Brittany’s coastline has some blockbuster destinations: you’ve St-Malo with its medieval centre, La Baule with its 12km stretch of beautiful beach, ex-capital and cultural hub Nantes, and medieval port Vannes — which incidentally is where you catch the ferry to the charming island of Belle Ile en Mer, which the French are constantly being accused of trying to keep to themselves. But our Gurus looked beyond these headliners when compiling their list of the Brittany’s best hotels by the sea, and have included great hotels in delightfully unique villages and minor ports too. So the final list of best hotels in Brittany by the sea is both charming and varied, with great family seaside picks, some foodie treasures, plenty of romantic views, and some of the best hotels in Brittany by the sea for relaxing.
For Sea Views
- Our Gurus have plenty to choose from when it comes to Brittany hotels with fantastic sea views, but L'Ocean in Le Croisic is so beautifully designed to make the most of its sea-side location that it definitely makes the cut. Its gourmet restaurant is totally encased in floor to ceiling glass, and then it’s just boulders and sand between you and the ocean. The seafood is worth looking in the windows at too. There are ten chic, white-on-white rooms with luxurious bathrooms and sea views too.
- Roscoff's Le Brittany is another hotel designed to make the most of an idyllic location. There are two parts to this hotel, part converted from a traditional stone building and part contemporary build — the latter has huge floor-to-ceiling windows and suites and apartments that sleep up to four. The restaurant occupies the older part of the building and its huge windows open onto a terrace. Even the pool has an incredible view.
- The Didier Meril has been converted from a traditional villa which overlooks a crescent of pale sand and the Baie du Prieure, between Dinard and Saint Malo. There are just eleven rooms, all light and airy, but they’re all different shapes and sizes, and there are couple of well sized family suites. The restaurant is supervised by the property’s namesake.
For Romance
- La Palmeraie in La Baule, is a very elegant, whitewashed hotel just a short walk from the beautiful beach of La Baule. There are just nine rooms in this converted mansion, and they’re all individually decorated, with their own original features complemented with whitewashed walls, polished wood floors and a variety of stylish details. The seafood restaurant is fabulous (another worthy of a visit for its own sake).
- Le Fort De L'Ocean is a pretty hotel on its own peninsula of rocky beach, with wonderful views and leafy gardens. As well as feeling secluded, this hotel has just eight rooms, so it’s a great place to come for a romantic escape. The decor is reminiscent of a country house hotel, with printed wallpapers and complementary fabrics, plus there are gourmet tea rooms and a heated outdoor pool.
For Windswept Coastal Walks
- The Hostellerie de la Pointe Saint Mathieu is an affordable, contemporary hotel perfectly poised on the tip of a peninsula overlooking the ocean. The 25 rooms and suites have a nautical flavour and fabulous sea views — the best rooms have sea facing balconies too.
For Seaside Charm
- Ti al Lannec is one of those charming, old fashioned hotels with magnificent clifftop views and beautiful gardens that meander down to the beach. With just 26 rooms and suites, it’s small enough to feel intimate, yet the facilities are excellent: there’s an indoor pool-with-a-view, a spa, an excellent restaurant and elegant surrounds.
For Families
- Les Sables Blancs is right on a long, straight stretch of sand in Concarneau, which is a pretty village with lots going on. This 20 room hotel has large rooms with big windows overlooking the water, white walls and modern furnishings. The bar is chic, the restaurant has a fantastic terrace as well as an elegant indoor area, and it specialises in seafood — of course. It’s also relaxed and affordable, and it has some great family rooms and suites.
- Almost as close to the sand, the Ar Men Du is a pretty, whitewashed house converted into a 17 room hotel with an excellent restaurant specialising in regional cuisine. The restaurant, and the best rooms, have incredible views of the enormous swathe of white sand just across a stretch of grass from the hotel, and all the rooms are light and fresh, with simple, pastel-coloured decor and big windows. This hotel is far enough from its neighbours so you and your family will feel you have plenty of space to yourselves.
