Luccombe Hall Hotel

The Luccombe Hall Hotel occupies a handsome gray-stone building constructed in 1870 as the summer home for the Bishop of Portsmouth. Its slightly dour, masculine facade belies interiors that are flush with pinks and yellows, floral wallpaper, and plush patterned fabrics with a quintessential English house ambience. The hotel is nestled in four acres of lush, well tended gardens full of pretty flowers, sub-tropical plants, manicured hedges, and trimmed lawns with a long stepped pathway that leads to the beach below. The family-run property is spread over several floors with sea views from most areas -- the most striking panoramic vistas are from the higher levels. Like many Isle of Wight hotels, the decor can lean towards the dowdy, even dated in parts, though this doesn't tend to bother the often repeat clientele, which includes older couples and families with young children. 

The hotel has an excellent setting located on a cliff top in the popular resort of Shanklin overlooking Sandown Bay in the southeast of the island. Shanklin Old Village is a leisurely 10-minute stroll down the hill and has plenty of quaint, typical seaside shops, cafés, and restaurants as well as thatched houses and cozy pubs. The Isle of Wight's oldest tourist attraction, Shanklin Chine -- a beautiful leafy gorge with wildlife and waterfalls -- is about 15 minutes away on foot, while 155 steps from the hotel's gardens is a lovely sandy beach. It's just around a half-hour drive to Shanklin from the island's northern ferry terminal in East Cowes -- with connections to and from Southampton. Alternatively bus services connect via Newport and take around an hour and a half.

The hotel has 29 rooms in all, many of which feature views of the sea while others overlook the pretty gardens (and some the road). Interiors are a mixture of modern and antique-style furnishings with uncoordinated patterned fabrics but with a pleasant homey vibe. The Executive rooms are particularly floral in decor with four-poster beds and balconies with panoramic views. Wi-Fi is free of charge and flat-screen TVs, radio alarm clocks, and electric kettles all come as standard. Bathrooms are traditional and some look a little tired, though all include quality Gilchrist & Soames products and a few have jetted tubs. 

Unusual for this type of hotel, there's an impressive number of health and spa facilities including heated indoor and outdoor pools, a hot tub, and a sauna; it is even the only hotel on the Island to have its own squash court. Fun activities such as table tennis, pool, and putting green are also available as well as a kids' play area with swings, trampoline, and seesaw. True to its name, the Grand View Restaurant as some of the best views in the area and serves breakfast and dinner (within typically strict time slots). The Grand View Tea Garden also offer spectacular views over an afternoon "cuppa," while Bishops Bar offers evening drinks and a real fire during the winter months.