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Where is the cheapest place to stay on the Isle of Wight?
You may have managed to get to the Isle of Wight for a decent price thanks to our guide to Cheap Isle of Wight Ferry Travel, but where is the cheapest place to stay on the Isle of Wight?
This guide looks at the main types of accommodation on offer to holidaymakers and compares the cost for a family of four staying for a week in the October 2016 half term
This guide looks at the main types of accommodation on offer to holidaymakers and compares the cost for a family of four staying for a week in the October 2016 half term
Option 1: Caravan sites - good for families
If caravan parks make you think of Father Ted then they probably aren't for you. However, they are a low cost option and some people love them, particularly as they give children more space to run/cycle around screaming.
There are two main types of holiday park on the Isle of Wight:
Larger family holiday parks with lots of facilities and activities:
Prices vary but for example, I got a quote at a Park Resorts caravan site for the October half term in 2016 and found a four berth caravan for £433 at Thorness Bay or a six berth caravan for £447 which works out as £15 per person per night or £10.50 per person per night, depending on the size of your group.
The Sun routinely does a deal involving cheap accommodation at caravan sites on the Isle of Wight. I've not done one of these holidays myself but the reviews suggest there are extras such as linen, entertainment passes and service charges so it's worth doing some calculations rather than looking at the headline figures. It's also worth remembering that the price is per person per night, so it will soon add up (plus you have to collect tokens) and won't necessarily be much cheaper than going direct (see above). You generally have the option of a 3 day weekend break or a 4 day midweek break.
There are at least 11 Isle of Wight caravan sites that have taken part in the scheme previously. At the time of writing (May 2016), the Trip Advisor reviews for caravan sites offered in The Sun's £9.50 promotion ranged from 3 to 5 stars (St Helen's Holiday Park (5.0, East Wight), The Orchards (4.5, West Wight), Fort Holiday Park (4.5, South East Wight), Thorness Bay (3.5, West Wight), Lower Hyde (3.5, South East Wight), Landguard (3.5, South East Wight), Whitecliff Bay (3.5, East Wight), Nodes Point (3.5, East Wight), Gurnard Pines (3.0, North Wight), Seaview Holiday Park (Can't find review, also known as Salterns, East Wight).
There are two main types of holiday park on the Isle of Wight:
Larger family holiday parks with lots of facilities and activities:
- Nodes Point (St Helen’s)
- Thorness Bay (near Cowes)
- Lower Hyde (Shanklin)
- Landguard (Shanklin)
- Whitecliff Bay (near Bembridge)
- Cheverton Copse (Sandown/Shanklin)
- St Helen's Holiday Park (East Wight)
- Woodside Coastal Retreat (Wootton)
- Orchards Holiday Park (West Wight)
- Appuldurcombe Gardens Holiday Park (South Wight)
Prices vary but for example, I got a quote at a Park Resorts caravan site for the October half term in 2016 and found a four berth caravan for £433 at Thorness Bay or a six berth caravan for £447 which works out as £15 per person per night or £10.50 per person per night, depending on the size of your group.
The Sun routinely does a deal involving cheap accommodation at caravan sites on the Isle of Wight. I've not done one of these holidays myself but the reviews suggest there are extras such as linen, entertainment passes and service charges so it's worth doing some calculations rather than looking at the headline figures. It's also worth remembering that the price is per person per night, so it will soon add up (plus you have to collect tokens) and won't necessarily be much cheaper than going direct (see above). You generally have the option of a 3 day weekend break or a 4 day midweek break.
There are at least 11 Isle of Wight caravan sites that have taken part in the scheme previously. At the time of writing (May 2016), the Trip Advisor reviews for caravan sites offered in The Sun's £9.50 promotion ranged from 3 to 5 stars (St Helen's Holiday Park (5.0, East Wight), The Orchards (4.5, West Wight), Fort Holiday Park (4.5, South East Wight), Thorness Bay (3.5, West Wight), Lower Hyde (3.5, South East Wight), Landguard (3.5, South East Wight), Whitecliff Bay (3.5, East Wight), Nodes Point (3.5, East Wight), Gurnard Pines (3.0, North Wight), Seaview Holiday Park (Can't find review, also known as Salterns, East Wight).
Option 2: Self catering cottages
Little Thatch in Shorwell
I generally find that self catering cottages are cheaper for larger groups, where the cost is spread out. Their prices fluctuate massively according to the time of year on the Isle of Wight, sometimes trebling during peak weeks (see our guide to what time of year should I visit the Isle of Wight for more on this).
