The Best Hotels in Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth Hotels

Candy floss, ice cream, fish and chips – 3 of the staples of an English seaside town, and Great Yarmouth is a real seaside town. With a long sweep of golden sandy beach, old-school amusements and bucket and spade souvenir shops, it’s a fantastic place to enjoy some fun family time. Close to the Norfolk Broads, you can head inland to explore the bird-filled marshes, creeks and tidal flats once you’ve had enough of the beach.

Things to see

Most of Great Yarmouth’s attractions run along the seafront. You can get in some real beach time on one of the many stretches of pristine sand - from deck-chair clad Central Beach, perfect for entertaining kids with donkey rides, bouncy castles and ice creams – hopefully not all at once – to wildlife friendly North Beach with its grassy dunes suited to dog walking, you’re sure to uncover your ideal patch of sand. The Venetian Waterway Gardens make for a languid stroll, while plenty of restaurants, cafés and snack vendors line the main promenade, offering the standard seaside fare of fish and chips, burgers and sandwiches. If you fancy a thrill, head for one of the Pleasure Beach’s jaw-dropping rides, which include a log flume and a vintage rollercoaster built in the 1930s. Don’t miss the colourful night-time illuminations and summer-time firework shows along the promenade.

Hotels in Great Yarmouth

Due to its popularity with British families holidaying on a budget, most Great Yarmouth hotels are 3-star rated, although a few 4-star rated hotels are dotted around the town if you’d like something more luxurious. Large Victorian era buildings hold a high proportion of the town’s hotels, while you’ll generally find guesthouses and B&Bs among the rows of smaller terraced houses. These vary from traditional beside-the-seaside B&Bs (with doilies and frilly loo roll covers as standard) to modernised boutique-style guesthouses with stylish decor, up-to-date bathrooms and thick cotton bedding. For a cheap hotel head to a 2-star rated B&B.

Where to stay

Much of the town’s accommodation is clustered around the seafront area with many hotels sitting handily along the promenade – perfect if you like to open your bedroom window to the sound of lapping waves. In summer the town’s awash with families taking advantage of the sandy beaches. If you fancy something a bit quieter head to one of the slightly smaller – and yet still full of seaside fun – surrounding villages. Gorleston-on-Sea is just south of Great Yarmouth with its own popular sandy beach and fun-filled coastal amusements. For total seclusion head to a peaceful countryside retreat near the Norfolk Broads.

How to get to Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth Station runs services from Norwich where trains arrive from London Liverpool Street, Cambridge, Peterborough and Ely – for connections to the north of England. Journeys from London take approximately 2.5 hours. If travelling from further afield you could jump on a coach to avoid indirect train journeys. For those travelling by car, bear in mind any congestion issues in summer and find out about parking from your hotel. Plenty of car parks run along the seafront, but costs can add up if relying on these overnight. Plenty of local buses run services to outlying towns and villages.