Beach hotel deals

A beach hotel is one where the sand is a few minutes' walk away, rather than one that simply has sea in the name. Some sit on the seafront with their own stretch of beach and sunbeds; others are a street or two back from a public beach. The distance is given on each deal page.

Check the location line on the deal page, which gives the distance to the beach and what else is nearby. Photos help: a hotel with its own beach service will show it. If the description says beach nearby with no distance attached, treat that as a walk rather than a doorstep.

On a hotel-managed beach they are usually free for guests, and all-inclusive rates often cover beach service too. On a public beach you normally pay the concession that runs it, per sunbed per day, with the price varying widely by resort. The hotel description says which arrangement applies.

It means the hotel manages that stretch of sand and reserves it for guests, with its own sunbeds, parasols and service. It rarely means the beach is legally private, as most coastlines are public up to the waterline. The practical difference is space and a guaranteed sunbed rather than exclusivity.

Late spring and early autumn, when the sea is still warm and the school holidays are over — roughly May to June and September to October in the Mediterranean. July and August are priced by demand rather than weather, so shifting your dates by two weeks usually changes the rate more than changing the hotel.

The Canary Islands, the Red Sea coast, the Gulf and the Caribbean stay swimmable through the European winter, which is why they fill up between November and March. Mediterranean beaches are pleasant for walking in winter but cold for swimming. Start from the month you can travel and work back.

Some are, some are not. Larger coastal resorts often run all-inclusive boards, while small seafront hotels tend to sell bed and breakfast or room-only. Each deal page shows the board, so you can weigh a seafront room-only rate against an all-inclusive one a few streets back.

Look for a gently shelving beach, a shallow pool and a low-floor room rather than for the word family in the hotel name. Sand close enough to walk back from at nap time matters more than facilities. Our family hub filters for properties set up with cots, family rooms and children's pools.