As an example, I searched a few months in advance for a week during the October 2017 half term and found the following deals:
- Milton Cottage, Ryde (sleep 6, £462 or £11 per person per night)
- Hurst View, Freshwater, (sleeps 8, £629 or £11 per person per night)
- Woodleigh, Sandown, (sleeps 8, £895 or £16 per person per night)
- Little Thatch, Shorwell, (sleeps 8, £1082 or £19 per person per night)
As you can see, if you can fill up the rooms and travel slightly off peak then self catering can work out as not a great deal more than a typical caravan site (see #1).
In my experience, the cheaper Isle of Wight self catering accommodation websites are often the ones where the owners handle the bookings themselves, rather than using a letting agent. Owners usually pay an annual fee rather than a fee for each booking so their costs are lower (of course, there are advantages of going through an agent). You might like to try:
- HomeAway Isle of Wight self catering properties with: 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms, 3 bedrooms, 4 bedrooms, 5 bedrooms, 6 bedrooms+
- Hoseasons Isle of Wight self catering properties
As an example, I searched a few months in advance for a week during the October 2017 half term and found the following deals:
- Milton Cottage, Ryde (sleep 6, £462 or £11 per person per night)
- Hurst View, Freshwater, (sleeps 8, £629 or £11 per person per night)
- Woodleigh, Sandown, (sleeps 8, £895 or £16 per person per night)
- Little Thatch, Shorwell, (sleeps 8, £1082 or £19 per person per night)
As you can see, if you can fill up the rooms and travel slightly off peak then self catering can work out as not a great deal more than a typical caravan site (see #1).
In my experience, the cheaper Isle of Wight self catering accommodation websites are often the ones where the owners handle the bookings themselves, rather than using a letting agent. Owners usually pay an annual fee rather than a fee for each booking so their costs are lower (of course, there are advantages of going through an agent). You might like to try:
- HomeAway Isle of Wight self catering properties with: 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms, 3 bedrooms, 4 bedrooms, 5 bedrooms, 6 bedrooms+
- Hoseasons Isle of Wight self catering properties
Option 3: Campsites
Why wouldn't you want to camp?
Camping is almost certainly the cheapest option for an Isle of Wight holiday, unless you can persuade relatives/strangers to put you up.
There are more than 50 campsites on the Isle of Wight, according to UKCampsite.co.uk although we did a bit of digging and found about 20 Isle of Wight campsites which are open to all (rather than members of clubs), including:
Larger campsites with lots of facilities and children’s entertainment:
Quieter rural campsites with simple facilities
My advice would be to start by deciding which part of the Isle of Wight you want to stay in by reading our guide (Which Isle of Wight Town Should I stay in?) to help narrow down your options. Many of the sites featured in our guide to 10 of the best Isle of Wight holiday parks also offer camping and touring facilities.
Prices vary according to the size of pitch, whether you want electricity and how many cars you are bringing. I looked at the half term in October 2016, booked a few months in advance, and found that a family of four could rent a square patch of grass for £47 for the week (that was Thorness Bay but there are loads around, including similar parks such as Whitecliff Bay.
Of course, you'll need a tent. You might consider these four man tents from Amazon from about £50, at the time of writing, if you don't fancy living on top of each other all week.
Caravanners might want to read our guide to cheap Isle of Wight ferry travel for caravans.
There are more than 50 campsites on the Isle of Wight, according to UKCampsite.co.uk although we did a bit of digging and found about 20 Isle of Wight campsites which are open to all (rather than members of clubs), including:
Larger campsites with lots of facilities and children’s entertainment:
- Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park
- Landguard Holiday Park
- Nodes Point Holiday Park
- Lower Hyde Holiday Park
- Thorness Bay Holiday Park
Quieter rural campsites with simple facilities
My advice would be to start by deciding which part of the Isle of Wight you want to stay in by reading our guide (Which Isle of Wight Town Should I stay in?) to help narrow down your options. Many of the sites featured in our guide to 10 of the best Isle of Wight holiday parks also offer camping and touring facilities.
Prices vary according to the size of pitch, whether you want electricity and how many cars you are bringing. I looked at the half term in October 2016, booked a few months in advance, and found that a family of four could rent a square patch of grass for £47 for the week (that was Thorness Bay but there are loads around, including similar parks such as Whitecliff Bay.
