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“I have the ability to remain in an uncomfortable place for an uncomfortable amount of time,” Crispin Odey

Cornwall is, of course, all about its windswept, sea-smacked, dune-backed coast – all 422 miles of it. If you’re a fan of early morning dips, sunset walks and wild swims, you really want to be as close to the beach as possible. As such, here’s our special selection of our favourite Cornish seaside hotels, from cliff-top wonders to island getaways and secluded beachfront manors. Some stand right beside the sand, while others provide a grandstand beach panorama from the top of the bluffs – all offer maximum beach time. The restaurants nearby are full of the catch of the day and quality local produce, so you can refuel after your adventures before retreating to a room with views over the ocean. Whether you’re after a romantic retreat with your significant other or looking to take the family for an adventure by the sea, Cornwall has it all. Just don’t forget to pack your snorkel and swimsuit. The best beach hotels in Cornwall 2023 are: Best hotel for activities: Watergate Bay hotel Best hotel for families: The Bedruthan Hotel & Spa Best hotel for garden-lovers: Hotel Meudon Best hotel for historic architecture: The Headland Hotel Best hotel for seclusion: Hell Bay Hotel Best hotel for Scandi style: Primrose House Best hotel for a spa break: St Michaels Resort Best hotel for peace and quiet: The Rosevine Best hotel for traditional style: The Nare Best hotel for a weekend getaway: The Old Coastguard Hotel Best hotel for the southeast coast: Talland Bay Hotel Best hotel for boat-watching: The Greenbank Best hotel for activities: Watergate Bay Hotel Location: Newquay You can’t really get any closer to the beach than this: as the name suggests, this activity-focused family hotel sits right alongside its namesake bay, just a couple of miles along the coast from Newquay. In many ways, this is really the ultimate Cornish beach hotel: Atlantic views fill every window, you’re steps from a magnificent sweep of golden sand, and the in-house activity centre, Wavehunters at the Extreme Academy, offers you the chance to indulge in all manner of beachy pursuits, including surfing, wild swimming and stand-up paddleboarding. The majority of rooms overlook the bay from one perspective or another – some have balconies, others, sliding glass doors, and for the consummate experience, the seven bespoke-designed Beach Lofts sit literally by the tideline. Book now Best hotel for families: The Bedruthan Hotel & Spa Location: Newquay The sister property of the swish Scarlet – another deluxe beach proposition – this clifftop hotel is a firm favourite for holidaying families. It’s named after the Bedruthan Steps – the rock stacks that rise from the Atlantic waves a mile or so to the north – but the nearest beach is Mawgan Porth, which unfurls right below the hotel’s windows. The hotel itself was built in the late 1950s, but its boxy breezeblock exterior conceals an unexpectedly fun interior: all swirly fabrics, zingy pops of colour and expansive glass windows to make the most of the beach view. It’s very laid-back: kids (and dogs) are welcome, and there’s plenty for them to do, from craft sessions to an indoor cinema, surf lessons and a couple of pools. Meanwhile, you can relax in the hotel’s spa – or perhaps indulge in a sustainable, super-seasonal supper at the hotel’s recently revamped restaurant, Ogo. The clifftop gardens are a pleasure, too. Best hotel for garden-lovers: Hotel Meudon Location: Falmouth This under-the-radar hotel is hidden among fields outside Falmouth, between the popular beach of Maenporth and the Helford River. It was originally built as a private manor by the Fox family, who also planted the nearby estates of Trebah and Glendurgan – and the hotel’s own secret gardens are a delight, tumbling down through lawns, terraces and a subtropical valley filled with exotic palms, giant gunnera and rhododendrons en route to a secluded little beach, Bream Cove. Family-run for decades, and acquired in 2021 by the local Kingfisher hotel group, it’s been smartly updated with colourful mid-century furniture, bright fabrics and lively artwork, all with a slightly retro, Seventies feel. There’s a fun speakeasy-style bar for cocktails, and the restaurant has a fine garden view – even if the food doesn’t quite live up to its elevated price-tag. For once, the garden or