The Best Beach Hotels in Norfolk
Looking for a UK beach holiday? Norfolk has golden sand by the bucketload. Luckily, there are spades-full of great seaside hotels dotted along the county’s coastline, too, from Great Yarmouth to Hunstanton. Here are the best beach hotels in Norfolk – they’re all bookable on Culture Trip.
It’s one of the hottest, driest and sunniest counties in the UK, so it’s not surprising the Norfolk beaches beckon. Pack your swim things and check out this list of the best places to stay for beach-loving bods. Whether you’re keen to bag great coastal views or taste the best North Sea crabs at Cromer, there’s a seaside hotel in Norfolk to suit you.
Dormy House Hotel
Boutique Hotel, Spa Hotel, Hotel, Luxury
Thanks to a clifftop position, Dormy House near Cromer has pinch-me panoramic views over the north Norfolk coastline. Sit on the enclosed terrace – designed to keep sea winds at bay – preferably with a plateful from Dormy House’s daily carvery, nicknamed the “best roast on the coast”. Book into a room overlooking West Runton Beach, then head into town for a Cromer crab sandwich, or to Sheringham for cafes, pubs and antique shops. West Runton railway station is nearby, so leave the car at home and let the train take the strain.
The White Horse
Inn
Get your hands on the top room at The White Horse – from here you can eye up, through your own viewing telescope, the lobster pots and oyster beds in the salt marshes below. You might just see your dinner being landed, as shellfish in the White Horse restaurant comes from the local area. Order the seafood sharing platter with lobster, crab, shell-on prawns, cockles and oysters. Look out for gin cocktail evenings and lobster barbecues.
The Pheasant Hotel
Boutique Hotel
On the large Kelling Estate, The Pheasant is a coastal escape near Holt. The 32 rooms feature comfy, super-king beds (ask for the dog-friendly suite, if needed). Don’t miss the estate’s own game terrine often served in the restaurant. From here, you’re a 20-minute walk through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to Weybourne beach. There are no facilities here, just white-foam waves crashing noisily onto the pebbles, but you can watch fishers hauling in lobsters and paragliders launching themselves off the clifftop.
Sea Marge Hotel
Boutique Hotel
The vaulted timber roof and mullioned bay windows in the Clement Scott bar at the Sea Marge Hotel are reminders of why Overstrand, near Cromer, was once a favourite coastal retreat of the elite and wealthy. Indeed, Winston Churchill used a phone at Sea Marge to mobilise the British navy at the start of World War I. Potter down the terraced lawns and you’ll find yourself on a wide sandy beach. Haul yourself back up and locally caught crab and glorious sea views await.
Caley Hall Hotel
Guesthouse
Just a 10-minute walk from Caley Hall lies Hunstanton North Beach, a boulder-strewn swathe of sand with deckchair-striped cliffs made up of layers of pure white chalk, red iron-stained chalk and gingerbread-hued carrstone. It’s one of the most-photographed images of north Norfolk, so join the melee and whip out your phone camera. Recharge with fish and chips on the patio back at the 17th-century manor house hotel, once a prison for the smugglers caught with hauls of Geneva gin.
The Cliff Hotel
Hotel, Luxury
The terrace at The Cliff proffers a ringside view of the beach at Gorleston-on-Sea, so tuck into a sirloin or ribeye steak from the chargrill and people-watch for a while. Work it off with a beachside stroll to Hopton cliffs and back up to Great Yarmouth. Check out the memorial plaque in the hotel garden, which salutes the Air Area Rescue unit that was based at the hotel during World War II.
The Crown Hotel
Boutique Hotel
Launch a weekend in Wells-next-the-Sea with fizz and chips at The Crown, a fun feast for two with haddock goujons, battered tiger prawns, fish cakes, skinny chips and a glass of prosecco. Knock it back on the sun-soaked terrace of this former coaching inn and life really couldn’t be much better. There’s even a free-standing copper bath beckoning on the private terrace of the rooftop suite.
Titchwell Manor Hotel
Boutique Hotel, Guesthouse
Once a Victorian farmhouse, this smart boutique hotel peers over Titchwell Marsh RSPB reserve. It’s also just a few minutes’ walk from salt marshes and the coastal footpath. When the tide goes out at nearby Brancaster Beach, hop over the huddles of razor shells and take a closer look at the shipwreck of the SS Vina, used for target practice by the RAF ahead of the 1944 Normandy landings, but later stranded on a sandbank. Back at the hotel, go for sea-spotting rooms in the main house or romantic bolt holes with private hot tubs around the herb garden.
For more options, discover our guide to where to stay in Norfolk, or check out our pick of the best hotels in Norfolk. Still haven’t found your ideal hotel in Norfolk yet? Book one of the county’s best cheap hotels now, via Culture Trip.