Lytham St Annes sits on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, roughly five miles south of Blackpool but an entirely different proposition. Where Blackpool is loud, brash, and built for mass entertainment, Lytham St Annes is quiet, leafy, and genteel — a Victorian and Edwardian resort town that has kept its character while its famous neighbour evolved around it. St Annes faces the sea along a wide promenade with ornamental gardens, beach huts, and a pier. Lytham, a mile and a half to the east, has a tree-lined high street, a windmill on the green, and Lytham Hall (a Georgian country house in parkland). Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club, one of the venues on the Open Championship rota, draws golfers from around the world.
Hotels in Lytham St Annes range from a seafront resort with a spa and swimming pool to traditional guest houses on Clifton Drive South. This guide covers the best places to stay with details on each property and what to see.
Resort Hotels
Dalmeny Resort Hotel
The Dalmeny Resort Hotel sits on the South Promenade in St Annes, directly facing the sea. Around 130 rooms include sea-view categories. An indoor swimming pool, spa, gym, and entertainment programme make this the most comprehensive hotel in Lytham St Annes. A restaurant and bar serve guests. The South Promenade location puts Ashton Gardens and the pier within a five-minute walk. Guest reviews rate the Dalmeny as a good resort option with friendly staff and a strong entertainment programme. Rates range from approximately £80 to £160 per night. Popular with couples and groups for weekend breaks. Check availability early for summer weekends and bank holidays.
The Inn Collection Group — The Lytham
The Inn Collection Group operates a property in Lytham St Annes that combines a traditional inn atmosphere with modern hotel facilities. The group, which runs characterful inns across northern England, focuses on food, drink, and a warm welcome. A restaurant, bar, and en-suite rooms. The Inn Collection properties are popular with walkers, golfers, and visitors who want a pub-style atmosphere with hotel comfort. Rates vary by season. Check the Inn Collection Group website for current availability and pricing.
Traditional Hotels and Guest Houses
St Ives Hotel
The St Ives Hotel on South Promenade is a traditional seafront property in St Annes. Around 30 rooms, some with sea views. A restaurant serves dinner and breakfast. The St Ives delivers a classic British seaside hotel experience — unpretentious, comfortable, and with the sea on the doorstep. Guest reviews praise the friendly staff and the value. Rates range from approximately £70 to £120 per night.
The Clifton Arms Hotel
The Clifton Arms in Lytham town centre, on the high street near the green, is a coaching inn that has served visitors since the nineteenth century. Around 45 rooms in a traditional style. A restaurant and bar serve local Lancashire produce. The Lytham location suits guests who prefer the town's quieter character over the St Annes seafront. Royal Lytham Golf Club is a short walk. Rates range from approximately £80 to £140 per night.
Guest Houses on Clifton Drive South
Clifton Drive South, the long road connecting St Annes to Lytham, holds a concentration of traditional guest houses and small hotels. These are typically Victorian or Edwardian houses with breakfast included, family-run, and priced from approximately £50 per night. The best earn loyal returning visitors — particularly during Open Championship weeks, when every room in Lytham St Annes fills months in advance. Checking recent guest reviews before booking is advisable, as quality varies.
What to See
St Annes Seafront and Ashton Gardens
The South Promenade in St Annes stretches along a wide sandy beach, with Ashton Gardens — a well-maintained Victorian park with bowling greens, a rose garden, and a bandstand — set back from the front. St Annes Pier, though shorter than in its Victorian heyday, still stands. Beach huts and sand dunes give the St Annes seafront a character quite different from the arcades and amusements further north. The Ribble Estuary, visible from the western end, is an important birdwatching site.
Lytham Town and Royal Lytham Golf Club
Lytham has a tree-lined high street with independent shops, cafes, and restaurants — more genteel than most Lancashire coastal towns. The windmill on Lytham Green, overlooking the estuary, is one of the most photographed landmarks in the Fylde. Lytham Hall, a Georgian country house set in parkland, opens for tours and events. Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club has hosted eleven Open Championships — the most recent in 2012 — and is one of the most prestigious links courses in the United Kingdom.
