The Beach Hut Suites at the Beachcroft Hotel, Felpham, West Sussex
Price: From £190 / night including breakfast
Sleeps: up to 4
Location: Felpham village near Bognor Regis, West Sussex
Beachcroft Beach Huts provide the perfect blend of a traditional British bucket and spade seaside holiday, complimented with a sense of true luxury. A stay here offers simple beach living without compromise; underfloor heating, rooms serviced daily, smart TV, Smeg fridge complete with a chilled bottle of rose…there’s even a complementary supply of sloe gin! This accommodation is luxurious by any standard, but in terms of beach huts this is as good as it gets.
Location
The row of four blue and white apartment style huts sit right on the seafront on Felpham Beach. Neighboured by the better know Bognor Regis, Felpham is a pretty coastal village dotted with period houses, traditional pubs and fish n chip shops. The beach huts are the latest addition to the long established Beachcroft Hotel offering beach hut guests the added luxury of use of all hotel facilities including their indoor pool and award winning restaurant.
Accomodation
The four huts were completed at the end of the summer in 2019 so 2020 will be their first full summer season. They have been designed to comfortably accommodate up to a family of four with their dog friendly policy meaning that even four-legged furry guests are guaranteed the warmest of welcomes.
Having checked in at the hotel reception we were shown to Sand – our very own house by the sea for the next two days. As soon as we opened the front door we could see straight through to the sea at the front of the property. To the right is a smart bunk room for the children complete with ‘Bognor Regis‘ teddy bear and parrot perched on the handle of the porthole shaped window.
The bathroom is bright and modern complete with fluffy towels, bath robes, LED mirror and plenty of toiletries. On entering the lounge a stunning vista looking outwards towards the English Channel just a few metres from the sofa ensures that you’re able to make the most of being right beside the coast regardless of whether you’re indoors or out. Pull back the folding doors and the smell and the sounds of the sea flood right in, or just sit back on the verrandah and watch the world go by in your very own little seaside suntrap.
There are plenty of little extras too including board games, books, hot drink supplies and snacks to make this feel like a real home from home. We spent our evenings playing Monopoly and Charades whilst watching the sun go down – simple fun but a complete break from the hectic norm of home routine.
Finally, upstairs is the master bedroom suite which as a mezzanine also allows sea views. Part beach hut in sense of location and vibe, part luxury apartment in sense of comfort and size. All round perfect family holiday accommodation.
Hotel Facilities
Guests staying at the Beach Hut Suites receive all the same privileges as those staying at the Beachcroft Hotel. This includes room service, breakfast in the award winning Tamarisk Restaurant and use of the hotel pool. We visited the pool twice during our stay which unlike many hotel pools welcomes families at all times. We found the pool to be quiet, clean and warm with poolside changing facilities meaning we didn’t have to trek through reception in our swim wear. I’m sure the children would say that this was one of the highlights of their stay.
Breakfast is served in the main dining area in the hotel. There’s a good selection of cereals, pastries, fruit and juices available in a buffet style service whilst hot drinks and cooked breakfasts are ordered directly with restaurant staff. We ordered a range of hot dishes including porridge, soft boiled egg and two versions of Full English. Everything arrived hot and exactly to our liking. All the staff we encountered during our stay were extremely helpful but we found the restaurant staff particularly accommodating to our needs as a demanding family.
Restaurant
There are two options for dining at the Beachcroft Hotel: the Bistro and Bar area offers relaxed dining with classic menu favourites such as battered scampi and burgers, whereas the Tamarisk restaurant offers a fine dining experience and à la carte menu. As the hotel and staff were consistently accommodating to our needs we sat in the bar area and ordered a mix of kids meals alongside starters and mains from both the bistro and à la carte menus.
The children were chuffed with their starter portions of garlic dough balls followed by the biggest fish fingers you’ve ever seen and a portion of pizza and chips – best of all kids eat for free when dining with a full paying adult.
For our starters we chose Goats Cheese Panna Cotta with pickled and roasted beetroot, hazel tuille and chive oil (£7) and Ham Hock and Brioche with homemade piccalilli (£7). Both dishes totally exceeded our expectations! The goats cheese was incredibly flavoursome pairing perfectly with the beetroot and the ham hock deliciously rich with a zesty kick from the Piccalilli.
For our mains we chose the 6oz Local Sussex Beef Burger (£14) and the Loin of Lamb wrapped in a chicken mousse and prosciutto with pea fricassee and pomme anna (£22). Again both dishes really impressed. The lamb in particular was beautifully presented with the pea fricassee and spring onion garnish making the plate look fresh and the pomme anna just melting in the mouth.
Finally – for dessert (yes, we really pigged out!) we opted for a refreshing Lemon Tart with raspberry sorbet (£7) and a dark chocolate torte with poppy seed meringue and cherry compote (£7).
Things to do
Being so close to both the beach and Bognor there’s plenty to do right on your doorstep during a stay at Beachcroft. Here’s a taster of what we got up to during our two day stay:
Cycling – We took our own bikes but the hotel provide free bike hire for hotel and beach hut guests. You can cycle along the coastal path right in front of the beach huts which takes you into Bognor Regis one way or Middleton on Sea the other.
Bognor Pier – The historic pier in Bognor is an incredible 135 years old. Take a walk along the rickety wooden board walk and watch the waves crash below.
Pinks Ice Cream Parlour – This cute ice cream parlour have partnered with the beach huts to allow guests a scoop of ice cream each as part of their stay. You can see the gelato being made at the back of the store and with flavours including salted caramel, cookies and cream and even…unicorn there’s something for every taste.
The beach – Even during our visit in chilly February the children couldn’t get over of the novelty of having the beach right outside. We took fishing nets to explore rock pools, buckets to collect shells and spades to dig sea trenches.
Final thoughts..
We enjoyed every aspect of our stay at the Beach Suites at Beachcroft Hotel. In terms of hotel based family accommodation this is up there with the best we have experienced. The beach huts are luxurious and for this reason they are at the top end of the price bracket but you’re getting a lot for your money – incredible location, spacious living areas, room service, breakfast, pool access to name a few. We enjoyed our stay so much that we’re now planning a multi-generational family get-together over the Summer across three of the beach huts. Whether you’re looking to relax and soak up the sea air, or a busy family wanting a fun packed active break the beach huts are a unique and memorable stay for all ages. I, for one can not wait to get back to sip that sloe gin on the terrace as the sun goes down this summer…
For details on current offers including the ‘Stay for Longer’ deal please contact the reservations team: reservations@beachcroft-hotel.co.uk
Our stay was arranged for us by C J Hotel Consultancy. We received a complimentary stay at Beachcroft Beach Huts in exchange for this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
2 Comments
Kara Guppy
February 27, 2020 at 12:43 pm
I used to live near Felpham and still have friends there, this looks gorgeous, would love to stay there #mustseeplaces
Jo
February 28, 2020 at 10:51 am
You cannot get nearer the beach than this! What fun to be so close to the sea and such high spec accommodation. Great to have a restaurant on site too, this looks like a fantastic place for a family seaside break. #MustSeePlaces