Beach hotels in Wales: book a stay with tranquil sea views

As its name suggests, Escape is a place where you leave the busy world behind – walk through its front door to find panelled walls with pops of patterned wallpaper and contrasting lamps or cosy armchairs. Each lofty room has been individually designed with bespoke wooden furniture, original vintage light fittings and retro-style crochet blankets. Escape is also only a leisurely 10 minute walk from the seafront at Llandudno and the town’s pier.

As well as colourful decorative details, rooms at this 5-star boutique hotel have flatscreen TVs, Bose iPod docks and Blu-ray disc players. Some bathrooms feature LED lighting artfully fixed in the shower tiles. If you love long soaks, choose an option with a vintage roll-top or copper bath in the room itself, then sit back on a comfortable swivel chair next to one of the large bay windows and admire the view.

Before dinner, wander down to the chic lounge featuring Conran love seats and decorated with paintings by homegrown artists that are available to buy as souvenirs. Help yourself to a drink from the honesty bar before heading to the promenade for seafood. In the morning, breakfast is served in the hotel’s elegant dining room – just head through the intricate stained-glass doors and find a table. With a plate of traditional Welsh breakfast, laden with local bacon and sausages, you’ll be ready for a full day relaxing on the nearby beach.

For a choice of three different locations dotted about the picturesque village of Portmeirion, plan a visit to the 4-star Portmeirion & Castell Deudraeth hotel. This luxurious retreat is housed in a 1920’s seafront hotel, an early Victorian castellated mansion and individual rooms scattered around the village’s attractive piazza. The first option – The Hotel Portmeirion – overlooks the Dwyryd Estuary’s sandy bay. Created as part of Clough Williams-Ellis’ ‘ideal village’, it was built in full Victorian style complete with intricate Italian fireplaces, a decadent Mirror Room and a striking 18th-century oak staircase. Stay in rooms decorated with printed wallpaper and vintage-style beds in keeping with the hotel’s theme. In the evening, sample fine dining in the Art Deco double AA-rosette-awarded restaurant. It specialises in creative dishes made with locally sourced produce, such as tender Welsh lamb or roasted cauliflower risotto.

The second destination, Castell Deudraeth, looks like a charming historic castle from the outside. However, each of the 11 rooms is furnished with contemporary Welsh oak beds and tables, as well as cosy armchairs. For ample space, pick a suite with its own kitchen, seating area and sleek tiled bathroom with a large tub. Later on, dine with a view over the early Victorian walled garden before warming yourself by the roaring fire in the cosy lounge.

Alternatively, experience a taste of local life in one of the luxurious village suites with views across the estuary. Many rooms even have private patios and terraces as well as access to the hotel’s heated outdoor swimming pool. Stay in modern rooms with bold printed covers and wallpapers, or opt for a classic suite with a large antique-style bed and bay windows.

Gastronomes and art lovers rejoice because, at the 4-star Penally Abbey Hotel, dinner is served in its 2 AA rosette restaurant adorned with paintings and lit by an opulent glass chandelier. Find a table that looks out across the gardens through original 18th-century arched windows. The restaurant offers a menu that uses seasonal ingredients, such as the hotel’s home-grown vegetables or the foraged seaweed of Freshwater West beach. For a more intimate, private dining experience, book the hotel’s old chapel, which is lit with sparkling chandeliers and candlelight. Here, wooden tables are set beneath the high ceiling and original beams.

Next morning, start your day with a Welsh cooked breakfast made with free-range eggs, sausages from the nearby butcher and the chef’s own take on laver bread – also known as Welshman’s Caviar. For something lighter, order smoked salmon and scrambled eggs or fresh fruit and home-made bread with locally made jams.

Set inside a lovingly restored 18th-century manor with views across the sea, this hotel has both indoor and outdoor space in abundance. Choose a large double room decorated with fresh light hues and elegant antique details such as cosy rugs or tartan armchairs. Or embrace the seaside theme with a wood-panelled suite. In the sitting room, leather Chesterfields and sophisticated wing-back chairs provide seating areas where guests can sit back and relax. Order the hotel’s classic Pembroke Tea for home-made sandwiches and cakes served with a choice of brews.

With its elegant glass-fronted facade, this hotel makes a striking addition to the cosmopolitan waterfront of Cardiff Bay. The only AA-rated, 5-star luxury hotel in Cardiff, The Principal St David is a contemporary retreat with sea views and one of the top five spas in the UK. As well as a large indoor pool with views out across the bay, it has hydrotherapy pools featuring water treated with natural minerals to replicate seawater. Relax in the detoxifying sauna or steam room, or stimulate your circulation under gently massaging water jets. Treatment rooms offer a range of facials and massages, including nourishing algae wraps.

