Review: Luccombe Hall Hotel, Isle of Wight

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The Isle of Wight has long been a beloved destination for British holidaymakers looking for a staycation that isn’t too far from home. As one of the rare few who had not yet been initiated into the beauties of the island, I was very much looking forward to exploring it for the first time. My destination was Luccombe Hall Hotel, a manor house hotel set high on the seaside cliffs Shanklin, one of the island’s resort towns on the beautiful Sandown Bay.

We arrived late afternoon, with time to check into our room before heading out for a quick explore before dinner. Booking with Luccombe gets you free access to the local Shanklin Chine waterfall walkway, mere seconds from the hotel’s front door, so we made that our destination for exploring. It’s a delightful walk that takes you down to the seafront, past the tallest waterfall on the Isle of Wight and through some lovely woodland, dotted with facts about the Chine. We then took a peaceful stroll along the seafront before making our way back to the hotel for dinner.

The hotel has perfectly curated a cosy yet luxurious seaside experience, perfect for families or couples looking for a peaceful retreat on the island. Our room opened into a private garden, complete with a hot tub on the patio that proved the perfect accompaniment for a staycation during the changing seasons. The rooms are simple but lovely, with the addition of the private garden offering a homely feel that goes beyond just that of a normal hotel room. The atmosphere created is one in which you feel as though you are part of a little community, particularly with our easy access to the hotel’s wider gardens, complete with garden tables where you can sit beside the sea.

The Grand View restaurant is a lot more relaxed than it sounds, in keeping with the hotel’s general convivial vibe. Connected seamlessly to the halls that house the rooms, it’s located so you can easily drift in and pull up a seat anywhere you like. There’s a gallery of window seats overlooking the hotel gardens and panoramic sea view beyond, earning the restaurant its name. It’s certainly a lovely experience to take your breakfast or dinner accompanied by views of the Isle of Wight’s famed dramatic cliffs and wide open ocean.

There’s a breakfast bar in the morning where guests can help themselves to coffee tea, cereal, fruit and pastries, or you can order from the hot food menu. Both mornings found us craving eggs, so we thoroughly enjoyed the Eggs Royale with an English muffin, smoked salmon, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. A classic British breakfast you truly can’t go wrong with, and prepared to perfection by the staff.

The dinner menu is no less impressive, and changes every day, with the evening’s offerings tacked on the notice board every morning for you to peruse. On our first evening, we enjoyed a three-course dinner of grilled prawns, followed by a show-stopping main of sea bass on a bed of rice and feta with hollandaise sauce. Polishing off with a sticky toffee pudding and vanilla ice cream, of course. Our second evening was a Sunday, so roasts were the star of the menu. I thoroughly enjoyed a vegetarian chestnut roast with all the trimmings (shout-out to the delish gravy) while my partner reported that the meat option proved to be equally impressive.

Next door to the restaurant, you’ll find the Bishop’s Bar & Lounge, an intimate bar area perfect for stopping in for a pre-dinner drink or two. The atmosphere perfectly matches the unpretentious yet warm and welcoming vibe conjured by the hotel, with plush and cosy armchairs, round low tables, and a nook beside a bookshelf and fireplace (our favourite spot in the bar). The cocktails are expertly made by the bar staff – I took a particular liking to the Raspberry Bramble, a perfectly sweet and tart concoction of dry gin, lemon juice and Chambord.

The area is perfect for those looking for a staycation that allows for long walks or hikes. There are many local public footpaths that take you through some gorgeous countryside and along to the storybook seaside villages that populate this part of the Isle of Wight. We explored the footpath that took us beyond Shanklin and into Ventnoor and Bonchurch. Bonchurch held many interesting surprises for us, from large manor houses bearing impressive blue plaques (one in which Charles Dickens once stayed, another which professed to be the family home of the poet Algernon Charles Swinburne), to an old church that was originally built in 1070, and even a farm populated by reindeer!

The hotel staff are also ready to provide you with any recommendations for further excursions if you’re unsure what to do. The hotel sits within easy access of many family-friendly activities, as well as historic local sites. It also boasts many amenities itself, from a tropical pool and sauna to an impressive games room ideal for keeping the kids occupied. The staff are friendly, helpful and accommodating, willing to make your stay easier wherever possible.

A hotel well worth visiting – I am definitely a newfound convert to the Isle of Wight experience.