The Best Hotels to Book Near the Port of Tilbury

Before motor vehicles and roads, there were horses and tracks. Some of the quaintest and most historic hotels in Britain are former coaching inns, and the Bell Inn – which began welcoming weary travellers in the 15th century – is one such property. The half-timbered walls still give a keen sense of that past, despite having been shored up by modern renovations. Most of the rooms, in fact, are located in a Georgian-era annexe.

If you’re searching for an upscale stay close to the Port of Tilbury, it doesn’t get much more regal than the Orsett Hall Hotel, in a stately home with its own restaurant and spa. Overnight spa packages are available here, while accommodation ranges from modern double rooms to private lodges set in Orsett Hall’s 12-acre (5ha) grounds. The suites best represent this 17th-century hall’s lofty past, but each room is individually decorated and designed.

The ibis chain of hotels are great for anybody seeking a dependable, competitively priced night’s stay. Rooms are earth-toned and simply furnished, with a small desk for anybody looking to work from the road. There’s also plenty of common space in the restaurant and bar, along with a pool table and computers for guests to use. Handily, the hotel is right on the M25 slip road, with the Port of Tilbury 10 miles (16km) away.

Away from the noise of Tilbury Docks is the Berwick Manor Hotel, a Victorian building surrounded by fields, woodland and ponds. The Victorians really knew how to construct spacious rooms with high ceilings, and the simple furnishings help emphasise that. A cooked breakfast is provided as part of the room fee and there’s a bar on-site.

Hilton’s Dartford Bridge hotel is another good option for people with cars, thanks to its proximity to the M25. Expect good value for money in the spacious rooms, which have modern amenities such as USB charging docks, but if you’d rather not be cooped up, the hotel has plenty of open common space, including an airy lobby. Staying fit on the road is easy here, thanks to the large indoor pool and fitness centre – make the most of its running, rowing and elliptical machines.

Continuing the theme of hotels close to motorway exits is the Holiday Inn Express, ideal for easy access to the Port of Tilbury. Located on the edge of Dartford, this place is very much in line with the brand’s other hotels. Rooms have a blue, red and white colour palette, with crisp linen and good provisions for digital nomads, including USB ports and a laptop desk. Breakfast is included in the room fee.

The Devonshire Hotel is a pretty, family-run place on a residential road in Hornchurch, roughly 15 miles (24km) from the Port of Tilbury. With a free full English in the morning, the hotel has a bed and breakfast vibe, and an intimate ambience that larger chain hotels lack. Beds have Hypnos mattresses and Egyptian cotton sheets for the best night’s sleep possible, while snacks are available throughout the day – though the restaurants and pubs of the high street are only minutes away.