10 great coastal views
1 The Victoria, Holkham, Norfolk
Holkham Beach in North Norfolk — on which Gwyneth Paltrow strode at the end of Shakespeare in Love — is one of the country’s most beautiful and unspoilt stretches of golden sand. And guests at the Victoria, a lavish ten-bedroom property that has recently been added to the Adnams hotel portfolio, get to overlook it all. Strangely, for a place that lies on this most British of coastlines, the hotel seems to have taken its style inspiration from India. But it works. Each of the rooms is filled with Raj-era antiques and artworks and the communal spaces have terracotta walls and dark wood furnishings.
Details The Victoria (01328 711008; adnams.co.uk). Doubles from £125, including breakfast.
Advertisement
2 Warpool Court Hotel, St David’s, Pembrokeshire
The Pembrokeshire coast of Wales is one of the most gorgeous stretches of shoreline in the UK. And the Warpool Court Hotel, set in 15 acres of gardens on St David’s Peninsula, makes a feature of the natural beauty that surrounds it. A large proportion of its 22 rooms look down over terraced lawns on to St Brides Bay and the islands of Skomer and Ramsay.
Details Warpool Court Hotel (01437 720300; warpoolcourthotel.com). Doubles from £110, including dinner and breakfast.
3 Carnside Guest House, Bushmills, Co Antrim
Advertisement
Though it’s not in the same league as many of the properties on this list, this homely B&B ranks alongside them in the view that it offers. The spectacular Antrim coast unfurls outside its windows, and guests — who pay a comparatively tiny amount for the privilege — have views from its 11 cosy bedrooms on to meadow-topped cliffs that plummet down to where the Irish Sea meets the Atlantic. The outstanding vista is, of course, the Giant’s Causeway and its dramatic basalt columns.
Details Carnside Guest House (028-2073 1337; carnsideguesthouse.co.uk). Doubles from £55, including breakfast.
4 The Victoria Hotel, Bamburgh, Northumbria
Gloriously old-fashioned and unafraid of a bit of chintz, the luxurious Victoria Hotel makes up in views what it lacks in cutting-edge style. Set on a village green, within arrow and slingshot range of the 11th-century Bamburgh Castle, it looks out — through its rear windows — on to ramparts and turrets and beyond to Lindisfarne and the wild Northumbrian coast. Featuring a cosy bar and brasserie, and plenty of flickering fires in its communal areas, it is an enticing place to come back to after poking in rock pools and walking along windswept beaches.
Details The Victoria Hotel (01668 214431; victoriahotel.net). Doubles from £70, including breakfast.
Advertisement
5 The Cove, Lamorna, Cornwall
As its name suggests, the Cove overlooks the sort of cliff-buffered Cornish beach that one can imagine barrels of illicit rum being landed on. The hotel, situated in an atmospheric 19th-century building, is made up of 13 luxury self-catering apartments. But this is no “aparthotel” in which you’re checked in and left to fend for yourself. All the facilities — which include four acres of landscaped gardens and a 30-seat restaurant — are up to boutique standards. The poolside bar and terrace looks down on the golden sands and churning waves of Lamorna Cove.
Details The Cove (01736 731411; thecovecornwall.com). Apartments from £115.
6 Drakes, Brighton, East Sussex
Advertisement
A gorgeous double-fronted Regency building on the seafront, Drakes offers fabulous views of Brighton Pier, the marina and the Channel from its spacious bedrooms. All 20 rooms — decorated in what the hotel describes as “orientalism meets Indochine French colonialism” — are an exhilarating experience.
Details Drakes (01273 696934; drakesofbrighton.com). Doubles from £115, not including breakfast.
7 The Godolphin Arms, Marazion, Cornwall
It may not be the most stylish hotel in Cornwall but the homely Godolphin Arms in Marazion offers a view that more upmarket establishments would kill for. Situated opposite St Michael’s Mount and with sweeping views of the beach, this laid-back inn with rooms certainly makes the most of the scenery.
Advertisement
Details The Godolphin Arms (01736 710202; godolphinarms.co.uk). Doubles from £90, including breakfast.
8 Holm House, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan
This stunning Arts and Crafts-style mansion on the Glamorgan Heritage coastline offers views over the Bristol Channel to the English shores beyond, and couldn’t be more redolent of the 1920s jazz age if moustache-twiddling aristos and bowl-cropped flappers guzzled gin in the purple-and-gold downstairs bar.
Details Holm House (029-2070 1572; holmhouse.co.uk). Doubles from £110, including breakfast.
9 Hotel Tresanton, St Mawes, Cornwall T
his Olga Polizzi hotel is still one of the best reasons to visit the South West. Its effortlessly stylish atmosphere and wonderful, fresh-fish dining may be a big draw, but the biggest selling point is the view over St Mawes Harbour.