Food is served throughout the day in the airy Admiral St David restaurant and bar. In the afternoon, top up on tea with sandwiches, home-made scones and delicious cakes. For dinner, choose from a menu inspired by Australasian and Asian-Pacific cuisine, including wasabi-crusted Welsh lamb rack and grilled catch of the day.

Each room at The Principal St David is decorated with a soothing colour palette inspired by the sea. Floor-to-ceiling windows have sublime views across the bay, while some suites have their own balconies. Inside, sleek double beds and leather chairs are offset with plush textiles and velvet cushions. Spacious bathrooms with tubs also come with toiletries from The White Company. For a little more room to yourself, opt for an open-plan suite with wraparound windows and two balconies.

Set within its own sweeping grounds and beautiful gardens, The Cliff Hotel & Spa sits on the coast of Cardigan Bay overlooking Poppit Sands and Cardigan Island. As well as a tranquil underground spa, it even has its own nine-hole golf course with views stretching out over the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire coastline. Float weightlessly in the hexagonal hydrotherapy pool beneath twinkling lights or while away the time in the sauna and steam room. For a purifying experience, take a quick, brave dip in the invigorating ice fountain. Indulge in a soothing full-body massage or body scrub, then rest for a while on the heated loungers that help to ease muscle tension.

Many of the ground-floor rooms lead out straight onto the hotel lawns and look out across the sea, while upper-floor suites have private balconies with intimate seating areas. For an extra special stay, opt for a room with its own private hot tub. Large double beds are set with crisp sheets and colourful cushions that stand out against the muted backdrop of soft grey and cream. Small finishing touches, from fluffy robes to Tassimo coffee machines, add to the laid-back yet luxurious feel.

When you’re feeling peckish, dine with views of the Ceredigion coast at the hotel’s restaurant. The Carreg at The Cliff offers a seasonal menu of classics made with fresh produce from the surrounding area. These include Carreg potted home-made pie and fresh mussels with fries during the shellfish season.

If you long for a beach hotel with personality and charm, The Broadmead will win you over. Rooms here are individually designed and aptly named ‘Snug,’ ‘Cosy’, ‘Comfy’ and ‘Extra Comfy’ – with the latter being the most spacious. Printed wallpapers and plush textiles add to the homely atmosphere, while light hues and crisp cotton sheets make the interiors feel bright and airy. Upgrade to one of the larger suites and sink into cushioned armchairs and roll-top baths. Alternatively, have spa luxuries brought to your door with the hotel’s in-room massage and treatment service. Release your stress with an aromatherapy massage or revitalise your skin with a cleansing facial. For a special night out, arrange to have your nails, lashes and make-up done by the in-house beautician.

With half an acre of lawned gardens, golden Tenby beaches and the harbour town all on its doorstep, the Broadmead has plenty to offer relaxation-seekers. This boutique bed and breakfast, set in an 18th-century house, has kept its heritage charm intact with glimmering chandeliers, large bay windows and a winding wooden staircase. To make the most of the south-facing gardens, sit back on a daybed in the sunshine or sip a drink under a broad patio umbrella.

In the morning, food is served in the hotel’s sun-lit breakfast room – help yourself to juice and fruit before taking a seat at a country-style wooden table. Large windows along one side have sweeping views across the garden. The hotel’s menu offers both traditional cooked or continental breakfasts made using fresh ingredients.

The luxurious Quay Hotel & Spa sits on the edge of Wales’ northwest coastline and has wide-reaching views across the tranquil Conwy Estuary. Inside is even more relaxing. From Jacuzzis to swimming pools, there are plenty of places to soak your cares away in the hotel’s Marina Spa. Pick a personalised ESPA facial treatment to target your skin’s needs, or choose a full-body aromatherapy massage to soothe your muscles. Then take some time to bask in the spa’s softly lit chill-out room with cushioned bamboo beds and cosy blankets.

Many of the rooms here have floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies that look out onto the Deganwy Marina, dotted with yachts and fishermen’s boats, or across to Conwy Castle. Relax in a spacious suite decorated with neutral tones, modern wooden furnishings and sleek leather seats. If it’s a special occasion, stay in one of the hotel’s recently refurbished penthouses, and unwind in your very own whirlpool bath.

For dinner and drinks by the water’s edge, visit the hotel’s Marina Restaurant Bar to dine al-fresco on warm evenings. Inside, plush velvet seats and dark wood tables create a luxurious and intimate setting for an evening meal. The award-winning menu offers local dishes such as roast rump of Welsh lamb. During the mussel season from the end of September, try the Conwy mussels collected from the deepest seabeds in the area by fishermen.