sea view dilemma isn’t an issue here: you’ll be happy with either, but do book one with a balcony or patio. Our tip: get up early, wander down to Bream Cove for a morning swim, get coffee from the hotel’s pop-up truck, The Bream Box, and spend an hour or two soaking up those glorious gardens. Best for historic architecture: The Headland Hotel Location: Newquay It’s impossible to miss this striking Victorian-era hotel: it sits in what is undoubtedly Newquay’s prime patch of real estate, on its own headland overlooking the legendary surfing beach of Fistral, where you can watch surfers in action (or even have a go yourself). With its turrets and red-brick façade, it’s a classic slice of neo-Gothic Victoriana but, inside, the whole place has been modernised while retaining traditional architectural features. Rooms are bright and welcoming, there’s a fancy spa, and the flashy new Aqua Club has added six pools, including a hydrotherapy pool, sunset spa pool and infinity-edge pool looking over the Atlantic. For more space, book one of the cliffside cottages. Best hotel for seclusion: Hell Bay Hotel Location: Bryher, Isles of Scilly When you want to get away from it all, Hell Bay is the place. It’s the only hotel on Bryher, the quietest (and perhaps the prettiest) of the Isles of Scilly, and stands in glorious seaside isolation beside the island’s biggest, wildest beach, Hell Bay (if you’re wondering why it’s so named, come in midwinter and you’ll get a pretty good idea). With its pastel colours, sea-themed stripes and wicker furniture, the hotel has the feeling of an upmarket Hamptons getaway: several rooms and suites have private patios and views over the hotel’s neat, flower-filled gardens, and there’s a pleasant outdoor pool, garden yoga studio and a treatment shed for spa spoils. But it’s the setting that sells this place – from the doorstep, you can follow Bryher’s coast path to discover quiet beaches and swimming spots, or hike up to the top of Watch Hill for a panorama across all of Scilly. Book now Best hotel for Scandi style: Primrose House Location: St Ives This is a stylish St Ives bolthole that’s only 50m from the sands of Porthminster. Although it’s not quite on the beachfront, it’s close enough – all you need do is follow the path under the train track that runs across the bottom of the car-park, and you’re there. It’s an elegant affair, studiously minimal and decorated throughout in tasteful hues of taupe, grey, cream and mustard, with carefully chosen pieces of furniture to conjure a fashionable, Scandi-inspired vibe – a driftwood sculpture or willow-filled vase here, a rattan chair or seagrass mat there. Sea views are essential – ask for one of the rooms with a balcony, such as room 2, 3, 4 or 5, which also has a rolltop bath. The Pod, a loft-style room accessed via a steep stepladder, is a fun option. Best hotel for a spa break: St Michaels Resort Location: Falmouth This is a solid, sensible seaside hotel – not too pricey, and with some good out-of-season deals on offer. This longstanding Falmouth hotel is renowned locally for its top-class spa, which includes a big hydrothermal pool (the largest in the southwest, apparently), as well as various treatment rooms and a new Spa Garden, with a 12-seater hot tub and barrel sauna. There’s a wide choice of rooms, from basic doubles to deluxe beach apartments, all decorated in the same unfussy style: navy blues and greys, with pictures of boats and shells to remind you of the seaside location. Falmouth’s biggest beach, Gyllyngvase, is only a minute’s walk away, through the hotel gardens. Best hotel for peace and quiet: The Rosevine Location: The Roseland peninsula This country house on the rural Roseland has been converted into a sort of Cornish apart-hotel: 15 attractive, spacious studios and suites, with open-plan layouts, little kitchens where you can prepare meals, and fine views across lawned gardens to the coast. There’s also a shared drawing room with a wood-burning stove, a kids’ area and heated indoor pool, and a very good restaurant. Plus, you’re free to wander the lovely grounds at will. It’s a lovely spot, just uphill from popular Porthcurnick Beach and its well-known beachside cafe, The Hidden Hut. For quieter sands, head out on the coast path to Porthbean beach or one of the many others nearby. Best hotel for traditional style: The Nare Location: The Roseland peninsula A reassuringly old-school hotel in a superb spot above the