Alistair Sawdays

The sea rolls in at the end of the road, the pier is a pleasant five-minute stroll and the restaurants and bars of St James Street are on your doorstep. Russell and Claas renovated this Regency townhouse from top to toe; only the walls survived and now they shine in period colours throughout, ceiling roses, plaster moulding, a fine Art Deco-style chandelier in the fabulous first florr dining room/bar - and umbrellas at the front door. Bedrooms come in different shapes and sizes but all have the same graceful restraint: cool little wetrooms, gorgeous linen, incredibly comfortable beds, padded headboards, waffle bathrobes, the odd antique. One has a free-standing bathin the room and you can glimpse the sea from those at the front. Spin down to the dining room for an excellent breakfast (real orange juice, baskets of patisserie, pancakes with lemon and sugar, the full cooked works) or drop in for a drink before heading out for the evening. The service is impeccable, too.