3 of the chicest British seaside hotels

Watergate Bay, Cornwall

Everyone you meet at this super-stylish and oh-so-comfortable hotel seems to have been coming for years, and it’s not hard to understand why.

Set on two miles of sublime surfing beach between Newquay and Padstow, the vibe is ‘après surf’, low-key and very relaxed. Weather forecasts and wind speeds are chalked up on a blackboard in the foyer, while guests happily walk around in wetsuits with sandy feet.

If you’re more of a lengths person, the 25-metre infinity pool has incredible views over the beach. The 69-room hotel has three restaurants all serving great seasonal food, and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen is a short walk away. You’ll be back every year. Rooms from £190 (watergatebay.co.uk)

Bailiffscourt, West Sussex

Despite its Tudor façade, Bailiffscourt was built in the 1920s, but you’d never know. The 39 bedrooms are set out in a series of charming houses and cottages featuring latticed windows, ancient tapestries and, if you’re lucky, an antique four-poster bed.

The award-winning spa is set in 30 acres of private parkland leading to one of West Sussex’s most beautiful and unspoilt beaches. The lounges surrounding the exquisite courtyard are the perfect spot after a long walk on the beach, and Thomas Heatherwick’s award-winning East Beach Café is a short drive away. No visit is complete without a swim in the outdoor pool. Bliss. Rooms from £249 (hshotels.co.uk/bailiffscourt)

The Seaside Boarding House, Dorset

If you love the idea of a beach break but find leaving Soho painful, then this white clapboard seaside lodge with spectacular views over Chesil Beach is for you. The brainchild of former managing director of The Groucho Club, Mary-Lou Sturridge, this is a haven of understated style. The restaurant is outstanding — Fergus Henderson, Jeremy Lee and Rowley Leigh have all hosted dinners here — as are the cocktails. Not to mention the exquisite decor: Peter Blake prints in the rooms and bar stools upcycled from The Groucho. Apart from the view, you won’t even know you’ve left London. Rooms from £205 (theseasideboardinghouse.com)