long, golden stretch of Carne, which joins up with neighbouring Pendower at low tide to form one of the Roseland’s biggest expanses of sand. This is definitely not a hotel for the minimalists, however: its chintzy, country-house style is geared towards guests looking for a more classic English hotel experience, from nightly turn-downs and valet service to afternoon tea served on the lawn. The rooms are spacious and have a choice of sea or country views: they all share the same sense of old-fashioned style, with pelmets, armchairs, antique furniture and Roberts radios. Several have separate lounges or adjoining bedrooms, making them ideal for families. There’s a formal fine-dining restaurant, a pleasant spa and two pools, one indoor and one outdoor; braver guests opt for an early morning sea dip on Carne, before the daytime crowds arrive. Book now Best for a weekend getaway: The Old Coastguard Hotel Location: Mousehole Run by the owners of The Gurnard’s Head in Zennor (as well as the Felin Fach Griffin near Hay-on-Wye), this small hotel on the outskirts of Mousehole is just the ticket for a quick coastal getaway – it runs a popular Sunday Sleepover package that includes Sunday lunch, supper and one night’s B&B. The location is wonderful – trimmed gardens rolling down to the coast and views over Mount’s Bay towards the rocky silhouette of St Michael’s Mount. Design-wise, it feels cosy and countrified: checked bedspreads, Roberts radios, traditional wooden furniture and little windows that peep onto the briny blue. The nearest beach is Mousehole’s harbour, where banks of soft sand are revealed at low tide; alternatively, hike out along the coast path in search of the rocky coves where locals like to swim. Alternatively, take a bracing dip in Mousehole Rock Pool, the tidal pool opposite the hotel gardens. Book now Best hotel for the southeast coast: Talland Bay Hotel Location: Looe Cornwall’s southeast coast is short on swish hotels, but the Talland Bay is a rare exception – and you’re in a prime location for exploring the gorgeous coastline between Looe and Polperro. The hotel isn’t quite beachside – you’re a 10-minute walk from the sandy beach at Talland Bay – but the lawned gardens (and most of the rooms) offer a widescreen view out to sea. The design here mixes traditional and modern: some rooms are flouncy and floral, others more contemporary, with sleigh beds, twisted wooden lamps and statement wallpapers. It’s very dog-friendly (canine guests get their own doggy welcome pack) and the front gardens are a pleasure at sunset. There’s no pool, though, so you’ll be limited to sea swims – much more fun. Best hotel for boat-watching: The Greenbank Location: Falmouth There’s a whiff of Agatha Christie grandeur about this venerable waterside hotel, which spans several buildings at the end of Falmouth’s handsomest street: Dunstanville Terrace. A feature of Falmouth’s waterfront since 1640, when the buildings were the homes of Packet ship captains, the hotel is dotted with bits of nautical memorabilia – old maps, model ships, black-and-white photos of the town’s seafaring heyday. The watery views steal the show here – river vistas fill every window, in the bar, the restaurant, the hotel’s lively pub, The Working Boat, and in many of the rooms too. Skip the inland rooms – you want one with a big bay window looking across the water to Flushing, ideally with a balcony or terrace (the fancy Lookout Suite even has its own telescope for lazy boatwatching). Directly in front of the hotel, there’s a pebbly beach to explore at low tide. When the tide comes in, the Greenbank’s quay is popular with local swimmers and paddleboarders. Read more of our Cornwall hotel reviews: Best affordable Cornwall hotels Best dog-friendly Cornwall hotels Best Cornwall spa hotels Read more about England travel: The ultimate guide to York Brighton city guide: Where to stay, eat and shop The best hotels in the New Forest Read More Best spa hotels in Yorkshire for a relaxing 2023 escape Best boutique hotels in Cornwall 2023, from beach getaways to romantic retreats Best lakes to visit in the UK for wild swimming, water sports and walks Seven of the best beaches in Northern Ireland to visit this summer Best boutique hotels in Cornwall 2023, from beach getaways to romantic retreats Best spa hotels in Norfolk for a relaxing 2023 escape

