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The best hotels with beach clubs in Europe
- Marcus Nikos
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
The best hotels with beach clubs in Europe
The best hotels with beach clubs in Europe
Ocean views, the promise of a cabana and the thrum of a summer sound track; these are the best hotels to book in Europe if beach clubs are your calling card
For many, beach clubs spell summer, and booking a bed at the right place is a key part of planning an unforgettable holiday in Europe. Whether it's part of a group trip, a celebration, or you're travelling solo and craving the promise of good music and better cocktails as companions, the best beach clubs in the world are sure to deliver. Traditional ‘party’ destinations like Mykonos and Ibiza have long since been famed for them, but less talked-about hotspots are starting to line the shores of Bodrum and Sicily, too. All are well worth a visit, especially if clamouring crowds and sky-high minimum spends are your personal travel red flags. But no matter where's on your wishlist, a visit during peak season can make it tricky to secure a slot. We've made things easier, and have narrowed down a list of stylish properties you can stay at with their very own beach clubs. Check in at any of these editor recommendations and you're just a few short steps from the main event.
Scorpios’ expansion was big news from the moment it was announced. It threw up as many questions as it did yelps of excitement; how would Mykonos’ most hedonistic beach club concept translate away from the glitzy party island? That Thomas Heyne and Mario Hertel chose Bodrum as the location of their first foray into hotels couldn’t have come at a better time either, with this corner of Turkey’s Turquoise Coast receiving more attention than ever following a spate of high-profile hotel and restaurant openings. 12 bungalows, complete with private pools and expansive decks facing the glittering Aegean Sea, sit atop an outcrop opposite the equally glamorous Maxx Royal Bodrum. A restaurant and terrace space curve around the space below, where sunset suppers flow into DJ sets until the early hours of the morning. However, it’s the Beach House that many sun-kissed travellers are here for, a bohemian multi-level space where the watery depths sit just beyond plush private cabanas and sun loungers. Forget Champagne spraying and tinnitus-inducing Recession pop – note beach ‘house’, rather than ‘club’. It’s all the better for it, as dashing waiters shimmy around filling bedside tables with small plates of grilled meats and pillowy flatbreads to the beat of deep house and gentle waves rippling below the deck. Connor Sturges
Taormina, Sicily’s most glamorous town made famous in Season 2 of The White Lotus, is a funny paradox. From the winding streets that make up the old town, on the cliffside, there are endless opportunities to gaze out over the inky sea below. But once you brave the hairpin-bend drive down to the shore, there aren’t swathes of sand to bask in the sea breeze from. Better check into Villa Sant’Andrea, a Belmond Hotel, then. This cliff-hugging hotel, built as a family villa for an aristocratic family in the early 20th century, is now one of Sicily’s grandest places to stay, with supremely comfortable rooms, a bar with picture-frame views of the bay below, and the island’s prettiest restaurant. Stroll past the dining terrace, though, and you’ll happen upon a set of winding stairs down to Lido Villeggiatura, which enjoys a plum spot on the Bay of Mazzarò. Blue-and-white umbrellas make for a main-feed-worthy photo, and cheerful, smartly dressed staff will wheel out a sunlounger so you can soak up the sun or hide from it, ferrying over ice-cold water and always on hand should you be in the market for something a little stronger. The beach is shingle rather than sand, so take flip flops or water shoes so you can walk down the sloping shoreline into the water. The hotel even puts on daily, complimentary boat trips from the Lido, whizzing guests around Sicily’s craggy shoreline and dropping anchor for water babies to leap into the sea. Sarah James
Sublime Comporta's barefoot way of living is made for those who wish to be embedded in nature, but some might be surprised to find that it's not on the beach – or even within walking distance of one. Never fear: the hotel has you covered with its very own off-property beach club. There's a shuttle that runs between your accommodation and the beds that line the sand, meaning guests can enjoy the day, the evening or both at the Club. The restaurant serves stunning seafood, and a cocktail list worth ditching the car for (the pina colada remains the best one I've ever had). Best of all, it has its own dedicated sun loungers, so there's no struggle to find a spot and you can experience Comporta's powder-soft sand in Sublime-esque style. Abigail Malbon
Marbella Club has a reputation for time-tested, tasteful glamour, and it sits proud on the beachfront along Marbella's iconic “Golden Mile,” a prime spot between the Old Town and Puerto Banús. The legendary Beach Club and its iconic palapa evoke the Acapulco of the 1950s. At MC Beach, grilled sardines transport you to an authentic Andalusian beach bar, where the Mediterranean is felt in every bite. Despite being surrounded by some of the best eateries and drinking spots in Marbella, there's really no reason to leave. Sashay the few steps – from plush pale-pink and green poolside loungers – to the sand, where thatch-topped umbrellas line the shore. Sunsets here are second-to-none, and when the day has stretched long enough, and it's time to retire inside, Marbella Club’s 35 rooms, 80 suites, and 17 villas provide the utmost comfort. Relaxed luxury, and Andalusian accents will make you feel that sense of home many hotels strive for, but few achieve.
