Cowes is a famous sailing town on the northernmost tip of the Isle of Wight. Its marina teems with yachts of all shapes and sizes, and it’s, reputedly, got more bars and restaurants per square mile than any other town in the UK! During Cowes Week — one of the world's oldest regattas — held at the end of July/ beginning of August, all of them are full to bursting point, and the best places to stay in Cowes are booked up years in advance. Our pick of the properties are both small, elegant and romantic, within walking distance of plenty of great places to eat and drink, but not quite in the thick of things.

Outside of that week, Cowes is still very nautical, lively and lovely, with wonderful access to beautiful beaches, and plenty of interesting stories from history to uncover. So no wonder it's a great destination for a family holiday. There’s the obvious bucket and spade appeals, but Cowes is also full of family-friendly museums telling tales of invasions, smuggling, shipbuilding, pirates, and more! Cowes was the favourite summer destination of Queen Victoria. Her summer house, Osbourne House, is now open as a museum, and there are beautiful harbour views from her rooms and gardens.

Cowes may well have an endless choice when it comes to pubs and restaurants, but it also boasts a good range of galleries and independent boutiques. Just don't forget that if you’re planning to visit during the school holidays the best places to stay in Cowes book up long in advance — even outside the yachting calendar.

The Best Places to Stay in Cowes

For Romantics

• North House is an elegant, 14 room hotel which has been converted from a Grade II listed, 19th century townhouse just up the hill from the harbour in West Cowes. There are three classes of rooms: ‘cosy’, ‘comfort’ and ‘spacious’, but they all have super kingsize beds and large rain showers — some have roll-top baths too. The restaurant has become popular with locals as well as visitors, and is know for classic seafood dishes done to perfection. The terrace is an idyllic place to have breakfast in the summer.

For Families

• Albert Cottage Hotel is our other pick in Cowes, and whilst it’s just as romantic and full of characterful charm as North House, it also has family-sized suites, so it’s perfect for families too. It’s called a cottage hotel, but it’s more of a small manor house, with outbuildings and large grounds. There are ten rooms and suites, all individually decorated with plenty of antiques, plus a superb restaurant.

Prefer a Private Apartment or Cottage?

• If you'd prefer the privacy of a self-catering option then browse through the wide variety available online with our partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• There are four different ferry routes serving the Isle of Wight. WightLink runs ferries between Portsmouth and Fishbourne, Portsmouth to Ryde, and Lymington to Yarmouth. Red Funnel run ferries between Southampton and East Cowes. All of these carry car traffic as well as foot traffic. The Fishbourne ferry terminal is about 20 minutes drive from Cowes, and Ryde is about the same. It takes about 20 minutes to drive between Yarmouth and Cowes too, but you’re coming from the opposite direction.
• If you want to hire a car we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• The UK is known for its unpredictable weather, but, surprisingly considering it’s a small island in the middle of water, the Isle of Wight has a microclimate that’s a bit more reliable than many places in the UK. Spring days often start with rough seas and fog which burns through to sunshine, summer is dry and sunny, autumn is mild and sunny still, but with less daylight hours of sunshine.

Still not sure where to stay?

• Expand your search to include our Gurus’ recommendations for all of the best places to stay on the Isle of Wight
• Consider Cowes’ neighbours and check out Yarmouth
• Stay across the Solent in one of the best places to stay in the New Forest
• Or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.