No. 1 Pery Square

Once a youth hostel, this hotel at the corner of a late Georgian terrace has definitely waved away any thoughts of backpackers’ basics, swapping them for boutique chic. Overlooking the People’s Park, with its Victorian bandstand and towering Rice Monument, it is filled with period pieces, chandeliers and elegant decor, with a spa in the vaulted basement, and a small kitchen garden. Four glamorous bedrooms in the main house 
are named after former Pery Square residents, 
each with original features, a handmade brass-
and-gilt bed, a roll-top copper bath and monsoon shower. Two have park views; two overlook the 
kitchen garden and dining terrace. A converted rates office links the original town house to a 
new extension, where smart, contemporary 
rooms have super-king or king-size bed and monsoon shower. All have Voya organic toiletries, robes, slippers, room service. Meals are served 
in the first-floor Sash restaurant where dishes might include Atlantic cod, clams, consommé, samphire and sorrel. For something a little less formal and lighter, go to the Long Room bar, or eat alfresco in the garden.