Of course, you'll need a tent. You might consider these four man tents from Amazon from about £50, at the time of writing, if you don't fancy living on top of each other all week.
Caravanners might want to read our guide to cheap Isle of Wight ferry travel for caravans.
Option 4: Privately owned seaside chalets
Willow View Cottage, Gurnard Pines
There are various sites on the Isle of Wight where private owners rent out small chalets on shared sites, often at pretty cheap prices.
One big site is Brambles Chine/Linstone Chine in the West Wight which mostly has chalets with a double bed and two children's single beds and in 2017 typically cost £200 - £500 for a week. Some describe themselves as '6 berth' which presumably would involve two people on a fold out bed in the lounge (hopefully those who go to bed latest).
They are listed on various websites - some larger ones and some private ones. I can't offer personal recommendations, I'm just going on price for 2017. Here are some I've found:
I looked at the half term week in October 2016 and found rentals for £275, which would work out as £10 per person per night for four people.
The location is in the quieter West Wight - see our guide to Which Isle of Wight Town Should I stay in? to see if it is what you are after.
Another site is Gurnard Pines near (West) Cowes which has properties such as Willow View Cottage. You'll also find some owners of caravans at big holiday parks rent out their accommodation privately, such as Bluebell Holidays.
One big site is Brambles Chine/Linstone Chine in the West Wight which mostly has chalets with a double bed and two children's single beds and in 2017 typically cost £200 - £500 for a week. Some describe themselves as '6 berth' which presumably would involve two people on a fold out bed in the lounge (hopefully those who go to bed latest).
They are listed on various websites - some larger ones and some private ones. I can't offer personal recommendations, I'm just going on price for 2017. Here are some I've found:
- Brambles Cottage (from £236 per week)
- Cliff End (from £227)
- Brambles Kip (from £243)
- Clifftop Cottage (from £333)
I looked at the half term week in October 2016 and found rentals for £275, which would work out as £10 per person per night for four people.
The location is in the quieter West Wight - see our guide to Which Isle of Wight Town Should I stay in? to see if it is what you are after.
Another site is Gurnard Pines near (West) Cowes which has properties such as Willow View Cottage. You'll also find some owners of caravans at big holiday parks rent out their accommodation privately, such as Bluebell Holidays.
Option 5: Independent Hotels
Best Western, Cowes
There are plenty of hotels towards the budget end of the market on the Isle of Wight, generally around Sandown, Shanklin and Ryde (as well as plenty of luxury hotels – see our guide). In November 2017 I searched for rooms available during May 2018 half term (so, high season) and found that two people could get a room for £50 per night (£25 per person per night) at Shanklin Beach Hotel (3.5 out of 5 on Trip Advisor). Another affordable option was the Burlington Hotel (£60 per night).
If you can stretch your budget a bit further, there are others which have better reviews such as:
Off peak prices are generally slightly lower at some hotels (perhaps 20% as a very rough guide).
The cheapest hotels I found for my comparison week (October half term 2016, two adults, two children) were:
You can search for Isle of Wight hotels via Expedia here or see our guide to luxury hotels.
One other option to consider is a bundled deal of a coach journey, ferry ticket and hotel. For example, two people travelling with Shearings Holidays can get picked up from York (or anywhere else) and spend three nights in Sandown's Broadway Park Hotel for £89 each in mid December including the ferry and half board. There wasn't anything for my comparison week, but once you've paid for the coach and ferry, the hotel and food is effectively free.
If you can stretch your budget a bit further, there are others which have better reviews such as:
- Brooke House, Shanklin (5 out of 5, £66 per night for two) or
- Castle Lodge Guest House, Newport (4.5 out of 6, £65 per night for two)
Off peak prices are generally slightly lower at some hotels (perhaps 20% as a very rough guide).
The cheapest hotels I found for my comparison week (October half term 2016, two adults, two children) were:
- Chad Hill Hotel, Sandown - £525
- Kasbah, Ryde - £580
- Sandringham Hotel, Sandown - £580
You can search for Isle of Wight hotels via Expedia here or see our guide to luxury hotels.
One other option to consider is a bundled deal of a coach journey, ferry ticket and hotel. For example, two people travelling with Shearings Holidays can get picked up from York (or anywhere else) and spend three nights in Sandown's Broadway Park Hotel for £89 each in mid December including the ferry and half board. There wasn't anything for my comparison week, but once you've paid for the coach and ferry, the hotel and food is effectively free.
