The Best Hotels to Book in and Around Westward Ho!

This incredibly cute boutique inn is within Westward Ho! itself, on the waterfront as the name suggests. The family-friendly property offers 11 elegant rooms of varying sizes and shapes, that are ready to welcome all manner of travellers from solo to larger groups. You’ll be well fed at the restaurant downstairs which provides great grub, with a focus on seafood – which isn’t much of a surprise, seeing as the sea is right on the front door.

At first glance, this place looks like a classic B&B – but it has an unconventional story. With the sea reclaiming the land and drawing closer and closer to the front door of Lower Lodge, the owners decided to move the property, brick by brick, to a safer spot – earning it the local title of “the house what moved”. Still the closest property to the beach in Westward Ho!, Morans offers homey rooms and a delicious breakfast in bed for guests who plan to take it slow and easy on their trip to Devon.

Set in the fishing village of Appledore, just five minutes’ drive from Westward Ho!, The Seagate Hotel lives inside an old Georgian tavern. The pub serves fresh seafood and great seasonal plates downstairs, with the homely hotel upstairs hosting 17 individually designed guest rooms in self-proclaimed “shabby chic” style – many boasting windswept sea views.

This elegant, Regency-era hotel’s foundations go back as far as the 1600s, making this a real heritage property. Its recent renovation was sympathetic to that history, leaving interiors that give a light, contemporary feel and the most of the riverside location, with fantastic views from most rooms. The Royal is in central Bideford, just seconds from the Tarka Trail cycle path and with Westward Ho!, Instow beach and the coast path just a few minutes’ walk away.

If a thatched roof gives you the wow factor, The Hoops Inn is for you. Another lovely heritage property based in Bideford, this 13th-century, Grade II-listed pub comes with four-poster beds, or even rooms in the stables. Fresh local seafood is served in the restaurant, plus many rooms are dog friendly – a bonus for pet owners. Cross your fingers for good weather, because the hotel gardens come with landscaped beds and ancient trees, wooden footbridges and picnic benches for a quiet moment’s reading.

This B&B in central Bideford is charming, inside and out. The interiors are awash with colour and light, and the lush garden is the perfect place to relax after a day by the sea in neighbouring Westward Ho!. Instow Barton is run by couple Caroline and Colin, who put their heart and soul into the in-house catering: French cuisine made from local seasonal produce.

This lovely rural cottage, out in the rolling Devonshire hills, offers huge gardens and land to explore. It’s the perfect spot to reconnect with nature, listen to the birds and watch the river flow by. A hearty home-cooked breakfast is provided by hostess Lucy, who maintains a home-from-home feel for her guests, with a Steinway piano in the hall just begging you to play it.

Expect peace, quiet and tranquility while staying at this lovely B&B, found in a refurbished former gatekeeper’s cottage up on top of the Kipling Tors – raised high lands that look out to the coast and Westward Ho! below. Choose one of the handful of rooms for plenty of privacy at this cosy, well-equipped stay.