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Norfolk may not seem the most obvious place to look for a boutique place to stay, but the fact is the county can lay claim to some of the best small boutique hotels in the country, especially in the chi-chi reaches of its fabled North Coast. As a county patchworked by country estates – most of them with fancy mansions built by local bigwigs – Norfolk scores particularly well on small and elegant country house hotels that have been gussied up with style and flair for the 21st century. It’s also a county of brilliant pubs, and there are any number of revamped inns that have added cosy rooms and a special food offering. Indeed, Norfolk tends to be a region of small independent businesses rather than mega-chains, and there are one or two small pub groups that place a strong emphasis on high-quality accommodation and food of local provenance. To help you choose where to rest your head, we’ve put together a list of the best boutique places to stay in the county. The best boutique hotels in Norfolk 2023 are: Best for couples: The Ironmongers Best hotel for familes: The Grove Best hotel for foodies: Morston hall Best hotel for walkers: Titchwell Manor Best hotel for shopping: The Assembly House Best budget hotel: The Cliftonville Best for couples: The Irongmongers Location: Aylsham Located in a historic Elizabethan house right at the heart of the small Norfolk town of Aylsham, The Ironmongers is a perfect spot for a couple’s tryst: totally private, with no reception, just a code to gain entrance, and eight beautifully designed guest rooms inspired by the town’s historic trades – as well as ironmongery, the building has hosted a wine merchant, tailors shop and all sorts of different businesses over the years. The large Haberdashery room has a four-poster and lots of fancy silks and satins, but all of the rooms are spacious and welcoming, with solid oak floors, smart TVs, good wifi, tea and coffee-making facilities and en-suite bathrooms with good-sized showers, fluffy towels and toiletries. Heat and hot water are provided by air-source heat pumps, and dogs are welcome in two of the rooms. It’s a B&B without the breakfast, but don’t let that worry you: Norfolk folk swear by the local Bread Source bakery chain and there’s a branch right downstairs, serving delectable croissants and other pastries, sweet and savoury. If that doesn’t take your fancy, the Black Boys pub across the road does an excellent full English breakfast. Best hotel for families: The Grove Location: Cromer Situated between the Norfolk resorts of Cromer and Overstrand, this is not a beach hotel in the traditional sense – there are no sea views. But it has a tucked-away feel that is irresistible, and you can walk to the beach in a matter of minutes, escaping through the trees of the hotel’s secluded garden as if en route to your own secret place. A family-run hotel, it has a welcoming and comfortable feel that can only be achieved after years in the business, with 16 well-appointed guest rooms split between the main house and the Orchard Rooms in the grounds, supplemented by a scattering of self-catering cottages, glamping yurts and a giant shepherds hut. The rooms are simple, understated and homely, with up-to-date furnishings and well-appointed en-suite bathrooms. There’s also a consistently good restaurant, open for lunch and dinner, and service is terrific. Meanwhile, the grounds are home to a heated indoor swimming pool and a funky ‘massage hut’ offering various treatments. Best hotel for foodies: Morston Hall Location: Morston Just a few miles from picturesque Blakeney and just footsteps from Morston Quay in North Norfolk, Morston Hall sits surrounded by beautiful gardens – an oasis of calm in what can be a busy spot during the summer months. Once you’re within the hotel’s flint walls, you feel like nothing bad could happen to you, and you can enjoy the comfy rooms and on-point cooking of chef-patron Galton Blackiston. The rooms are very comfy indeed, divided between the main house and an annex in the garden, and have everything you could possibly need, from private terraces and smart TVs, to Nespresso machines and homemade cookies, fresh milk and still and sparkling water. En-suite bathrooms are large, with a walk-in shower, robes and Noble Isle toiletries and a separate bathtub with its own TV. But the rooms aren’t really the point: you’re paying for the glorious peace of the location, the gardens that surround the house in a fertile embrace and a restaurant where the devotedly local menu