Wentworth Hotel

The Wentworth has the loveliest position in town, the beach literally a pebble’s throw from the garden, the sea rolling east under a vast sky. Inside, fires smoulder, clocks chime and seaside elegance abounds. It’s all terrifically English, with vintage wallpapers, kind local staff and an elegant bar that opens onto a terrace garden. The restaurant looks out to sea, spilling onto a sunken terrace in summer for views of passing boats. Proper English fare is the order of the day: stilton soup, breast of guinea fowl, lemon posset with raspberries and shortbread. The hotel has been in the same family since 1920 and old-fashioned values mix harmoniously with interiors that are refreshed often to keep things sparkling. Airy bedrooms are deeply comfy, those at the front have sea views (and binoculars). Expect warm colours, smart fabrics, padded headboards and good beds; all have stylish bathrooms, too. You’ll find sofas galore in the sitting rooms, but you may want to spurn them to walk by the sea. Joyce Grenfell was a regular. The Snape Maltings are close.