Option 6: Chain hotels (Travelodge and Premier Inn)
The Isle of Wight's Travelodge hotels are in Newport and Ryde (see our guide to which Isle of Wight town should I stay in).
The key is to keep an eye out for the release of more bargain rooms (through their deals page and mailing list) and to book as long in advance as possible - the bottom price is generally £19 which for a 'family room' (double bed and two small pull out beds) works out at less than £5 per person per night.
I did a search (in May 2016) and found that rooms in August at the Newport Travelodge were about £100 a night, September and October were about £40 per night, November was £33 a night and rooms in December, January and February were generally £29 per night (with a slight increase at Christmas). A family of four could book the half term week (October 2016) for £341.
It's not good value if you leave it late or try to book on peak, but it is good for short off peak stays, such as a wedding.
The key is to keep an eye out for the release of more bargain rooms (through their deals page and mailing list) and to book as long in advance as possible - the bottom price is generally £19 which for a 'family room' (double bed and two small pull out beds) works out at less than £5 per person per night.
I did a search (in May 2016) and found that rooms in August at the Newport Travelodge were about £100 a night, September and October were about £40 per night, November was £33 a night and rooms in December, January and February were generally £29 per night (with a slight increase at Christmas). A family of four could book the half term week (October 2016) for £341.
It's not good value if you leave it late or try to book on peak, but it is good for short off peak stays, such as a wedding.
Premier Inn is on the IOW Festival site
The Isle of Wight has two Premier Inns. One is in Newport on the Isle of Wight Festival Site. It's worth looking at their prices if you are visiting for a day or two, particularly off peak and if you can book long in advance. Look out for sales and you can get sometimes get a room for £29, which can squeeze 2 adults and 2 children into it.
Bands at the Isle of Wight Festival stay here, so you might end up in Paul McCartney's bed.
The Isle of Wight's other Premier Inn is described as Sandown (Merrie Gardens) but it is actually more Lake than Sandown itself. It is near a train station and walking distance to the sea, but don't expect a sea view.
When I searched for October half term 2016 - it came up at £418 in Newport or £351 in Sandown. It would be a bit cosy for a week with 4 people in one room, but that works out as £15 per person per night in Newport or £12.50 per person per night in Sandown.
Bear in mind that I searched in May 2016, prices increase as you get nearer the date.
Bands at the Isle of Wight Festival stay here, so you might end up in Paul McCartney's bed.
The Isle of Wight's other Premier Inn is described as Sandown (Merrie Gardens) but it is actually more Lake than Sandown itself. It is near a train station and walking distance to the sea, but don't expect a sea view.
When I searched for October half term 2016 - it came up at £418 in Newport or £351 in Sandown. It would be a bit cosy for a week with 4 people in one room, but that works out as £15 per person per night in Newport or £12.50 per person per night in Sandown.
Bear in mind that I searched in May 2016, prices increase as you get nearer the date.
Option 7: Glamping
If you can’t quite tolerate camping (or perhaps you don’t own a tent) then you might consider Glamping as a cheap Isle of Wight accommodation option. Some of the big holiday parks and some smaller providers offer big fancy tents which typically have full kitchens, double beds and the like.
Whitecliff Bay has canvas cottages, bell tents and vintage caravans - an 8 person 'canvas cottage' was £475 for October half term 2016.
In our price comparison, the cheapest we could find during the October half term 2016 was £385 for up to 6 people for a week at Park Resort's Thorness Bay. Their 'Safari Tents’ come with kitchens and proper beds, but you have to use the communal toilets and showers that are provided for camping and touring.
Glamping at similar holiday parks at Lower Hyde and Nodes Point were just over £400 for six people for the week, so marginally cheaper than the cheapest caravan.
Another option is Tom's Eco Lodges which was close to £1000 for half term 2016, but does sleep eight and is a bit fancier with showers, toilets and log burning stoves in each Safari Tent.
See our full guide to Isle of Wight Glamping
Whitecliff Bay has canvas cottages, bell tents and vintage caravans - an 8 person 'canvas cottage' was £475 for October half term 2016.
In our price comparison, the cheapest we could find during the October half term 2016 was £385 for up to 6 people for a week at Park Resort's Thorness Bay. Their 'Safari Tents’ come with kitchens and proper beds, but you have to use the communal toilets and showers that are provided for camping and touring.