Practical Details
Prices, Deals, and Best Time to Book
The price per night at Lytham St Annes hotels is generally lower than Blackpool during peak season and significantly lower during quieter periods. The Dalmeny offers deals and packages (dinner, bed and breakfast) that represent good value — check their website for current offers. The Clifton Arms and St Ives also run seasonal deals. Guest houses on Clifton Drive South offer the cheapest bed and breakfast rates, starting from approximately £50 per night. For the best prices, book direct and travel midweek. April (apr) through June offers pleasant weather at lower prices than the July-August peak — enjoy the seafront gardens and the beach without the summer crowds.
Free wifi is standard at all hotels listed. Free parking is available at most guest houses and the Clifton Arms. The Dalmeny charges for parking. Star ratings across the listed properties range from three-star guest houses to the four-star Dalmeny. Check star rating and recent guest reviews before booking to find the right match for your budget and expectations.
Room Details and Bed Configuration
Most Lytham St Annes hotels offer double and twin rooms as standard. The Dalmeny has the widest range of room types, including family rooms and sea-view suites. The St Ives offers sea-view rooms at a lower price than the Dalmeny. Guest house rooms vary — some are spacious with period features, others more compact. Ask about bed configuration when booking, as guest houses in Victorian buildings often have a mix of double, twin, and single rooms. Breakfast is included at all guest houses and at most traditional hotels.
Airport Access
The nearest airports are Blackpool Airport (currently limited services, five minutes' drive) and Liverpool John Lennon Airport (roughly 50 miles, an hour by car). Manchester Airport is approximately 55 miles east and offers the widest range of domestic and international flights. The United Kingdom rail network connects Preston (twenty minutes from St Anne station) to Manchester Airport via the TransPennine route.
Walking Distances
From the Dalmeny on South Promenade, Ashton Gardens is a three-minute walk. St Annes Pier is five minutes. Lytham town centre is roughly a thirty-minute walk along the coast road or a five-minute drive. From the Clifton Arms in Lytham, the windmill on the green is a two-minute walk and Royal Lytham Golf Club roughly ten minutes on foot. The beach at St Anne is a minute walk from the promenade hotels. The entire stretch from St Annes Pier to Lytham Green is roughly two miles — a pleasant walk along the front that takes about forty minutes and passes through the heart of the resort.
Guest Reviews, Ratings, and Booking
Review Scores
Guest reviews for Lytham St Annes hotels tend to be warmer than those for nearby Blackpool — the quieter atmosphere and the traditional hospitality earn consistently positive marks. The Dalmeny earns the strongest reviews for its seafront position, the pool, and the entertainment. The Clifton Arms earns good marks for the traditional character and the Lytham town setting. The St Ives earns reliable reviews for the sea view and the value. Guest houses on Clifton Drive South earn mixed reviews — the popular, well-maintained properties earn high scores, while others fall short.
Booking Tips
Lytham St Annes is a popular destination for golf breaks, weekend trips, and visitors who want a base near Blackpool without the central Blackpool atmosphere. Hotel demand peaks during summer, the Lytham Festival (usually July), the Lytham Club Day (June), and any Open Championship or major golf event at Royal Lytham. During Open weeks, every hotel and guest house in the area sells out months in advance and prices triple. For normal periods, book directly through each property's website for the best rates. Free parking is available at most guest houses and at the Clifton Arms; the Dalmeny charges for parking.
Getting to Lytham St Annes
St Annes-on-the-Sea and Lytham stations are both on the Northern Trains line from Preston and Blackpool South. Preston, roughly twenty minutes away, connects to the West Coast Main Line (London Euston, Manchester, Birmingham). By car, the M55 terminates near Blackpool, with Lytham St Annes accessible via the A584. Blackpool is five miles north — the tram does not reach Lytham St Annes, but bus services connect the two. Most visitors arrive by car, and free or inexpensive parking at the hotels and along the seafront makes driving practical.