Survey
The Most Expensive Seaside Resorts in the UK
July 31, 2014
Cornwall, nestled in the southwest peninsula of Great Britain, has just been named home to the United Kingdom’s most expensive seaside resort. A recent survey conducted by Cheaprooms.co.uk came to this conclusion after comparing the UK’s 20 costliest destinations. In coming up with the rankings, the survey used lodging cost during the main summer holiday month of August as its basis of comparison.
More specifically, Cornwall’s seaside town of St. Ives landed in the number one position. An average overnight cost of GBP 123 for the least expensive double room catapulted St. Ives to the top of the UK resort leaderboard. For comparative purposes the survey excluded hotels and guest houses rated under 3 stars and those that are not conveniently located to the main attraction: the beach.
The second-place finisher, Tenby, revealed itself to be significantly less costly than St. Ives. This walled seaside town in Pembrokeshire, Wales took the number two spot on the survey with an average rate of GBP 107 per night for the least expensive double room. Including St. Ives, Cornwall scored three of the Top 6 spots on the UK’s most expensive list. Falmouth and Padstow joined St. Ives in a tie for number six. Both towns are averaging GBP 84 nightly this August.
The following table shows the UK’s Top 20 most expensive seaside resorts. The prices shown reflect the average daily rate for each destination’s cheapest available double room (minimum: 3-star hotel, guest house or B&B) for the time period spanning August 1–31, 2014.
1. St Ives (Cornwall) £123
2. Tenby (Wales) £107
3. Cowes (Isle of Wight) £94
4. Dartmouth (Devon) £87
5. Barmouth (Wales) £86
6. Falmouth (Cornwall) £84
6. Oban (Scotland) £84
6. Padstow (Cornwall) £84
9. Swansea (Wales) £83
10. Swanage (Dorset) £81
11. Penzance (Cornwall) £81
12. Bude (Cornwall) £78
13. Worthing (Sussex) £75
14. Whitby (Yorkshire) £74
15. Brixham (Devon) £73
16. Ayr (Scotland) £72
17. Brighton (Sussex) £71
17. Southend-on-Sea (Essex) £71
19. Margate (Kent) £70
20. Aberystwyth (Wales) £68