THE TIMES

In a great spot at the end of a 19th-century crescent overlooking the beach, you’ll find the aptly named 16-room Beach hotel, which must be one of the best in the country for surfers. Will and Susie, the owners, took over this (now) lively hotel four years ago and injected an element of fun by creating a cocktail bar with a long, curving zinc-topped bar and retro ‘aviation chairs’. Cider brandy mojitos and passion fruit martinis were introduced, a bright and breezy restaurant serving seafood and steaks installed, and the bedrooms revamped.