Haven Hall
, 5 Howard Road, Shanklin, Isle of Wight.
Haven Hall is a luxury hotel set beside the sea on the Isle of Wight. Built in the 'Arts and Crafts' style in 1908, it served as a private house until 1950 when it became a hotel. It was not until 2013 though that it took on its present form with the restoration of all the period features and the addition of more modern attributes like air conditioning, wifi boosters, smart TVs, mood lighting, under floor heating and LED lighting.
Haven Hall Hotel's private 2 acre grounds have won many awards in recent years. This comes as no surprise as the grounds have been extensively landscaped to make the most of the expansive sea view. with some lovely statues, urns and fountains. Large circular steps with stone lions (a replica of the Lutyens Steps at Great Dixter House) make a feature of the transition from the upper lawn to the lower lawn area. A Victorian-style gazebo marks the best spot to enjoy the spectacular view. Next to the house, the large outdoor patio is well placed to enjoy both the view and the charming Victorian cherub fountain. Stepped garden terracing now enhances the area around the heated swimming pool. After many requests, a helipad has been created on the lower lawn area.
The welcoming front porch of the house opens into the Patio Room and East Room, usually used for breakfast. The cosy and elegant Drawing Room boasts a beautiful Arts & Crafts fireplace, plus 2 bay window areas overlooking the gardens and the sea. The domed East Room (originally a Billiard Room) sparkles with the morning light and stunning views. The large Blue Dining Room has a bar and overlooks the Cherub fountain, gardens & sea on the South side and an elegant ball fountain with a small patio on the West side. The space flows easily from room to room as well as to the outside patio area.
There are 14 en-suite bedrooms in all, seven of which have living rooms and kitchen attached. Originally the master bedroom of the house, the Victoria and Albert Room is sunny and spacious, enjoying a triple aspect of windows overlooking spectacular sea views and flower gardens. The Winston Churchill Room is generously sized (like the gentleman himself) and has an extra large window overlooking the sea, patio and gardens. The Tennyson Room is an elegant double aspect bedroom that enjoys lots of afternoon sun as well as a lovely sea view over the gardens. And so it goes on; it would be superfluous to mention facilities as the bedrooms at Haven Hall have "everything". Several of the suites are on the ground floor providing easy access and a couple have porcelain floors making them suitable for well-behaved pets. All of the suites can be regarded as self-catering if that is your choice.