changes every day, depending on what’s available and in season – whether it’s from the Hall’s fecund kitchen garden or mini-smokehouse, or the various fish and seafood suppliers and local farmers that Galton deals with. The one thing you can predict is that Galton will cook your breakfast himself the following morning, when he likes to chat to guests and find out how they enjoyed their dinner the night before. Best hotel for walkers: Titchwell Manor Location: Titchwell Looking out over the the salt marshes of the North Norfolk coast, Titchwell Manor is one of the best places to stay – and to eat – in an area that’s not exactly short of options. Divided between a main building, cottage annexe and stable block, it houses 26 individually styled boutique rooms ranging from the cheapest ‘Good’ doubles through ‘Better’ up to ‘Best’ and ‘Signature’ rooms, featuring super-king-size beds, private patio areas, freestanding baths and separate showers. A couple even have their own terraces with private hot tubs. If that’s not quite private enough, you can always opt for a shepherd’s hut in the garden, with its own shower room, living area, hot tub and wood-burner. All the rooms have good wifi, smart TVs, robes, tea- and coffee-making facilities and recently updated bathrooms. You can have an in-room massage, and a third of the rooms are dog-friendly – nice to know, given the excellent walks in all directions. Work up an appetite on the Norfolk Coast Path before dining at the hotel’s renowned 3 AA-rosette restaurant – or just pick up some fish and chips from its well-known sister business, Eric’s. Best hotel for shopping: The Assembly House Location: Norwich Run by revered local chef Richard Hughes and his wife Stacia, the Assembly House occupies a beautifully renovated Georgian building bang in the centre of Norwich – a boutique hotel, restaurant and cookery school that is one of the country’s best places for an indulgent and cultural short break. Occupying two wings flanking the garden and entrance, the guest rooms are light and spacious and decorated in a classic-meets-contemporary style. Each one is different but all come with high-quality beds and linen, good wifi, flatscreen TVs and Bluetooth speakers. There’s a car park next door, and you can start the day with one of Richard’s superb breakfasts, served in the elegant ground-floor restaurant, where you can also enjoy a delicious afternoon tea. You couldn’t be in a better location for exploring central Norwich, which is literally on your doorstep. Best budget hotel: The Cliftonville Location: Cromer Situated right on top of the cliffs in resurgent Cromer, The Cliftonville is a landmark building that, until recently, was in need of a bit of TLC. Luckily for us, it has been renovated by the City Pub Company, which has turned The Cliftonville into an affordable and thoroughly up-to-date place to stay, just minutes from the town’s beach. Most of the rooms have sea views and it’s nice to know you can leave the car at home and come here by train from Norwich, leaving you free to focus on the seaside attractions of Cromer. The beach and the pier are right there, and there’s another beautiful beach at Overstrand, a short walk away, where you can enjoy crab sandwiches in the clifftop café. Alternatively, try the Cromer crab or some of Norfolk’s best fish and chips in No.1 or Mary Janes before following the Norfolk Coast Path to Sheringham, where you can sample some of the county’s best ice cream at Ellie’s. And the hotel? It’s an Edwardian gem – think sweeping staircases and stained-glass windows – that has been sensitively restored: it boasts a cosy bar; a contemporary restaurant that makes the most of the sea views and serves decent modern British food; and 30 guest rooms and suites with en-suite bathrooms, good wifi, flatscreen TVs and tea- and coffee-making facilities. Read more of our UK hotel reviews: Best spa hotels in Norfolk Best London hotels Best Essex hotels Read more about England travel: Where to stay in Nottingham The Lake District’s best boutique hotels Best hotels in the Cotswolds Read More Best family-friendly hotels in the UK for style, location and value for money The best dog-friendly hotels in the UK for 2023 The UK’s best seaside hotels 2023 12 places you won’t believe are in England The best wild swimming stays in the UK Best hotels in Somerset 2023: Where to stay for countryside charm

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