You would need a heart of stone not to be charmed by the creeper-covered facade of this Strawberry Hill Gothic house, with its pretty ogee windows, decorative eaves and hilltop position above gardens tumbling to the sea. Inside doesn't disappoint, either: interior designer Melanie Boissevain and husband Lucas have created stylish, relaxing spaces where antiques mix with French market finds, and blowsy wallpapers with Persian rugs. ‘Honestly the nicest hotel I ever stayed at,’ writes a reader after a three-generation stay. The beautiful bedrooms, most with a sea view, are painted in soothing coastal colours, with designer fabrics. Dog-friendly coach-house rooms have tongue-and-groove walls, a marble bathroom with over-bath shower, geometric floor tiles, underfloor heating. All have an espresso machine and Bramley bath products. You can take afternoon tea by the fire, or on the seaward terrace. At dinner there is a short à la carte menu of dishes such as crab, prawn bisque, pickled mussels, coastal vegetables, or a tasting menu, with dishes such as lamb loin, glazed shoulder, shallot, spelt, bookended by milk bread with miso butter and petit fours. Breakfast choices include smoked haddock with laverbread. ‘The attention to detail, the welcoming and friendliness, the food and the view are on a new level.’ (Anouchka L)