| there's a casual restaurant with a terrace that offers sea views. check-in time: 12:30 pmcheck-out time: 11:00 am. there's also a traditional bar and a furnished patio. the compact, low-key rooms feature flat-screen tvs, minifridges, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. set in an 18th-century coaching inn, this unassuming hotel is across the road from the beachfront promenade and a minute's walk from southend pier. some have beach views
Heathrow Airport 1 hr 37
Bell Wharf Beach (14 min) Westcliff Beach (4 min)
Modest, classic beach for swimming & walks at low tide, with a nearby casino & ice cream parlor. Chalkwell Beach (9 min)
Pebble & sand beach with a large granite obelisk from the 1800s & a promenade with snack kiosks. Southend Pier and Railway (4 min)
Seasonal museum on the pier with 19th- & early-20th-century train cars, slot machines & costumes. Adventure Island (4 min)
Free-admission fun park with more than 40 rides and attractions from rollercoasters to ghost trains. Southend Central Museum & Planetarium (17 min)
Exhibitions of local natural history and archaeological treasures including a haul of Saxon gold. The Kursaal (4 min)
Known for its Edwardian architecture, this landmark complex features a bowling alley & casino. Old Leigh Studios Gallery (13 min) RHS Garden Hyde Hall (34 min)
Site run by horticulture charity, including bird hide and Dry Garden with bold architectural plants. Prittlewell Priory (11 min) Sealife Adventure (5 min)
Sea life aquarium with sharks in walk-through tunnel tank, plus rays, turtles and insect displays. Thames Estuary (1 hr 13)
1 of the country's largest, this landmark estuary features shipping routes & various lighthouses. Thorpe Bay beach huts (8 min) Two Tree Island (15 min)
Grassy island nature reserve with walking paths & designated birdwatching areas. Hadleigh Castle (23 min)
Ruined 1200s castle, refortified by Edward III in the Hundred Years War, affording marsh views. | 
