Landlubbers' haven at the heart of old Harwich
Fashioned on a Venetian palazzo back in 1862, The Pier at Harwich is rather grand outside. Inside this quayside hotel perched at the water's edge, all is bright and fresh with nautical accents.
Come Here For...
- Sea-bright views, fresh sea breezes and sea-fresh food.
- Nautically themed rooms.
- The quirky charm of being right on the docks.
- Fresh oysters with a glass of bubbly.
Hit the Spot
Bang on the seafront in old Harwich.
Amenities
There are two restaurants – a ground floor brasserie style bistro and the smarter Harbourside upstairs. Both major on seafood.
Good to know
Bring some binoculars – there's plenty to watch in the harbour.
Essential info
Check in
14:00
Checkout
Midday
Minimum Stay
None
Closed
Open all year
Parking
There is free guest parking.
Airport
London Stansted – 40 miles
Train
Harwich Town station – five minutes
Pets
No
Children
No restrictions
Location
The Quay, Harwich, Essex, CO12 3HH, United Kingdom
Bedtime
Bedrooms
14 rooms, including the Mayflower suite.
Special features
All rooms have wide beds, fluffy white towels, satellite TV and great views over the Stour and Orwell estuaries. There's wi-fi throughout.
Pillow talk
Try the enormous bed in the Mayflower suite for size. There's even a telescope for playing I-Spy.
Eat & Drink
Dining in
Fresh-landed fish is on the menu daily at The Pier's Harbourside restaurant. You can also gorge on toasted goat’s cheese on walnut bread with rocket leaves, native oysters on ice and a coconut basket with white chocolate and apricot cream.
Breakfast
Continental breakfast is served until 9.30am.
Room service
Available morning and evening.
Activities
See & Do
Earn your nautical stripes by hiring a sailing boat from the town’s pier and having a day at sea. Walk along the sea wall to Dovercourt and onto the blue flag beach – perfect for a bracing dip. And do book seats for a show at the nearby Electric Palace cinema – a vintage gem.
See our guestbook.
We stayed at The Pier for our first wedding anniversary, and all I can say is "Wow!" From the moment we arrived the staff went out of their way to welcome us. We booked to have dinner in the 1st floor restaurant & the food was something else not to mention the service. The hostesses, waiters & even the food runners went out of their way to help you. In the morning we had breakfast & were once again greeted by such friendly staff, all eager to know if there was anything they could do to help. The breakfast was so good!
Testimonial left by Joanne from Sawbridgeworth on 25 November, 2014
Our stay at The Pier was exceptional from the moment we arrived. Me and my girlfriend were given an upgrade and having champagne on ice waiting for us in the room was the perfect start to a perfect getaway. We look forward to booking with you again soon.
Testimonial left by Scott from Corby on 22 December, 2013
Our stay at The Pier went really well. Our room was good and the restaurant was excellent.
Testimonial left by Richard from London SW13 on 13 November, 2013
Our review
As reviewed by Sarah Robinson
SIITTING BANG ON THE QUAYSIDE, the Pier at Harwich has a refreshingly nautical vibe. Locals were sitting outside having drinks in the summer sunshine when we rolled up, and it was tempting to just throw our bags down and join them.
The Pier at Harwich is rather grand outside – it was fashioned on a Venetian palazzo back in 1862 – while inside all is bright and fresh nautical accents. Its port-side setting has a sea-salty charm, while the views of the Shotley peninsula are prettily pastoral.
Owner Paul Milsom (who also owns Maison Talbooth in Dedham) fell in love with The Pier years ago – and promptly married the young interior designer engaged to transform the place. Good credentials for a Room for Romance hotel!
Catch of the day
This is oyster country, so it seemed just the place to drop anchor and uncork the champers. I was soon soaking in the bath with a glass of said bubbly while my husband loafed on the sofa with a G&T and pair of binoculars – clearly fascinated by the bustle of the docks and getting a bird’s eye view of a fabulous sunset from our three huge windows.
Our room had a big bed, crisply dressed in white linen, and pleasingly maritime flavour. It came with painted wood furniture in shades of sea-grass and aqua set against restful white, sand and stone tones.
There are two restaurants to pick from. Downstairs is the Pier's informal Ha’Penny bistro, with its stripped floorboards, wooden tables and original railway posters (travellers of old used to arrive here aboard the Great Eastern Railway).
We opted to dine upstairs is the smart Harbourside restaurant (my husband having decided I was worth splashing out on), with its starched tablecloths and brilliant views over the water. Our waitress fussed over us like a mother hen and nothing seemed too much trouble.
The Pier at Harwich has its own lobster tanks, and seafood (landed fresh on the quayside each morning) is not surprisingly the big dish of the day here. Our delicious fish dinner was followed by a late-night stroll along the harbour and now-deserted pier by the old docks.
This is a great seafarer’s town, and we awoke to take deep breaths of the briny and watch yachts and cruise liners chug past our window next morning. We followed a bracing walk along the waterfront with a mooch around old Harwich – birthplace of Captain Jones, who sailed the Mayflower to the New World.
The dock’s steamships of old have now been replaced by speedy car ferries, making the Pier at Harwich a great base for Channel-hoppers seeking a pre- or post-voyage treat. You might even decide to ditch your deck shoes (as we did) and pull down the hatches instead.
