This decadent Art Deco grande dame, set on its own tidal island, ‘harks back to a more glamorous age’, and a recent refurbishment has been given the thumbs up by faithful regulars. After a glass of champagne, a trusted reviewer was shown to ‘Jane Marple’, a cosy double room on the first floor ‘with views over the lawn and the Mermaid pool beyond’. It was compact, with both an in-room bath tub and basin. Larger doubles and suites are more spacious, some with a vast bathroom, and have sweeping views of the bay. All rooms are ‘age-appropriately furnished’, and well equipped without being ‘boutiquified’, though the lighting may be ‘too dim to read by’. Evenings begin in the 1930s-style Palm Court Lounge, perhaps with a Burgh Bramble mixed by long-standing barman Gary, followed by a black-tie dinner of ‘imaginative and perfectly executed’ dishes in the Grand Ballroom. Sometimes there is dancing. Breakfast brings a buffet of breads, pastries and cereals or hot dishes cooked to order, including ‘kedgeree, porridge and full English’. Service 
is ‘friendly and efficient at all times’. ‘I loved 
every minute.’