Huw and Beth Roberts bid croeso to guests arriving at their smart hotel, in a ‘great seafront position’ in this university town. Enter the Grade II listed Victorian terrace house to find modern interiors imbued with real character and a strong sense of place: locally handcrafted furniture inlaid with Welsh slate; Welsh poetry on display; emphatic oil paintings inspired by the surrounding landscape, created by a local artist. The bedrooms are individually and ‘excellently’ decorated, says a regular Guide reader in 2017, who praised his ‘fantastic’ top-floor room under sturdy oak beams. ‘The rooms overlooking the sea are very good, with chairs in the bay window so you can enjoy the passing scene.’ In the modern-rustic dining room, chef William Ainsworth’s cooking is ‘highly recommended’. There are small plates, large plates, tasting platters and a ‘magic’ Welsh rarebit at lunch; at dinner, characteristic dishes include mushroom, tarragon and Perl Wen cheese arancini; fillet of cod, herb mash, buttered savoy cabbage. The resort town has plenty of diversion – down to the winter starlings roosting under the pier. (Michael Eldridge, and others)