Sidmouth Harbour Hotel & Spa

Chill out then work out, with a trip to HarSPA’s very own fitness suite. Sleek and modern, the gym has everything you need to keep you feeling motivated, thanks to state-of-the-art running machines, cross-trainers, bikes, multi-exercise weight machines and free weights.

Need a little extra motivation? Don’t sweat it. There’s a weekly calendar of fun group classes you can all take part in, with aqua aerobics, yoga, pilates and conditioning to let you reconnect as you stretch and flex together.

Outdoorsy type? If the gym’s not your style, Sidmouth is a great town for those who love to exercise in the fresh air. With the English Channel on the hotel’s doorstep you could try some bracing wild swimming for all the mental and physical health benefits this activity is famous for. Just bring beach shoes - it's pebbly.

Sidmouth is great for walking. Lace up your hiking boots and head east on the South West Coast path for the picturesque villages of Branscombe and Beer, Or go west to Ladram Bay with its stunning red rock stacks, then on towards the charming town of Budleigh Salterton. You’ll have earned that ice cream!

If all that pampering has worked up an appetite, you don’t have to go far to find some excellent food. The hotel’s fabulous Upper Deck restaurant takes full advantage of its waterside location, with floor-to-ceiling glass providing a spectacular maritime panorama. On hazy summer days, the restaurant opens out onto an alfresco terrace so you can lunch, brunch or dine outdoors amid exceptional surroundings.

Decorated in blues and creams with vibrant pops of canary yellow, the restaurant feels relaxing, laid-back and fresh. The maritime theme extends to the menu, where fish is very much the order of the day. This is the place to go for the freshest local catches, with scallops, shrimp, crab and oysters coming directly from net to plate.

Signature dishes showcase regional flavours and local produce. There’s a not-to-be-missed fish pie, a popular seafood burger and a cod fillet topped with crab crumble. Large cut, dry-eyed steaks were made to make meat-lovers’ mouths water.

Afternoon tea is served daily (well, you are in Devon, after all). Expect an indulgent spread of dainty finger sandwiches, pretty pastries and, of course, homemade scones slathered with clotted cream. Once you’ve finished arguing about whether the jam should go on first, there’s a dangerously good cocktail menu to choose from. Grapefruit margarita, anyone?

With a hilltop position providing sweeping views of coastline and countryside, Sidmouth Harbour Hotel & Spa is just on the outskirts of Sidmouth, a pebble’s-throw from the beach below and only a few minutes’ stroll to the town centre. 

And what a charming town it is. Famous for its folk, jazz and blues festivals, this achingly pretty Devon seaside showstopper has a genteel feel. A favourite of poet John Betjement, there’s well-preserved Regency architecture to admire, tea shops to linger in and lovely boutique shops for a bit of retail therapy.

But it’s not just the town itself that’s so easy on the eye. Sidmouth’s vivid red sandstone cliffs provide a dramatic backdrop and date back to the Triassic period, while the town also sits slap-bang in the middle of the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

Tempted to turn your spa day into a spa stay? We don’t blame you. There are 56, beautifully decorated rooms, each with thoughtful and luxurious touches - think Nespresso machines, Egyptian cotton sheets and even decanters of sherry and gin for room-based imbibing. 

At the top-end, Superior Seaview Rooms let you sit back on a balcony with a morning coffee as you enjoy this spectacular setting. After something a bit more cheap and cheerful? We hear you. Courtyard Rooms are in a small annex next to the main hotel. Rooms here are smaller but do have super-king beds and large en suites. 

What they all have in common is the New England beach-house decor - a truly lovely colour palette of soft whites, blues, yellow and greens.

There is no formal dress code, but the hotel likes to keep things smart/casual in the restaurant. 

There’s not one, but two heated swimming pools at the Sidmouth Harbour Hotel & Spa. Indoors at the spa, the pool is 10m in length so it’s ideal for a dip to cool off after a sauna. The outdoor pool opens for the spring/summer season. On warmer days you’ll feel like you’re in a chic hotel in the South of France when you pull up a white lounger by this tranquil azure rectangle.

Within HarSPA you’ll find a 10m-long heated swimming pool, a bubbling hydrotherapy pool to release those kinks, a steam room and a sauna. Unwind at one of the relaxation areas, or workout at the fully equipped gym. The spa is open from 7am and closes at 8pm daily.

If you’re here on an overnight stay, you can check in to the hotel anytime from 3pm, while check out is at 11am. For morning spa packages you’ll arrive at 9am, while afternoon spa escapes at Sidmouth Harbour Hotel’s HarSPA start at 2pm.

Children are welcome at the Sidmouth Harbour Hotel & Spa, and can splash about in the indoor pool between 8.30am and 10am, and 4.30pm and 6pm daily. Teens can’t have a spa treatment until they’re 18, however, and children under 16 aren’t allowed to use the hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room or gym at any time. 

There are no family rooms at the hotel, but there are interconnecting rooms so you can all spread out. You’ll also need to check if you’re bringing a tot because, while some rooms have space for a cot, some are too small to accommodate one. There are also rooms with space for an extra bed, suitable for children up to 12 years old.

Once you’ve settled in, you’ll find plenty of family-friendly things to do. A fine pebble beach lies just steps away from Sidmouth Harbour Hotel & Spa, and the hotel can provide you with beach blankets, windbreaks, fold-up seats, kites to fly, and, of course, buckets and spades. They can even make you a packed lunch to take with you. 

A five-minute walk takes you to a perfect spot for rockpooling. You’ll all enjoy a magical afternoon crabbing, particularly because the hotel can lend you lines, nets, buckets and even crab bait. 

Yes. The hotel has specific dog-friendly rooms and your furry friend can join you on the terrace. Pampered pooches must be well-behaved, and they aren’t allowed in the bar, restaurant, lounge or spa. 

They’ll need to save up their paw-ket money - service dogs can stay for free, otherwise it costs £15 per night, per dog. Leave your hamster at home, though, as no other pets are allowed.

Yes, the Sidmouth Harbour Hotel & Spa is accessible, with entrances at ground-floor level and lifts throughout. Rooms with walk-in showers are situated close to the lift for ease of access, too. 

Love to pamper and putt? There’s no golf course at the hotel itself, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave your clubs at home. Just over a mile away you’ll find Sidmouth Golf Club, a fantastic 18-hole parkland course perched atop the cliffs that overlook Lyme Bay.

As picturesque as it is challenging, you’ll take in panoramic sea views from both the undulating fairways and the clubhouse. They’re friendly and welcoming to visitors, too.