Seabank Hotel

Found sitting by the rocky shore of Porthcawl’s Esplanade, the Seabank Hotel's distinctive figure stands out from the more vernacular Italianate buildings of the resort town. Before becoming a hotel, the land belonged to the architect George Dement, who built himself a home in 1867. The British railway magnate John Brogden acquired the property in 1870, and replaced the building with a larger house. The property became the Porthcawl College around 1890.

It officially became the Seabank Hotel in 1910, when the land and building were bought by John Elias. Major renovations and refurbishments in the 1930s and 1940s transformed the property into its current Art Deco incarnation seen today.

The present-day Seabank Hotel is an edifice heavily inspired by Art Deco conventions, far from the Victorian Italianate design that dominates Porthcawl's Esplanade area. This was thanks to a massive renovation during the 1930s that gave the hotel its current white‑painted facade, topped with red‑tiled gambrel roof and shaped by curved walls. The interiors of the hotel also embrace modern styles, offering practical yet stylish designs, with small touches to match Seabank's Art Deco motifs.

While Porthcawl has plenty of dining spots, Seabank Hotel has an on-site restaurant where residents can grab an energizing full Welsh breakfast spread. Start your day by biting into delicious bacon, sausages, hash browns, and eggs. Continental options are also available, as well as fruits, cereals, and yoghurt. The restaurant also offers three-course dinners featuring traditional Welsh dishes, preferably paired with your choice of beverage from the bar's lineup of drinks.

Porthcawl is one of Wales's iconic seaside resort towns, a year-round destination full of amazing activities and surrounded by places to visit.

Currently, the town boasts two Blue Flag beaches: Rest Bay and Trecco Bay, both of which are scenic sandy stretches where you can relax and try water sports like surfing and paddling. A more recent trend spreading among enthusiasts is kiteboarding, which lets you ride your surfboard with the help of the wind. Inland, you'll find a large variety of scenic walking trails, some are along landscapes such as River Ogmore or Kenfig Nature Reserve, others leading through villages like Newton and landmarks like Candleston Castle.

Porthcawl has its own hubs for cultural enrichment that you can check out. The Grand Pavilion is a performing arts center where you can catch live performances of local artists, dance troupes, and theatrical plays. If you'd like to learn more about the town, drop by the Porthcawl Museum and see the various exhibits, as well as costumed demonstrations. The Ewenny Priory is a local architectural gem, dating back to the time of the Normans, yet still actively used by worshippers to this day.