a private terrace. The award-winning, three-AA rosette Blas restaurant serves a seasonal menu featuring fresh seafood and dishes inspired by traditional Welsh flavours, all with a modern British twist. Indulge in fine dining, relaxed lunches, afternoon tea, or all-day bar options complemented by an extensive wine list, craft cocktails and locally brewed ales. By day, wander to stunning Caerfai Bay, visit historic St Davids Cathedral, take a boat trip to Ramsey Island for spectacular wildlife, or hike the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Afterwards, unwind in the spa, with treatments that span massages, reflexology and reiki. The hotel also regularly hosts events, from thought-provoking talks and live music to art classes, ensuring every stay is enriching. 

Doubles from £180; +44 (0)1437 725555

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