The Beach House, Milford on Sea, Hampshire

Set a little off the main road to Milford on Sea, the hotel occupies a large plot with nothing but grassland separating the garden from the promenade. You can walk into town in ten minutes, explore nearby Hurst Castle or go crabbing at Stuart Pond. The expanse of the New Forest with its free-roaming ponies is just a ten-minute drive, while you can walk to Henry VIII's Hurst Castle in 50 minutes.

By car: The Beach House is 45 minutes from Southampton, 2 hours 20 mins from London and 3 hours from Birmingham. There is free parking at the hotel.

By train: London Waterloo to New Milton takes 1 hour 45 mins. The station is a 10-minute taxi ride from the hotel. Book trains to New Milton.

It's worth visiting this hotel just to marvel at the architecture of the age. The reception has a vaulted ceiling and makes for a striking entrance, with a parquet floor, oak panelling and a road-facing stained-glass window with scenes of an enchanted forest. Other characterful rooms include a library and upstairs sunroom with sea views.

Expect lovely, friendly service from a young, local team who greet you with enthusiasm. The library is stocked with an antique book collection that will suck you in on a wet day. Garden games include high tower and cornhole and reception can help with bike hire and paddle boarding.

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Gardens
• Terrace
• Family-friendly
• Beach access
• Free parking

• Free Wi-Fi

The rooms are lovely places to spend some time. Elegant period pieces of furniture, such as an iron bedstead with brass knobs or Queen Anne dressing tables, are offset against walls painted in cheerful pastels, and roll-top baths take pride of place in spacious bathrooms.

Room types: Family Rooms, Standard Double, Superior Double, Luxury Double

Key amenities: ensuite bathroom with complimentary toiletries, hairdryer, TV, desk, tea and coffee facilities, free Wi-Fi

The menu in the restaurant caters to all tastes, with warming dishes such as vegan Malaysian aubergine curry or steak and Tangle Foot pie, and sharing plates of koftas and calamari or baked camembert. Crayfish or prawn sandwiches are popular at lunchtime, while on Sunday there's a roast with trimmings.

The Restaurant: all-day dining, British pub classics, fresh fish, burgers, sandwiches, Sunday roasts. Open daily. Mains starting at £11.95.