‘Laid-back and bohemian’, Charlotte and Justin Salisbury’s hip town house hotel brings a youthful air to a street of Regency terraces. The ‘eye-catching’ decor puts vintage pieces, industrial fittings, found objects and ‘a range of fun art’ to good use: ‘There was a studenty feel, which we liked.’ The cocktail bar and relaxed café attract locals (and not just for the ping-pong table). In the restaurant (‘very nice, with bare bricks and distressed wood’), a choice of modern set menus might include such briefly described dishes as mackerel, cauliflower, capers; mushroom, miso, marjoram. Bedrooms, several with sea views, continue the freewheeling attitude. Many rooms are decorated with artists’ prints; others were decorated by the artists themselves. ‘Our room, with a comfy double bed, had plenty of nice touches: Anglepoise bedside lamps, a pink TV, a travel trunk tipped on its side to serve as a wardrobe. The compact, shabby-chic bathroom was well thought out, with piping-hot water and a deep bath.’ Wake to a ‘good’ breakfast, with home-made smoky beans, perhaps, or a stack of pancakes. (David Berry, and others)