The Ten Best Seaside hotels

You won't want to check out of these rooms with a view, says Cathy Packe

Trefeddian Hotel, Aberdovery

Double rooms: £73-£93

This family-run hotel is celebrating its centenary this year, and the experience shows. There are masses of amenities in the hotel (indoor pool; snooker tables; tennis court; beauty salon), while if you prefer the outdoors, the Edwardian building sits between a long sandy beach and an 18-hole golf course.

Trefiddian Hotel, Aberdovery, Wales (01654 767213; www.trefwales.com)

Brudenell Hotel, Aldeburgh

Double rooms: £49-£67

Sitting right on Aldeburgh's pebbly beach, the Brudenell is an Edwardian building offering a mix of comfort and sophistication. The staff go out of their way to make sure their guests are well looked after, and the food is special: the dinner menu is so good that you won't want to eat elsewhere.

Brudenell Hotel, Aldeburgh, Suffolk (01728 452071; www.brudenellhotel.co.uk)

Seaview Hotel, Seaview

Double rooms: £70-£170

The Seaview has the capacity to cater for families and larger groups. There are 16 rooms as well as a two-bedroom family suite and a self-catering cottage that sleeps up to ten. The beach is close by, and the hotel has lots of videos to borrow if the weather turns.

Seaview Hotel, High Street, Seaview, Isle of Wight, (01983 612711; www.seaviewhotel.co.uk)

Hurricane Hotel, Tarifa

Double rooms: €110-€140 (£73-£93)

Tarifa, on the Costa de la Luz in southern Spain, is a modern seaside resort geared towards windsurfing. The Hurricane, whose rooms face either the sea or the mountains, is set in tropical gardens and hires out horses for rides across the sand. The beach, and its windsurfing school, is open year round.

Hurricane Hotel, Carretera Nacional 340, Km78, Tarifa, Spain (00 34 956 68 49 19; www.hurricanehotel.com)

Downcliffe House Hotel, Filey

Double rooms: £92-£124

Downcliffe House is well placed to take advantage of the swimming, surfing and dinghy-sailing on Filey's wide sandy beach. The hotel offers wonderful sea views, and you can book a romantic room, with a four-poster bed, or something big enough for the whole family. The restaurant overlooks the beach and always has lots of local fish on the menu.

Downcliffe House Hotel, The Beach, Filey, North Yorkshire (01723 513310; www.downcliffehouse.co.uk)

Hotel Villa Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik

Double rooms: €212-€326 (£141-£216)

In its past the Villa Dubrovnik has been a rest home and an army base. Unlikely credentials for a hotel you might think, but its location, carved into the rock overlooking Dubrovnik's walled city, is unrivalled. All the rooms have great views and there are several shady terraces where guests can enjoy a scenic drink. You get down to the man-made beach by lift, or by clambering down a ladder.

Hotel Villa Dubrovnik, Vlaha Bukovca 6, Dubrovnik, Croatia (00 385 20 422 933; www.villa-dubrovnik.hr)

The Grand Hotel, Eastbourne, Eastbourne

Double rooms: £135-£190

The Grand dates from the days when whole households would arrive for the summer. The staff here haven't lost the art of catering for everyone, although these days most guests arrive without their servants. The hotel is popular with children because it has a well-supervised playroom, so parents get some freedom, too. For older visitors there are treatment rooms, a spa and two excellent restaurants.

The Grand Hotel, King Edward's Parade, Eastbourne, East Sussex (01323 412345; www.grandeastbourne.com)

Villa Reine Hortense, Dinard

Double rooms: €130-€205 (£86-£136)

This belle époque-style villa is one of a number of grand properties along the Dinard seafront. There are seven rooms and a suite, all elegantly restored and with wonderful views across the bay to St-Malo. Access to the beach couldn't be easier: steps lead from the hotel down to the promenade.

Villa Reine Hortense, 19 rue de la Malounie, Dinard, France (00 33 2 99 46 54 31; www.villa-reine-hortense.com)

Summer Isles Hotel, Achiltibuie

Double rooms: £117-£240

As you wind along the track from Ullapool through Achiltibuie to the hotel, you really feel like you are getting away from it all. Don't expect the normal seaside resort amenities here - the charm of the Summer Isles Hotel is its remoteness, and its location offers plenty of opportunities for walking and bird watching. The hotel's chef has a Michelin star so expect something great for dinner - most produce is caught or made locally.

Summer Isles Hotel, Achiltibuie, near Ullapool, Scotland (01854 622282; www.summerisleshotel.co.uk)

St Martin's on the Isle, Low Town

Double rooms: £115-£215

The glass of champagne that they serve you on arrival tells you that this is no ordinary place. St Martin's on the Isle, which opened 15 years ago and is the only hotel on St Martin's, is a collection of cottages containing comfortable doubles, family rooms and suites. The hotel offers high tea and evening meals in its restaurant with great sea views.

St Martin's on the Isle, Low Town, St Martin's, Isles of Scilly (01720 422090; www.stmartinshotel.co.uk)