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10 of the best Isle of Wight luxury hotels - 2021
Do you need to make it up to a spouse for forgetting an anniversary/birthday? If so, three days on a campsite isn't going to cut it. So, bite the bullet and enjoy one of the Isle of Wight's best luxury hotels.
There are smaller boutique places to stay as well as 3 star, 4 star and 5 star hotels and large luxury accommodation brimming with spa facilities and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
There are smaller boutique places to stay as well as 3 star, 4 star and 5 star hotels and large luxury accommodation brimming with spa facilities and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
1. Royal Hotel, Ventnor
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The Royal Hotel in Ventnor has had a reputation for luxury for decades and has won multiple awards since it opened in 1832. It has been listed in every Michelin guide since it started in 1911.
The style at the 4 Star hotel is 'English country house' with highlights including an outdoor heated swimming pool and a fancy restaurant which offers fine dining (I took the wife there once and she was well impressed). It also does a good afternoon tea if you fancy a taste of opulence without an overnight stay. TripAdvisor customers give The Royal 4.5/5. |
The Royal Hotel in Ventnor is a posh hotel with great reviews
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2. Haven Hall Hotel, Shanklin
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You won't find a hotel with better reviews than Haven Hall Hotel in Shanklin which is scoring 5/5 on TripAdvisor from 100+ reviews, at the time of typing. It has a 5 star rating from the AA.
It opened in 2017 after a big refurbishment with 14 rooms, half of which are 'suites' meaning they have their own plush lounges and kitchens. Breakfast is included but they don't provide lunch or evening meals. However, Shanklin Seafront is a 10 minute walk away and has plenty of places to eat out. Our guide to restaurants with a sea view may be useful. The grounds and decor are immaculate and were joint winners at the Wight in Bloom awards 2019 (awarded by Alan Titchmarsh, no less). It's in a prime location with sea views across Shanklin and the coastal path is pretty much in the back garden. It's also got an outdoor swimming pool and grass tennis court which all looks pretty idyllic on a sunny day. |
Haven Hall Hotel is on a clifftop in Shanklin...
...with 14 rooms including some 'suites'
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3. Lakeside Park Hotel and Spa, Wootton Creek
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Lakeside Park Hotel and Spa is probably the first place to look if you want a spa break on the Isle of Wight. It's a large and modern hotel which isn't part of a big chain and gets very good reviews of 4.5/5 from customers.
It's got 4 stars and plenty of luxurious facilities for a relaxing break as well as treatments such as massages. There's an indoor swimming pool and the intriguingly named 'experience shower'. The setting is lovely - not especially rural but it overlooks a 20 acre lake and it is very close to the Portsmouth to Fishbourne car ferry. |
Lakeside Spa in Wootton Creek has an indoor swimming pool
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4. Hambrough Hotel, Ventnor
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There are just seven rooms at the 5 Star (AA) The Hambrough, where it is a case of quality over quantity. Like much of Ventnor, the sea views (from six out of seven rooms) go on for miles. The hotel's attached restaurant recently had a Michelin star. It doesn't at the time of writing but is still highly regarded. Customers give the hotel an average score of 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor.
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The Hambrough Hotel in Ventnor is a small hotel with sea views
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5. Seaview Hotel
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Unsurprisingly, the Seaview Hotel is in pretty (and quite posh) Seaview which has the paradisaical Priory Bay as its main beach.
It's another of the Isle of Wight's luxurious boutique hotels with about a dozen rooms, some of which are modern and some are more eclectic. The restaurant has won several Michelin Bib Gourmands which is an award for good value posh nosh. At the time of writing, the 3 Star hotel was scoring an impressive 4.5/5 from reviewers on TripAdvisor. |
The Seaview Hotel has about a dozen rooms...
...and it's near to pretty beaches such as Priory Bay
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6. Bembridge Coast Hotel
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Bembridge Coast Hotel is not perhaps quite as 'luxury' as some others in this list (it has 3 AA stars rather than 4 stars or 5 stars) but I've included it because of its range of facilities and its enviable seafront location overlooking the Solent in the lovely village of Bembridge. Customers give an average review score of 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor.
