The story so far...

There has been a hotel business of some sort on South Sands bay since shortly after the war. If you look at photographs on the area pre-1950 you’ll see that South Sands the hotel did not exist. The only building on the beach was what is now the sailing club. Although perhaps not the oldest property in the South Hams, the hotel has been around long enough to be able to boast an interesting and slightly chequered history.

In the last 50 years it has known five different owners, various different concepts and has even languished in receivership. It is strange to think that before re-opening on 1st May 2010 it had been shut for eight years. Our friends at the Tides Reach Hotel used to own it and ran it very successfully for many years. Then there were the wilderness years when nothing was achieved, as a subsequent owner was in receivership and there was confusion over who owned different parts of the property...it took a long time to resolve.

However, the tale has a happy ending or new beginning as during the summer of 2008 two local businessmen noticed that it was up for sale and wondered if it might be just what Salcombe needed. They were walking along South Sands beach and were struck by the beauty of the spot and the tragic state of the building. There and then they made the call. After a few weeks of negotiation they secured the property and the building work started in October 2008.

The build took a bit longer than anticipated, as all builds do, but it has been worth it. The new South Sands Boutique Hotel & Beachside Restaurant opened in May 2010!

When you come and experience the new South Sands you can see the love and care that has gone in to creating a wonderful hotel, fantastic bedrooms and a fabulous restaurant on the beach.

We hope that we can welcome you to the hotel in the very near future.