Perched high above a seemingly never-ending stretch of golden sand on the rocky North Devon coast sits a gem of a hotel. Paula and I were fortunate to experience three nights at the Saunton Sands Hotel and would return like a shot, so impressed were we with every aspect of our stay. As the Saunton Sands’ glossy brochure states, this is “the hotel with everything” and no truer words were written.
Location
The Saunton Sands Hotel enjoys an unbeatable location. As mentioned, it overlooks the three-mile-long Saunton Beach, an idyllic spot popular with surfers who enjoy riding the long, slow waves for which the beach is renowned. There is direct access from the hotel to the beach and we enjoyed many a stroll – particularly special at sunset – in addition to exploring the UNESCO-protected Braunton Burrows Biosphere Reserve flanking the beach.
The hotel is two miles from the village of Braunton, where a host of shops and cafés line the streets, while the equally impressive beaches of Croyde and Woolacombe are minutes up the coast. Other attractions nearby include Rosemoor, an RHS Garden comprising more than 65 acres, and Baggy Point, an impressive headland just around the coast.
Style
The hotel’s history makes an interesting story. Built and opened by the Christie family – who also built the Glyndebourne opera house – in the 1930s, it was requisitioned by the government during the Second World War and used to accommodate the children of Duke of York’s Military School.
The current owners – the Brend family, who own eleven hotels in Devon and Cornwall – took ownership in 1977, after which extensive renovations took place to bring it back to its original four-star status.
Thankfully, this hotel – which boasts many quiet, cosy corners where you can sit and chill – retains much of its Art-Deco charm and even when areas have been refurbished, a nod to its links with this design period of the 1920s and ’30s is always evident.
Family-friendly?
Absolutely! Children are well catered for and one can tell that staff welcome little ones just as much as adults. This really is a family-friendly hotel, typified by the fact that parents are offered two-hour free childcare a day plus a full entertainment programme is offered every school holiday.
If that wasn’t enough, the hotel has teamed up with a local surfing company and offer free surfing lessons for kids – and adults, too – during school holidays (also every Saturday throughout June-September).
Service
The hotel scores high when it comes to service. Being a family-owned collection of hotels is reflected in the friendly atmosphere emanating from every section of the Saunton Sands. This friendliness, perhaps, explains why there are so many long-serving staff members – some have even clocked up 30 years with the company!
Smiles from staff at reception, in the restaurant, bar, spa and any other corner of hotel seemed genuine and made us feel welcome which, let’s fact it, isn’t always the case at hotels.
Facilities
Although I’d always recommend guests venture out-and-about to explore this beautiful and dramatic region of Devon, one could easily spend the entire duration of one’s holiday at the hotel without being bored.
Each evening, we made use of the games room and enjoyed games of table tennis, pool and bar football – all free to guests. If tennis is your game, grab the rackets from Reception and head for the court just across the car park. Or if you want to work out, head for the gym
Meanwhile, if surfing is your thing, the hotel has linked up with a local company, as mentioned earlier, while free exercise classes – including yoga and Pilates – regularly take place in the fitness and yoga studio. The large, light and airy space with its mirrored walls and quality sound system is the ideal spot for wellbeing classes.
Back at the hotel, there is an outdoor pool (unheated from October to May) and newly-renovated indoor pool. Heated to a balmy 28⁰C, it’s perfect for soothing those muscles after an invigorating walk along the beach or around the coastline.
But if the weather is clement, nothing beats simply relaxing at one of the many tables dotted along the terrace overlooking Saunton Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. Watching the sun set and the constant procession of waves breaking on the golden sand are memories which will stay with you forever.
Spa
Saunton Sands Hotel caters for all and has become increasingly popular with those guests seeking a spa break or even spa day – thanks to the launch of Source Spa.
Inspired by the natural beauty surrounding the hotel, the spa provides the perfect opportunity to “steal away some precious moments of calm, indulgence and revitalisation”.
Numerous treatments, a rooftop terrace, Thermal Suite (every guest gets one 45-minute complimentary session per day), Finnish aroma sauna, ice fountain – you name it, the Source Spa has it: and while some hotels’ spas seem like a half-hearted attempt to provide just another facility for their guests, that’s not the case at Saunton Sands Hotel. Here’s, it’s clear that much thought, effort and expertise have been invested into what is clearly an integral part of the hotel.
Accommodation
The 77 attractively decorated bedrooms and eleven self-catered apartments and living suites come in all shapes and sizes. Whatever your requirement, there’s sure to be a room to suit: single, double, triple, inland-facing, ocean-facing and so on! We’d definitely recommend upgrading to a sea view room; it would be a missed opportunity not to.
We stayed in three-bedroom Surf View, one of the fab five-star 180⁰ South apartments situated in a separate block alongside the hotel. Contemporary in design with a nautical theme, this ground-floor apartment with its own terrace enjoys a wonderful view of the beach. Described as a deluxe penthouse-style apartment, it certainly offered everything we needed.
Although there is no air conditioning in bedrooms or the self-catering apartments, fans are available in the rooms and the windows provide additional ventilation, when needed.
Food & Drinks
We eat out for lunch and self-catered for dinner but were able to sample the buffet breakfast served in the two AA rosette, Art Deco-influenced Dining Room. Many tables look out over the terrace towards the ocean and when the weather is kind, opt for al fresco dining.
When it comes to other dining and after-meal options, the recently-decorated Terrace Lounge & Bar with its velvet sofas, artwork and abundance of greeney is an ideal spot for a pre- or post-dinner drink.
For something different, head down to the Beachside Grill on Saunton Beach and watch the sunset from the terrace.
3 Must-dos
Visit RHS Garden Rosemoor
Nestled in a valley, this wonderful 65-acre garden is, as Visit Devon states, a “feast for the senses”. Highlights include over 250 varieties of roses, “garden rooms” themed to celebrate the seasons and Hot and Cold Gardens.
Walk on Baggy Point
Just over three miles north of the hotel is National Trust-owned Baggy Point. There are several paths weaving their way around this craggy headland which offers wonderful views along the coast.
Stroll along Saunton Beach
This expansive beach has appeared in films and even on album covers, such as Pink Floyd’s A Momentary Lapse of Reason. In the 1946 classic movie, A Matter of Life and Death, David Niven’s character is washed up on the beach after leaping out of his burning plane. The beach and nearby Braunton Burrows were used by American soldiers training for the D-Day landings. The remains of a tank and mock landing craft are still visible in the area.
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[Reviewed: March 2025]
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