In the thick of things, a large, modern hotel on the cobbled high street. Public spaces are vibrantly furnished or bright with colourful prints. Food and drink is available throughout the day; HarSpa has a whirlpool, sauna, steam room and small open-air heated pool.

Within the East Cliff conservation area, the Marlowe family’s characterful Kemptown B&B has long been a bastion of sustainable living.

A short walk from Portsmouth City Centre and the seafront, this stylish hotel has elegantly decorated bedrooms, and a lounge bar run by obliging and friendly staff. Part of the Mercer Collection.

In an unassuming house on a quiet Southsea street close to the beach and amenities, this hotel is unexpectedly funky inside, There is a bar and room service for drinks, light meals and snacks.

Small and personal, with a stylish interior, this hotel (part of the Mercer Collection) is in a restored Edwardian house retaining many of its original features. A short stroll from the seafront and the group’s gastropub, The Florence Arms (home-cooked food, ales, ciders, gins and fine wines).

In secluded gardens and woodland, a low-built contemporary house with sun terraces and spacious accommodation overlooking acres of greenery. There’s an open-plan lounge for relaxing, and communal Aga-cooked breakfasts with a choice of home-made breads are served in a light-filled dining area. Five miles N of Lewes.

In fifteen acres of landscaped grounds, a red-brick Queen Anne mansion that was originally built for the Churchill family. Afternoon tea is served in The Polo Bar and Lounge or outside on the terrace. FORK restaurant (casual dining), and some of the modern bedrooms have views over the lovely garden, where outdoor activities include a croquet lawn, tennis courts, shooting hoops and giant snakes and ladders. Part of Exclusive Collection.

Just outside Bracknell, Valerie Preston’s homely B&B is within easy reach of both Ascot and Windsor. There are thoughtful touches and great attention to detail in comfortable bedrooms, splendid breakfasts, and a terrace in the delightfully colourful. well-cared-for garden. 4 miles drive from Ascot.

Ten minutes from Ascot Racecourse, this 18th-century red-brick pub is a cert for equine devotees and rural inn-seekers alike. There are nooks and crannies, tweedy fabrics. original stone floors and a welcoming open fire in cooler months. Some of the comfortable bedrooms have views over the peaceful garden which has plenty of seating and a cosy Cabana for the ultimate outdoor dining experience. Traditional pub fare is supplemented with dishes such as Wild Boar sausages, mash, lentils and savoy cabbage or braised rabbit, mustard root vegetables and tarragon.

An historic coaching inn opposite Laughton village green, seven miles from Lewes. Rooms are in a sympathetically converted stable block. Classic pub grub and an extensive range of beers, wines and gin is served in the interesting bar and dining room, or in the large pub garden, also home to two pet micro-pigs and some clucking hens.

Self-sufficient guests will find excellent value at this stylish B&B. In a Victorian town house, on a tree-lined road, it is a fifteen-minute walk away from Windsor Castle and close to Heathrow (some aircraft noise). Shops, pubs and restaurants are nearby. Breakfast is a help-yourself affair. Each comfortable room (some with a table and chairs) has a mini-fridge stocked with fresh milk, water, fruit juice, yoghurt; cupboards reveal cereals, fruit, muffins, bread for toasting, teas, coffee and hot chocolate. A breakfast room is also available for guests’ use. Complimentary movies and books may be borrowed. Parking is possible on the drive or by permit on the street.

Just across the bridge in Eton, this refurbished Georgian inn is on a corner of the high street. Simply furnished bedrooms have wood furniture, comfortable beds and crisp bedlinen; some rooms have a view of Windsor Castle or the river. The pub dishes and daily blackboard specials are cooked using local, seasonal produce, much of it sourced from the royal farm estate. At the rear, the inn’s owners (Windsor and Eton Brewery) have created a smart decked garden for eating and drinking outside in warmer months.

By Forbury Gardens, striking design meets civic grandeur in a grand brick-built building (formerly The Forbury hotel, and County Hall offices). Opulently restored by India-based hotel group Roseate Hotels & Resorts, an impressive chandelier trails down; plush fabrics and ritzy wallpaper add glamour. In luxurious bedrooms there is fine bedding, original artwork, and state-of-the-art lighting and audio systems. Cerise restaurant is for sophisticated dining. Soothing treatments await in Aheli spa. Reading rail station is a 5-minute walk away.

In their tranquil Victorian home In Rusthall, the caring hosts have added thoughtful extras to meticulously furnished bedrooms. B&B guests are provided with an alarm clock, CD/DVD player, a USB socket for charging an iPhone, a fridge, luxury toiletries, ironing and tea and coffee making facilities. Gourmet breakfasts are served in the conservatory. The well-kept gardens contain a terrace, a water feature and koi pond. Local eateries are close by. 1.5 miles W of Tunbridge Wells.

Yeehaw! All spruced up, a cowboy-themed hotel (part of a small group) in former Tunbridge Wells West Station. Bedrooms have cowboy boot- or antler-shaped lights, and Native American-style blankets. Vittles include hearty servings of ribs, burgers, nachos and other US favourites in the atmospheric restaurant. Join in the hootin an’ hollerin with live Country and Western bands in the bar until closing time.

Near the Pantiles, a former brewery and school house is now a modern hotel with sophisticated, neutral-toned bedrooms and suites (some in the neighbouring Townhouse are more contemporary and have a separate entrance). Breakfast is buffet-style. Informal dining as well as a la carte menus are served in Seventeen restaurant. Situated by Cumberland Walk, al fresco morning snacks, cocktails, and light bites can be enjoyed on The Terrace.

Close to the station, a hotel and restaurant inside a Grade II-listed 18th-century sandstone mansion. Intimate and clubby, there is an open fire in the bar, and Gallic-influenced dishes in the informal restaurant; alfresco dining on the terrace. Modern bedrooms (some overlooking Calverley Park) have plenty of perks: a capsule coffee machine, fluffy bathrobes, chic toiletries for indulgent bathing. Within walking distance of the Pantiles.

In a picturesque village, five miles north of Reading, a welcoming olde worlde country inn with an open fire and Brakspear real ales in the traditional bar. Comfortable, mellow-toned bedrooms are named after types of wine. Satisfying pub dishes such as chicken pie, sautéed potato, honey glazed carrots and parsnip or pan roasted cod, butter beans, mashed potato, chorizo with white wine sauce are served in a cosy restaurant. Outside there is a patio and garden with a children’s play area.

Walking distance from the attractions of South Kensington, this ‘elegant yet hip, fun’ hotel is ‘conveniently located’ for museum-hoppers and shop-till-you-droppers.

Fifteen mimutes’ walk from the centre of Sevenoaks, Sarah and Ian Stockbridge’s extended brick-built house has self-contained B&B accommodation with spacious bedrooms and a sitting room for guests to share. One room at the front overlooks woodland and Knole Park (NT) where the occasional deer can be glimpsed; another has views over the south-facing garden. The thoughtful hosts provide tea and cake on arrival. For breakfast, cereals, seasonal fruit and yogurt are followed by a full English and served in the dining area of the sitting room, which has glass doors opening onto a terrace with outdoor seating.