Southend Hotels

Southend is a traditional British seaside resort within easy distance of London. Popular as a tourist destination since the Georgian era, with its seven miles of seafront and the longest pleasure pier in the world, Southend is as popular today as ever. If you are planning on staying in Southend hotels vary from basic guest houses and convenient chains to luxury four star hotels with plenty of extra facilities. So there is bound to be something to suit both your taste and your budget.

The most popular attraction in Southend is the seafront and there are several beaches to choose from. Bell Wharf Beach is a sandy beach and the busiest due to its location near the historic 'Old Leigh'. This is a great option for those with children. In a quieter part of town, you will find Chalkwell Beach, a thin sandy stretch of beach and also quite popular with families. Jubilee Beach is a mix of sand and shingle and stretches East from the pleasure pier.

The pebbly Shoebury Common Beach is more popular with the water sports crew, especially windsurfers. Shoebury East is also a magnet for windsurfers and is the location of the Essex Kitesurfing Club. It's also the perfect place for a picnic, plenty of Southend hotels offer a packed lunch service to make picnics even easier. Thorpe Bay Beach is home to a yacht club and is sand and shingle. Three Shells Beach is perfect for the kids, with climbing frames and a paddling pool, it is the smallest of the Southend beaches. Finally Westcliff Beach is lovely for a stroll at low tide.

Aside from the beaches, there are plenty of attractions to amuse both young and old. You can ride the railway to the end of the pier, which takes you 1.33 miles offshore. There are of course the usual funfairs, with plenty of rollercoaster action for the thrill seekers and a well stocked aquarium. You can even soak up a bit of culture along with the English sun, at one of several art and photographic galleries, or at the Leigh Heritage Centre, where you can learn about the history of the area. If shows and concerts are your thing, check out what's on at the Cliff Pavilion, the New Empire Theatre or the Palace Theatre.

If you are an air show enthusiast you will want to visit in May when the Festival of the Air takes place. You can see military and sports jets doing acrobatics as well as parachutes and the RAF Red Arrows. The illuminations are lit every August to mark the start of the Southend Carnival.

For a stay in any of the Southend hotels, make sure you book in advance in the high season. If you like to be active on holiday, you can choose a hotel with tennis courts and a fitness centre. Some hotels have the added bonus of an indoor swimming pool in case the English sun lets you down. You will find recognisable chain hotels, with all the expected extras and services you are used to, as well as cosy independent guest houses. If you want to bring Fido, check in advance, some, though not all of the Southend hotels allow pets. Many offer free parking and twenty-four hour front desk. Some Southend hotels even offer business services such as meeting rooms, fax and internet services.

Plenty of hotels in the area have their own restaurant and bar, but there are many other eating and drinking options in town. In fact there are over three hundred places to eat and drink. Seafood is obviously a popular choice, with cockles a local specialty. The Old Leigh area is in fact the cockle capital of the world and here you can sample the freshest shellfish along with your favourite drink. Of course, plenty of pubs, cafes, restaurants and take-aways offer the traditional British staple fish and chips, which always taste better when eaten in view of the sea. If you still have room you can sample the award winning local ice-cream, the perfect way to complete your British seaside experience.

If you want to sample the quintessential British seaside holiday, you should definitely pay a visit to Southend.

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