Winter getting you down? Well, here's an idea. There's nowhere better than the British seaside in winter, and we know of lots of cosy seaside hotels where you can enjoy fabulous views, great food and crisp morning walks in winter sunshine.
Artist Residence, Brighton
When it comes to boutique hotels there are few that do it better than the Artist Residence, with 23 guest rooms each individually designed by, well, an artist! The inevitable outcome is a mix of bedroom styles and a laid-back atmosphere throughout the rest of the hotel that is only complemented by the vibrant Cocktail Shack, a super-cool bar next door run by the same people.
A cool and contemporary hotel with a relaxed, welcoming vibe. The rooms are stylish, with all the extra touches you’d expect, and the hotel’s restaurant and bar are justifiably popular with locals as well as guests at any time of year. Plus Dartmouth is a great location for a carefree mixture of winter walks and town ambling in the run-up to Christmas.
Chateau Rhianfa, Anglesey
Anglesey has always felt a little apart from the rest of Wales, and staying in this grand French-style chateau overlooking the Menai Straits makes it feel even more so. It has 21 contemporary-style bedrooms, self-catering accommodation in a series of unique lodges, stables and other outbuildings. Rates are keen at this time of year and it also lays on a whole lot of festive cheer in its 'Winter Wonderland' build-up to Christmas and the New Year.
The Crown & Castle, Suffolk
Old Orford hands will remember when this was an indifferent local pub with a handful of rooms upstairs. Then it was taken over by the original TV hotel inspector, Ruth Watson, and brought it into the modern age and now there’s no better place to enjoy Orford’s unhurried air. As you might expect of one of Watson's places, the service here is fab, and the hotel's eighteen guest rooms, in the main building and outbuildings, are stylish yet simple – plus, the restaurant is a destination in itself, and they have some great winter Dinner, Bed & Breakfast deals available.
Crug Glas Country House, Pembrokeshire
This beautiful country house, run by Janet and Perkin Evans, has five beautiful guest rooms that are all individually and imaginatively decorated: some have four-posters, one has a free-standing copper bath, and there's a top floor suite that runs the entire length of the house. There's also a guest room in a converted stone coach house, equipped with a bed handmade from wood sourced on the farm, and a a double bedroom in a slickly converted barn. There's a great restaurant too, but most of all we love Crug Glas for the access it gives to the Pembrokeshire Coast – as spectacular as ever, even in the depths of wild winter.
The Gurnard's Head, Cornwall
A short walk inland from one of the most wild and rugged sections of the South West Coast Path, The Gurnard's Head is the sort of place where you can kick off your muddy boots by the roaring fire and sip a glass of wine while the dog snoozes at your feet. The food in the downstairs pub is great too, and upstairs are cosy rooms equipped with a Vi-spring beds draped with Welsh wool blankets, Roberts radios and shelves stacked with novels to distract you from the moorland views. Their winter Dinner, Bed & Breakfast escapes are great value.
Merchants Manor, Cornwall
This small boutique hotel high on a hill in Falmouth has 39 newly refurbished rooms split between main building and a modern extension that vary from 'Cosy' – the cheapest and naturally the smallest – to more modern 'Comfy' rooms and high-end the Master bedrooms, which come with robes, private balconies and king-size beds. They offer 25% off Dinner, Bed & Breakfast in winter and you get free wifi, flatscreen TVs, a welcome tray and luxury toiletries, plus there's a gym and a heated indoor pool. A perfect spot to enjoy Falmouth's festivities in the lead-up to Christmas.
Mount Haven Hotel, Cornwall
The perfect pit stop for windy walks along the South West Coast Path, where you you can bag a four-poster suite or boutique balcony room here with all the trimmings you’d expect of top-notch accommodation (including posh toiletries and spa treatments). Local artwork adorns the walls and sculptures adorn the hallways and living spaces, but every area from the lounge and terrace to the restaurant beckons you to relax and enjoy the sea views. Their rates are superb value at this time of year – up to a third off – and there's loads of activity in Penzance and around in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
The Old Rectory, East Sussex
This luxurious boutique hotel in the heart of Hastings' Old Town has eight quirkily individual guest rooms that charm and pamper at the same time – and all for a very desirable price. Breakfasts are locally sourced and delicious – home-baked bread, kippers from the Old Town fishmonger, eggs from a nearby farm, plus they make their own sausages and bacon – while the rooms all have flatscreen TVs and DVD players, robes and Egyptian cotton sheets. Book a midweek stay between October and December and you get a £10 a night discount.
Pebble House B&B, Cornwall
Most of the guest rooms in this boutique B&B have sea views to die for,with floor-to-ceiling windows and Juliet balconies, well-equipped and uniquely decorated bathrooms stocked with Molton Brown goodies. You could spend a very happy weekend indeed just drinking in those views, watching the fishing boats bobbing about in the harbour, but there's fabulous walking to be done in x y and z (and a washing room for your muddy walking boots) and to get you going they serve an award-winning breakfast, enhanced by Andrea's homemade granola. Book a stay in a seaview room in November and you get 25% off your second night.
St Edmund's House, Cornwall
The finest accommodation in the Stein stable and one of the best places to stay in the Padstow area, with six luxurious rooms set in private gardens overlooking the Camel Estuary. The style is pared-down chic, with oak flooring and private balconies or decking areas, but four-poster beds and marble bathrooms create a sense of occasion. Breakfast is at the Stein's original Seafood Restaurant nearby, and you can enjoy dinner there too if you wish by taking one of their great-value two-night Dinner, bed & Breakfast winter breaks.
Talland Bay Hotel, Cornwall
Voted best small hotel in Cornwall just a couple of years back, Talland Bay Hotel is all about pure relaxation, with glorious sea views, fine Cornish cuisine and lots of lounging around in a quirky, luxurious environment. restaurants will set you up for the short walk to glistening Talland Bay from where the South West Coast Path fans east for slightly more bracing hikes to Looe and west to Polperro – perfect on a crisp winter's morning. And they do great Dinner, Bed & Breakfast deals for three-night winter breaks.