Details Hotel Tresanton (01326 270055; www.tresanton.com). Doubles from £190, including breakfast.
10 Summer Isles Hotel, Achiltibuie, Ross-shire
This atmospheric huddle of cottages looks across to the Summer Isles and the Hebrides — one of northwest Scotland’s most serenely beautiful landscapes. They also have a Michelin-star chef in situ, whose five-course menus make wonderful use of local seafood.
Details Summer Isles Hotel (01854 622282; summerisleshotel.co.uk). Doubles from £155, including breakfast.
City views
11 The Balmoral, Edinburgh
This is one of Scotland’s finest hotels, offering five-star service to a well-heeled clientele who come for its serene spa, champagne bar and the Michelin-star Number One restaurant. Many of the hotel’s Olga Polizzi-designed rooms look on to Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town.
Details The Balmoral (0131-556 2414; thebalmoralhotel.com). Doubles from £360, not including breakfast.
12 Hilton Manchester Deansgate, Manchester
The whole of the city — as well as Liverpool, Blackpool, the Peak District and, on a clear day, the mountains of Snowdonia — can be seen from this hotel. Details Hilton Manchester Deansgate (0161-870 1600; hilton.co.uk). Doubles from £129, including breakfast.
13 Hotel du Vin Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne
Located on the banks of the River Tyne, this relatively new addition to the luxury Hotel du Vin chain offers wonderful views of the Tyne Bridge and downriver to the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Many of the 42 rooms look out on to the quayside and the river, which is spectacular at night.
Details Hotel du Vin Newcastle (0191-229 2200; hotelduvin.com). Doubles from £160, not including breakfast.
14 Trafalgar Hotel, London
Situated in the former home of the Cunard Steamship Company — the owner of the Titanic — this elegant property opened in 2001, with 129 spacious and contemporary rooms that overlook Nelson’s Column and the National Gallery. Its rooftop Vista Bar looks down on all those lions, fountains and revving red buses.
Details Trafalgar Hotel (020-7870 2900; thetrafalgar.com). Doubles from £186, not including breakfast.
Country and lake views
15 Lake Vyrnwy Hotel, Llanwddyn, Powys
The view from the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel, which is situated in a 24,000-acre nature reserve on the edge of Snowdonia, is like something from a Brothers Grimm fairytale. Clear, sky-mirroring waters spread out in front of the Victorian hunting lodge and around a Gothic tower.
Details Lake Vyrnwy Hotel (01691 870692; lakevyrnwy.com). Doubles from £125, including breakfast.
16 No 43, Arnside, Cumbria
No 43 would be one of Cumbria’s most desirable stays even if it didn’t have such amazing views. Two of its six rooms overlook the River Kent estuary and the Lakeland fells, while the terrace is a wonderful spot on which to enjoy a cocktail while watching the sunset.
Details No 43 (01524 762761; no43.org.uk). Doubles from £120, including breakfast.
17 Pool House, Poolewe, Wester Ross
Situated on the West Coast of Scotland with views of the Isle of Harris and the Highlands, this intimate seven-room escape occupies one of the most romantic locations in Britain. Its Eastern-inspired interiors seem to have been designed with sensory pleasure in mind. John Moir’s innovative Highland cuisine is often accompanied by the sight of otters and seals playing on the shoreline.
Details Pool House (0845 0340700; www.mrandmrssmith.com). Doubles from £125, including breakfast.
18 La Sablonnerie Hotel, Sark, Channel Islands
Though the views on Sark are uniformly lovely, one of the best sights is that above your head. In January the island became the first in the world to be awarded “dark sky” status. The farmhouse-style hotel is perfect for amateur astronomers.
Details La Sablonnerie Hotel (01481 832061; sablonneriesark.com). Doubles from £156, including breakfast and dinner.
19 The Samling, Windermere, Cumbria
The Samling used to be the home of Wordsworth’s landlord, but is now a hotel that has just been awarded a Michelin star for its restaurant. All but two of its eleven rooms — five of which are in the original stone cottage — have views of Windermere. Dense woodland, verdant lawns and rugged mountains compete with the glassy waters for your attention.
Details The Samling (01539 431922; thesamlinghotel.co.uk). Doubles from £130, including breakfast.
20 Bovey Castle, North Bovey, Devon
Sherlock Holmes would have loved Bovey Castle. With uninterrupted views over Dartmoor, it’s a luxurious vantage point for hellhound-spotting. Set in 400 acres of grounds, the hotel has an elegant, turn-of-the-century feel, and all 63 rooms feature muted decor, period furniture and awe-inspiring views over the parkland and moors. A selection of private, three-room lodges are ideal for those staying with family or friends.
Details Bovey Castle (0844 4740077; boveycastle.com). Doubles from £229, not including breakfast.