- The Hotel de la Plage is one of Brittany’s traditional family seaside hotels. It ticks all the boxes for comfort and family relaxation, with a spectacular position right on the sand overlooking a bay at Sainte-Anne-la-Palud, a conservatory-style restaurant just off the sand which serves excellent seafood, a big outdoor pool with plenty of shade, a hotel tennis court and croquet lawns and 21 light, airy rooms with a number of great family-sized options. And you’re within a short drive of some interesting attractions and beautiful local villages.
For a Seaside Spa Break
- If you want to relax amid views of the beauty of Brittany’s coastline then consider staying at the Grand Hotel des Bains in Locquirec, directly overlooking the calm basin of the Baie de Locquirec. The setting is certainly peaceful, but what will really help you relax is the fantastic spa, which has a long list of treatments on offer. The 36 rooms, with their sun-drenched terraces and white-on-white decor are soothing too, and the experience wouldn’t be complete without the treats to be found in the brasserie and restaurant. Romantic bliss!
- If you like the sound of a spa, but think you might need a bathroom with a sea view too, and more boldly coloured decor, then consider the Domaine de Rochevilain, which is set on a jagged cliff on the edge of the Villain estuary. This hotel’s 38 rooms and suites come with access to an award-winning spa, a pool-with-a-view, a private art gallery and a gourmet restaurant.
For Foodies
- The Hotel Anne de Bretagne is a great choice for foodies visiting Brittany. Its owners are passionate about gastronomy, and the detail that goes into the menus and accompanying wine lists in their two Michelin starred restaurant is impressive. In addition to the restaurant there are 20 light, airy rooms overlooking the Atlantic, and there’s a sandy beach about 50 metres from the front door.
- Castel Clara is a refined, romantic feeling hotel overlooking Goulphar Bay on Belle Île en Mer. There are two restaurants to choose from here, the traditionally French, Le Bleu Maniere Verte and Le Cafe Clara, a seafood bistro. The hotel is just two minutes from the beach, and has its own gym, pool and spa, plus there are some magical walking trails on the doorstep.
- The Manoir de Lan Kerellec is a lovingly restored manor house on a wooded headland overlooking the coast around Trébeurden. The views are excellent, and many of the 19 bedrooms and suites have private terraces or balconies. But the reason this hotel makes the cut of our favourites, is its Michelin starred, gourmet fine dining restaurant, where you can really expect to taste the best things possible with today’s catch. You’re very close to the beach too.
For Brittany Chic
- In a prime location at the apex of a small, secluded bay, the Castel Beau Site is an elegant, rather traditional looking building, with a jewel-box of colourful rooms inside. There’s a fantastic outdoor bar, and an indoor one too, a well considered French restaurant, and fantastic views.
For a Rural Retreat
- The Miramar La Cigale looks like an ocean liner, all white, lined with balconies and large windows, and surrounded by water. Its 113 rooms and suites are light and airy, and offer fabulous water views, just like an ocean liner, and there’s an enormous indoor pool and full-service spa, just like a you know what! There are also two gourmet restaurants. And a games room.
For Great Value
- The Hotel de La Mer is right up against the sand, but is perfectly angled so that its balconies and terraces feel completely private, while still offering incredible sea views. There are just 18 rooms and suites, and eight self-catering apartments, but whatever you opt for you’ll be tempted by the restaurant with its huge, ocean-view windows and terraces. The decor is pale, minimal chic, and there’s a great spa.
- You might be surprised by Le Grand Large’s position in the value category — it’s so beautiful, and perfectly positioned on on Belle Île en Mer, close to Les Aiguilles de Port-Coton. It also has great facilities and views, and its 34 neat, airy rooms, ranging from singles to quadruples are smart and comfortable. It also has two restaurants and a great outdoor pool set just the right distance from the hotel.
- The Hotel Le Cardinal is also on Belle Île en Mer, and overlooks a particularly charming, natural harbour, often filled with sailing boats and yachts. It has 55 simple, stylish rooms, decorated in white with accents in natural materials and private balconies. They have a range of room sizes with their largest family rooms sleeping six. There’s a pool with a deck that overlooks the sea, plus two restaurants, one for long, sunny outdoor lunches and one for elegant evening meals.
Still not sure which to book?
