This ‘youthful, buzzy’ spot, say returning guests this year, is liked for its ‘good rooms, friendly staff, excellent food – and no flashy bits’. At their hotel (since Victorian times), brothers Charles and Edmund Inkin let laid-back comfort and carefree style float in on sea breezes. The convivial bar is a popular gathering spot for games night. Fancy something more active? There are plenty of pursuits (none trivial): mindful yoga weekends, playful puppet workshops, ‘wild’ foraging walks. ‘The receptionist enthusiastically recommended good running routes.’ Jolly bedrooms have Cornish art, lime-painted walls, a woollen blanket to wrap up in when the salty air turns chilly. ‘Our good-sized room had a wonderful sea view, blocked only slightly by the extension underneath.’ The lighting could have been brighter, however. In the restaurant, Cornish produce, fresh from sea and land, are the main feature:ray, swede, spinach, crisp potato, café de Paris butter, curry oil. Breakfast has scrambled eggs, home-made muesli, apple juice from Polgoon, ‘beautiful sea views’. The Inkins’ nearby Gurnard’s Head, Zennor, and Felin Fach Griffin, Felin Fach (see entries), are similarly laid-back. Sadly, due to a fire, the Old Coastguard will be closed for the rest of the summer, but plans to reopen in the Autumn.(ME, and others)