Guests are full of ‘high praise’ for Tobias Feilke’s ‘personal’ hospitality at his ‘homely’ B&B close to Lymington quay. Tobi ‘made us feel very welcome’, finding time for a ‘friendly chat’ and carrying cases up to the bedroom. As with each of the five rooms, it was ‘certainly not bland’. The Courtyard Suite has pistachio walls, Doric columns, classical art; the Britannia has gold-and-black furnishings, a wrought iron bed with a tasselled canopy; the bright, airy two-storey apartment has enormous windows and a balcony gazing across the quay to the Isle of Wight. The decor is lavish throughout the building, which, apart from a brief spell, has been welcoming guests since opening in 1865. Quirky features abound, from a wall decorated with hats – fedoras and trilbies to conical coolies – to a suit of armour, while a cosy lounge has lush drapes, warm rich hues, plump sofas and a marble fireplace. In the country-style kitchen with green settle and botanical prints, a satisfied reader reports the owner cooked an ‘exceptional’ breakfast, with a continental buffet followed by a full English. Vegans and vegetarians should give advance notice.