Originally built in 1870 as the summer palace for the Bishop of Portsmouth this lovely, family-run hotel commands the best position and the best selection of facilities of any hotel on the Isle of Wight. With magnificent views of the bay, the hotel has direct access to the beach and the old village of Shanklin and yet is away from traffic noise. Shanklin holds the record for sunshine in the UK. We are with in walking distance from the Shanklin village and Shanklin Chine. Shanklin beach is accessible from our gardens. Shanklin sea front offers Crazy Golf, Jungle Jims (children’s indoor play area) and local pubs and restaurants. A bus service is available to Shanklin Town or is 15 minutes walk from the hotel. The train journey to Ryde from Shanklin takes approximately 25 minutes.

The relaxed and informal atmosphere is complemented by fine cuisine, excellent service and comfortable surroundings. A comprehensive wine list is available as the hotel holds a full residential and restaurant license, enabling guests to enjoy wine and beer with their meal and go for a drink in the comfortable lounge. A full and varied menu is offered each day, comprising of a full choice of breakfast, bar lunches and five course dinner, including continental dishes. The 'Bishop's Bar' is the social centre of the hotel and our professional bar staff are pleased to be able to serve our guests a wide choice of drinks as well as provide them with a venue to relax and meet other guests. Drinks are available throughout the day and bar snacks, teas and coffee are served from 10.30am. In our spacious and comfortable bar we have both smoking and non-smoking areas and we are pleased to be able to offer a selection of board games and cards for guests use.
During the Autumn and Winter evenings there is a cosy log fire maintained in the bar by our staff in the 'Bishop's Snug'. We also have separate TV lounge which is fitted with a video player and hold a selection of videos for the use of guests. This room may also be used by guests as a card or reading room.

We have the sunshine record for the U.K.!
As well as it's superb sports facilities the hotel boasts indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools, Jacuzzi, Games room with Table Tennis, Pool table and Weights room. For Golfers we are pleased to be able to offer some of the best golfing in Britain with eight golf courses within only 5 to 25 minutes drive from the hotel. For the businessman we can offer a variety of conference facilities and can accommodate conferences of 5 to 50 delegates.

Our restaurant offers superb food for all tastes. We are pleased to offer a different vegetarian dish every day and vegetarian salads can be made to order each evening. With advanced notification we are able to cater for most special diets. To complement our food we are pleased to also have a fine wine cellar with a an extensive range wines. Meal ordering times are as follows. Breakfast 07.30 -09.30hrs - Children's Teas 17.30 - 18.00hrs - Dinner 18.30 - 20.30hrs. Snacks are available throughout the day.