This little Boutique B&B has a fantastic reputation in the area. When the Mrs suggested a 'romantic weekend away', I can't say Southend On Sea was the first destination to spring to mind. Still I fell a little bit in love with the place. We found it really hard to find a place to stay, TripAdvisor being next to useless on the subject, we eventually came across the Pier View website and booked straight away. Lots and lots of gorgeous pictures that didn't disappointing in person. The B&B has only actually been around since 2008 and has since won lots of awards. The owners Ian and his wife (sadly we didn't meet her) live just down the road. Ian was a delight from check in to check out. Very friendly, informative and pleasant. He gave us some great suggestions for eating out and things to do. I also have to give a little shout out to David the Duty manager. He'll be there making sure you're coffee's topped up all breakfast and is a sweetie. Breakfast is continental, self-service. Its a good selection of pastry, toast, boiled eggs, fruit and cereal. Even a selection of babybells. The breakfast room is just the epitome of good taste. Bright, comfortable, clean. There's a little balcony out there too if you wish to enjoy your breakfast al fresco with an amazing view of the coast. Sadly, Southend may boast the smallest rainfall in England, but safe to say bank holiday weekend in August, we saw a bit of downpour. I love this place because it is here that I had the best nights sleep ever. The bed is the most amazing thing ever. The bed itself is just right, not too soft not too hard. The pillows are out of this world. Huge and sooo comfy I would happily pay a hundred pounds for those bad boys. The rooms are however smaller than you think they are from the pictures. However, we moved around just fine and what do you expect in a house like that. Now, big bad point. The shower. The bathrooms are tiny but practical. However the showers are just not good enough. No pressure, very dribbly. We coped as we both have short barnets, but if I still had my long locks, a shower would take me an hour. Still, despite that I just loved the place that much, I'd have to give it a big old 5*. read more

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Growing up I spent a lot of time in Southend as my grandparents choose to retire in the area. So Southend and what was then call Peter Pan's Playground (Now Adventure Island) was one of my favorite places in the world. 25 years on and wanting a trip down memory lane, Southend was the final stop on our road trip tour of the UK before heading back towards London and we came across Pier View via Trip Advisor. The reviews seemed good, so we thought we would give them a shot. We had scheduled to arrive pretty late getting close to 10, they still had someone on staff when we arrived, and even offered to make us sandwiches if we wanted after a long day's driving. Since it was the evening parking on the street was very easy, we got a spot right outside the property, and quickly moved from the car to our room. The room was tight, but more of what I expected from a B&B, (I think we were just spoilt from the night before) The room was very clean, bed was comfortable, full ensuite. Everything was very nice. The next morning, the continental breakfast was great. The room had a wonder sea view and lots of different food options, juices, and drinks, were available. We quickly wanted to get moving as we only had a little time in the area. Location was great, the Pier was right across the street. Lots of food options, especially Fish & Chips and if you wanted to get away from the Seaside, the Southend High Street, shopping centers, etc are right there also. Next time we are in Southend, without question we will be back. read more