Coastal and beach hotels
Oh we do like to be beside the seaside… and we know you do, too. So we've scoured coastlines, scaled cliffs and combed beaches in our search for the coolest coastal hotels, where the water's edge is never far away.
Clifftop castles, seaside stays and beach B&Bs – you'll find them all here, alongside paradise island resorts and Caribbean retreats. You just have to decide whether your idea of beach-hotel heaven is skimming stones in Brighton, surfing in Santa Monica or scuba diving in the Seychelles…
- Hotels
- Self-catering
- € £ $
We've found 204 Smith-approved coastal and beach hotels
The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs
Bay Of Islands, New Zealand
- Style
- Sophisticated country manor
- Setting
- Coastal cliffs with islands on the horizon
Tee off amid panoramic Pacific Ocean views from the Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, an elegant boutique hotel in New Zealand’s North Island which boasts its own…
Turtle Inn
Belize, Central America
- Style
- Shore-shack chic
- Setting
- Balmy Belizean beach side
Francis Ford Coppola’s Caribbean cabanas are shaggy-thatched hideaway huts inspired by Balinese design. Set on the ocean’s edge by sleepy Placencia village,…
Cayo Espanto
Belize, Central America
- Style
- Private island beach houses
- Setting
- Caribbean coast of Ambergris Caye
Embraced by the topaz waters of the Caribbean, Cayo Espanto tops the A-list when it comes to bespoke boutique breaks, with butler-serviced wooden villas…
Square
Brighton, United Kingdom
- Style
- Fresh-faced townhouse
- Setting
- Beach-side Brightonian square
Stylish, contemporary and a far cry from the traditional chintzy bed and breakfast, the Square hotel offers a very sleek version of a Brighton weekend.
Blanch House
Brighton, United Kingdom
- Style
- Laid-back hedonism by the sea
- Setting
- Brighton townhouse
The decadence, the lush furnishings and the enormous beds of this Brighton boutique bolt hole make Blanch House the ideal indulgent weekend getaway at a hotel…
Drakes
Brighton, United Kingdom
- Style
- Luxurious townhouse
- Setting
- Seafront Kemp Town
The large airy rooms in Drakes' spacious Regency building take full advantage of the seafront location, and glorious windows promised let the light flood in.
Le Lodge Kerisper
Brittany, France
- Style
- Castaway cabin
- Setting
- Portside perch
Le Lodge Kerisper on the shores of southern Brittany is a breezy and beachy boutique hotel in La Trinité-sur-Mer.
Victoria's at Ewingsdale
Byron Bay, Australia
- Style
- Tuscan meets French Provençal
- Setting
- Country manor near the sea
Romantic boutique hotel Victoria's at Ewingsdale is set in lush countryside near Byron Bay's best beaches with white, floaty, feminine rooms and elegant…















