‘The situation is perfect, central, by the Assembly Rooms and Circus,’ readers write of Laurence and Helen Beere’s smart city hotel. Boldly patterned wallpapers and muted contemporary hues blend with Georgian proportions throughout the four honey-toned town houses. Junior suites, with elegant period windows and fireplace, are forged from the old drawing rooms; one suite has a leather chaise longue in the bathroom; smaller doubles have an en suite shower room. The contemporary styling is harmonious; a major refurbishment of bedrooms and bathrooms is also under way. In the snug Old Q Bar, where you can order cocktails and light meals, a spoof of the Queensberry Rules prohibits finger-clicking, audible obscenities and shouting into mobile phones. Things get more serious in the basement’s Olive Tree restaurant, where Michelin-starred chef Chris Cleghorn’s tasting menus cater to carnivores, vegetarians and vegans. Typical dishes: fallow deer, barbecue cauliflower, golden raisin, sprout, bitter chocolate; barbecue cauliflower, sea beet, hen of the woods, hazelnuts. By all means order à la carte. ‘Service is attentive and friendly.’