A stay includes, 'archery, cross bow, pistol and rifle shooting, pitch & putt, tennis, French boules, mini putting, walks and talks, indoor and outdoor bowls'. There's also a leisure club with an indoor swimming pool, steam room, sauna and gym and there is a big discount on the Isle of Wight ferry if you book through them. Bembridge Coast is one of two Warner Leisure Hotels on the Isle of Wight (the other being Norton Grange in Yarmouth). See our comparison guide of Warner's Bembridge Coast Hotel and Norton Grange Coastal Village |
Bembridge Coast Hotel is in a prime location
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7. George Hotel, Yarmouth
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This 17th century luxury townhouse is in a fabulous town centre location, with the Solent pretty much in the back garden. The George Hotel is metres from Yarmouth Castle and the Wightlink ferry so it is a busy spot. There are 19 rooms at the 3 Star hotel, which scores 4/5 from customers on TripAdvisor.
In case you care, Pippa Middleton visited The George a while ago which was covered with a forensic level of detail by the Daily Mail. Presumably she liked the royal name. |
Views from The George towards Yarmouth Pier
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Fancy staying near the Isle of Wight Festival? See our guide to rooms in Newport.
8. Hillside Hotel, Ventnor
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Hillside Hotel is an 18th century thatched luxury country house with a modern interior and rave reviews (5/5 on TripAdvisor). There are 12 bedrooms, alongside a number of apartments most of which have sea views. Admittedly, pretty much everywhere in Ventnor has gorgeous sea views as the town is on a steep slope. The attached restaurant has a 'Scandinavian twist', which I'm assured does not just mean lots of meatballs.
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Hillside Hotel in the South Wight is a pretty thatched hotel
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9. North House, Cowes
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Cowes is one of my favourite places on the Isle of Wight, particularly during Cowes Week when it becomes overwhelmed with red trousers and the supermarkets sell out of ice cubes and Pimms. Cowes certainly isn't as quiet and picturesque as the South Wight (Ventnor, Bonchurch) or West Wight (Yarmouth, Brighstone) but it does have a nice yachty feel and a pleasant esplanade walk.
North House is a modest-sized hotel in the town centre with 14 rooms and an outdoor swimming pool. It got a decent score of 8/10 when it featured in the Telegraph whilst TripAdvisor customers give it 4.5/5 at the time of writing. There's a restaurant at the hotel, or you can just get B&B and dine out in Cowes which has a better-than-average range of pubs and restaurants. |
North House in Cowes has 'cosy' 'comfy' and 'spacious' rooms, which is also how I describe my range of trousers
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10. Koala Cottage, Godshill
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Another 'boutique' hotel option is Koala Cottage, which at the time of writing has five stars from the AA and 5/5 on TripAdvisor. The decor is described as 'opulent' and a stay is described as an 'experience' with three suites available. The breakfast menu uses mostly local and organic ingredients.
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Koala Cottage only has three rooms but it gets outstanding reviews
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11. No Man's Fort, Middle of the Solent
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Not strictly speaking on the Isle of Wight but the Solent is home to a number of dramatic circular forts built by Lord Palmerston in the 19th century to defend us from those pesky French invaders. The threat seems to have subsided so No Man's Fort is now open for luxury retreats. It's not cheap, but most packages include breakfast and dinner and transport to the fort. Reviews average 4/5 on TripAdvisor.
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No Man's Fort is not your usual B&B
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12. Albert Cottage Hotel, East Cowes
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Albert Cottage Hotel was part of the Osborne House estate, so you'd expect it to be one of the luxury Isle of Wight hotels. It is relatively small with 10 bedrooms, but it has two acres of land and it tends to be popular as an Isle of Wight wedding venue. They also do ferry discounts for guests if you book through them. Reviews average 4/5.
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Albert Cottage Hotel is next door to Osborne House
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13. Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat, Wootton Creek
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OK, this one isn't a hotel but the modern self catering lodges, hot tubs, shingly beach and woodland walks at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat will appeal to couples. It's a good option if you are looking for a luxury holiday cottage on the Isle of Wight but you want a bit of privacy. As well as the lodge facilities, there is also an air conditioned gym and restaurant.
There's an adjacent holiday park which is run by the same company which is called Woodside Coastal Retreat which has fewer facilities but is closer to the beach. You can use the facilities regardless of which park you choose. The site has had various uses over the years, including the venue for the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival, a Warner's Holiday Park and a naturist camp. Visitors are now requested to keep their clothes on. Reviews average 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor. If you have time on your hands you could read the blog about our visit to Woodside Coastal Retreat. |
Woodside Coastal Retreat and Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat are next to a shingly beach
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Looking for something a bit cheaper? Try our Isle of Wight holiday park guide
The-Isle-of-Wight-Guru-Don't-Blame-Us-Disclaimer™ All the information on this website is correct, as far as we know, but please do check details directly - and please contact us if you find anything inaccurate. Here's our full disclaimer. Review scores checked September 2020.
