The Beachcroft Hotel Felpham – Penthouse suite review

I can never resist a hotel right by the sea, especially when it’s the Sussex coast – so even before adding its new Penthouse suite, there was plenty to tempt me to check out the Beachcroft Hotel in Felpham.

ad – review stay/contains affiliate links*

Set just a short walk along the coast from Bognor Regis, the hotel also makes a great base for exploring the town’s attractions or for a quieter beach escape, as well as heading to the South Downs and National Trust sites like Petworth.

And as we’ve tended to stick to self-catering escapes recently, I was intrigued to see if the hotel’s Penthouse suite would be the best of both worlds – having our own space but with more luxury than your average holiday apartment…

Beachcroft Hotel, West Sussex: vital statistics

Part of the Best Western Signature Collection, the three-star hotel has 37 bedrooms, four luxury beach huts and the new two-bed Penthouse suite (which can be booked with an adjoining room to make a three-bed option).

There are family rooms available with space for up to four, some including bunk beds and a private terrace, as well as dog-friendly rooms.

Breakfast is included, and there are several places to eat in the hotel – Monty’s Bistro, the Tamarisk restaurant and Blakes Bar & Beach Terrace.

There’s also parking on site, including electric car charging by the hotel and by the beach huts. The hotel also rents out adult bikes at £10, included as part of the stay in a Beach Hut Suite.

Rates start from £150 for four in a sea view family room, or from £260 for up to four in the Penthouse Suite.

Staying at the Beachcroft Hotel Felpham – my review

My first thought on walking into the impressive Penthouse Suite was that I’ve lived in flats smaller than this.

With three of us staying, we had the two room option – you can get an additional room if you have up to six – but there was still space galore to spread out.

At the heart is the gorgeous living space: comfy caramel leather sofa and chairs with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out towards the sea, the kind of place where you want to curl up with a book and a drink and not be disturbed for hours on end.

Visiting in December, I was eyeing up the board games stacked in one corner in case we were sheltering from the weather – there is also a TV.

In the end, the sun shone and we had a gloriously blue day by the seaside, so instead we made the most of the views from the balcony: it wasn’t quite warm enough to sit out there for long, but starting the day looking onto the crashing waves and drinking in the sea air recharged my batteries faster than a double espresso.

If I had stayed in summer, it would be very hard to persuade me away from that lovely spot.

The rooms themselves are at opposite ends of the penthouse – one double and another set up as a twin for my daughter, both with comfy beds and plenty of storage space, plus robes and hot water bottles crossed in the shape of a heart on our double.

There’s a nautical theme running through the whole suite, including the artwork – a mix of seagulls, boats and retro posters of the seaside – to combine with the traditional feeling elsewhere, such as model ships on the polished wood of the furniture.

Wherever you look there are lots of tempting little touches – lovely Cole & Lewis toiletries in the bathoom, a plate of snacks, including mince pies, had been left out alongside the coffee machine and a decanter of sloe gin.

On the other side of the room, mugs with hot chocolate sachets, biscuits and a small mini bar (albeit without much in it).

Perhaps the only thing which left me undecided was the dining area – there’s a proper table and dining chairs, but if you wanted to self-cater a few meals and eat in, it would be tricky, with no crockery or cutlery (even if there was space in the fridge to store a picnic).

I can understand the hotel wanting people to eat in the restaurant though – and there is of course not one, but three places to eat and drink in the hotel.

While we were staying, the Tamarisk restaurant had its special Christmas menu on so we didn’t get chance to try the usual one – they were also great at adapting the set options for my daughter, although child-friendly dishes might be easier to find at other times of year.

Breakfast got her thumbs up though, for boiled eggs and soldiers: again, the theme is traditional so it’s somewhere to find a full English rather than smashed avocado.

As well as the bistro and bar, there’s an outdoor bar overlooking to the sea with a little pod for small groups as well as tables which would be lovely in the summer.

And you can also order picnic boxes along with boxed-up fish and chips to enjoy on the terrace or balcony in your room.

The sea is, of course, on the doorstep – and there are buckets and spades to borrow to make the most of the sand at low tide – but for the times you don’t fancy a dip in the English Channel, there’s also a heated pool in the hotel.

For now, you need to book timed slots at reception, although we had no trouble getting in – and had the bonus of our own private pool session.

Towels are provided, and there are changing rooms by the pool too. It’s better for kids who can swim, or bring some kind of float for younger ones, as it’s 1.2m deep throughout, so you can’t simply splash in the shallow end.

The Beachcroft Hotel is also a great location to explore from. You could hardly be closer to the sea without being in it – the beach huts are fractionally nearer, but their outdoor space is more visible to people walking past than the Penthouse’s balcony.

The promenade stretches for just under three miles from Aldwick to Middleton-on-Sea, while a great little booklet of walks in the room provides added inspiration, but it’s easy just to stroll out and wander.

Head left and you’ll find Felpham beach, with its bright beach huts, the village and the path leading to Middleton beach – check the tide times if you’re heading here, as it does get cut off at high tide.

In the other direction lies Bognor Regis and on towards Pagham Harbour: Bognor itself is around a 15-minute walk from the Beachcroft Hotel, where you can hop on the little train along the promenade, find the beachfront playground and bandstand or head into town.

It’s walking distance from Hotham Park too, home to a mini golf course, boating lake and statues from Alice in Wonderland.

Stop off on the way at Pinks ice cream parlour – we had a voucher for a free ice-cream in our room but if we had stayed longer, I know my daughter would have insisted we go back for more of the very generous helpings and unusual flavours like green apple or Lotus biscoff.

Well, you’ve got to have ice-cream at the seaside, right?

For more ideas of the best things to do in Sussex with kids, check out my top picks

Beachcroft Hotel review – my verdict

If you’re looking to add a bit of luxury to a family-friendly stay by the seaside, the Penthouse at the Beachcroft Hotel ticks plenty of boxes.

Right by the sea? Yes. Loads of room? Masses! A great location? Ideal for exploring the coast and the Sussex countryside, Bognor Regis on the doorstep, as well as Chichester not far away.

Staff were, without exception, lovely – one bringing my daughter’s mask all the way up to the room when she forgot to pick it up after breakfast, another offering tips on where to find goggles after I forgot to pack any, and always a friendly and helpful attitude.

While it’s not a cheap break, it’s hard to think of many locations where you could book a suite like this for much less, especially with its string of thoughtful little touches.

This is traditional English seaside territory and it’s a traditional hotel atmosphere to match the destination – if you are looking for quirkier design, consider the beach huts, but for space and those gorgeous balcony views, the Penthouse wins hands down.

For more inspiration, check out my reviews of sister properties Dittisham Hideaway in Devon and The Merry Harriers in Surrey

Disclosure: My stay at the Beachcroft Hotel Felpham was free for the purposes of review: all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission

Images copyright MummyTravels

LIKED THIS? SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL NEWSLETTER