Glamping at similar holiday parks at Lower Hyde and Nodes Point were just over £400 for six people for the week, so marginally cheaper than the cheapest caravan.
Another option is Tom's Eco Lodges which was close to £1000 for half term 2016, but does sleep eight and is a bit fancier with showers, toilets and log burning stoves in each Safari Tent.
See our full guide to Isle of Wight Glamping
Option 8: Bed and Breakfast
Is there anything more English than avoiding conversation with an adjoining table at a Bed and Breakfast, whilst also eavesdropping on their conversation? Anyway, I looked at B&B accommodation for the half term in October 2016 and found that the cheapest option was The Spinnaker, Bembridge) (£700 for a week for 2 adults and 2 children) or Belmore B&B in Sandown (£770 for four people for a week) as most other highly rated B&Bs didn't have 'family rooms'.
If there are just two of you, other cheap B&Bs with good reviews included Clarence House, Shanklin (£54 for two per night) and The Caledon Guest House, Cowes (£66 for two per night)
Search for Isle of Wight B&Bs at Laterooms
If there are just two of you, other cheap B&Bs with good reviews included Clarence House, Shanklin (£54 for two per night) and The Caledon Guest House, Cowes (£66 for two per night)
Search for Isle of Wight B&Bs at Laterooms
Option 9: Youth Hostel Association (YHA)
Cowes has one of three YHAs on the Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight has three hostels run by the YHA. The Cowes Youth Hostel is within the UKSA (UK Sailing Academy) site and has online booking. In May 2016 I searched for a bed at October half term, but didn’t manage to find anything available. Previously, I’d done searches and found that a shared room was reasonable at £31 per night or a private room was around £47 per night.
The YHA Totland Bay (West Wight) doesn't offer online bookings but advertises beds from £15 and rooms from £20 per night. The Brighstone YHA is only open during the school summer holidays and advertises rooms from £30 (but doesn't do online bookings).
If you aren't sure about Hostels, there is a useful Q and A on the YHA website. It's worth saying that most hostels don't have age restrictions, despite the name.
My advice is that the YHA venues seem particularly good if you are travelling alone and on a budget.
The YHA Totland Bay (West Wight) doesn't offer online bookings but advertises beds from £15 and rooms from £20 per night. The Brighstone YHA is only open during the school summer holidays and advertises rooms from £30 (but doesn't do online bookings).
If you aren't sure about Hostels, there is a useful Q and A on the YHA website. It's worth saying that most hostels don't have age restrictions, despite the name.
My advice is that the YHA venues seem particularly good if you are travelling alone and on a budget.
Option 10: A House Swap
If you live in a tourist hotspot then you might consider attempting a house swap to get your holiday cottage on the Isle of Wight for nothing. At one stage there were quite a few of these onlines, with Owners Direct and Home For Exchange offering properties. However, more recently most of them seem to have vanished. Perhaps people don't the idea of a stranger rummaging through their drawers.
Anyway, I've left it on here as an option.
Anyway, I've left it on here as an option.
Option 11: House Sitting
House sitting involves offering your house for free in exchange for your plants and pets being cared for by strangers. The biggest site I've found is Trusted House Sitters - last time I checked there were two 'house sitting assignments' on the Isle of Wight in Ventnor and St Lawrence, although all of them had been taken. Obviously you need to be an animal lover and willing to fulfil owner demands such as daily walks.
It costs £29 - £49 to become a registered sitter, but if you can get a week's holiday accommodation for that then it's a bargain.
It costs £29 - £49 to become a registered sitter, but if you can get a week's holiday accommodation for that then it's a bargain.
Conclusion
For a comparison, I looked at the half term in October 2016 when booked a few months in advance (I searched in May). The prices for 2 adults and 2 children that I found were:
- A house swap - £0 (well, potentially)
- House sitting - £29
- Thorness Bay (Typical campsite) - £47
- Linstone Chine (Self catering chalet on a shared site) - £275
- Travelodge (Family room) - £341
- Premier Inn (Family room) - £351
- Thorness Bay (Glamping) - £385 (sleeps 6)
- Thorness Bay Caravan Park - £433 (Typical caravan holiday park)
- Milton Cottage, Ryde (Cheapest rental cottage) - £462 (for 6)
- Chad Hill Hotel, Sandown - £525 (Cheapest budget hotel)
- The Spinnaker, Bembridge (Cheapest B&B, 1 room) - £700, including breakfast