Château de Théoule, France
The best part about staying at a hotel with its own beach club is that you can simply tumble out of bed for a dip and make minimal effort in order to turn up somewhere swanky. Check in to Château de Théoule and spend the day lounging at Plage Blanche beach club. Come sunset, guests drift to the restaurant Mareluna for cocktails and original dishes concocted by Napolitan-born chef Francesco Fezza, whose Italian-meets-Japanese recipes juxtapose unusual flavours with the finest local ingredients (try the cuttlefish tagliatelle or the barbecued veal with smoked sardines, topped off by lavender, blackcurrant and rhubarb sorbet). Highlight: the holistic Ec(h)o Spa, featuring a rejuvenating LED facial mask and an uber-relaxing hot sea shell massage to the tune of lapping waves. Lanie Goodman
Seasoned Bodrumites and fans alike know the drill. Any self-respecting hotel within easy reach of Yalikavak Marina’s shimmery designer boutiques and sleek superyachts requires a certain je ne sais quoi – an energy, a buzz. This is where The Bodrum Edition excels, attracting yachties, yacht-owners and everyone in between, as long as they’re ready and willing to turn their hand to hedonistic afternoons beside the DJ decks, skin smoothed and plumped from earlier treatments in the sumptuous spa and Turkish hammam. The beach club stretched across 100 metres of pristine white sand punctuated by sun loungers and carefully spaced speakers. Keep a (discreet) eye on the cabanas along the jetty for recognisable faces and keep the cocktails coming before lights under twinkling lights at Asian-fusion concept restaurant Inari. Connor Sturges
Nammos, Mykonos
Tucked along the powdery curve of Psarou Beach in Mykonos is Nammos Beach Club. Part of the recently opened Nammos Hotel, it's the kind of place where arriving by helicopter (there’s a dedicated pad) or yacht feels almost expected. Days here drift easily between long, lazy lunches at the restaurant where a parade of freshly caught seafood and icy rosé sets the tone, and afternoons spent swaying to ocean-washed beats as the daytime parties pick up the pace. Chelsea Hughes
One&Only Portonovi, Montenegro
Those looking for a hotel with chilled-out yet vibey pool club with good food to boot will not be disappointed at One&Only Portonovi. Japanese-Spanish fusion restaurant Tapasake offers an elite epicurean experience. But this element is just part of what makes this hotel special, and if you're after a proper party, there are other properties in Europe better suited – everything about this hotel lives up to the brand's reputation for laidback luxury. It's set in 60 acres of lush lawns, palms and Mediterranean plants near the entrance of the Adriatic Sea. Rooms, which start at a generous 65 metres squared, are decorated in earthy, neutral tones, with polished parquet and pale marble floors. All have private balconies or terraces and spacious bathrooms with freestanding baths and chaise longues.
There is also a selection of two- and three-bedroom villas and private houses for rent, the latter with their own beaches, butlers, and fully stocked bars – an open invite to create your own beach club, should you wish. There are six pools (two of which are adults-only) and a large sandy beach, as well as various activities from kayaking and water polo to breathwork and sessions with a nutritionist. The fabulous 4,000m2 Chenot spa and wellness centre offers medical and dietician facilities, a full yoga studio, reformer Pilates, boxing, cryotherapy and an exhaustive range of treatments, including Chinese medicine, bioenergetics, cryotherapy and acupuncture. The huge gym has saunas, steam baths, treatment rooms, and a large indoor pool
Yazz Collective is a remote midweek retreat that transforms into a beach club at the weekends; chilled soundtracks transition into heavier beats as the sun bids güle güle. It's here that forms the beating heart of Yazz Collective, where leisurely breakfasts and iced coffees are sipped on until lunch service begins and the music turns up just a notch. Continental spreads adorn tables on arrival, followed by an a la carte brunch menu, amber yolks oozing across sliced avocado and freshly baked bread. Lunch is an equally informal affair, yacht owners gliding over to join resort guests and pick at bowls of truffle fries, ‘after gym’ salads, and slithers of lahmacun – flatbread topped with minced meat and vegetables.
The buzzy streets and nightlife of Fethiye and the superyachts of Göcek (prepare for your jaw to drop, especially if the tech billionaires are in town) are within easy reach by boat transfer and car, but leaving the resort is not easy unless you’ve got your own boat. Bluetooth speakers activated, enjoy true ‘pinch me’ moments as your Italian, Bond-esque vessel skimmed the waves as the captain pointed out ancient ruins on the hilltops.
