The White Lion Hotel, Aldeburgh, Suffolk

The location is excellent, right on Aldeburgh's seafront overlooking the beach and the town's iconic fish huts. It's a pity they don't have tables outside to enjoy the beachfront, but in five minutes you can stroll into the centre of town in one direction or trudge across the beach to Maggie Hambling's scallop shell memorial to Benjamin Britten in the other.

By car: 1.5 hours from Norwich, 2.5 hours from London, over 3 hours from Southampton. There is a small carpark at the hotel and free public parking opposite the front.

By train: Saxmundham station is a 15-minute taxi drive from the hotel, accessed via Ipswich train station - with regular services from London Liverpool Street (1 hour 10 mins), Cambridge (1 hour 20 mins) and Norwich (2 hours). Book trains to Saxmundham.

Despite faded signage and a slightly off-putting main entrance, inside the White Lion feels like a welcoming, busy and contemporary seaside coaching inn. Some of the corridors could do with a lick of paint but the rooms are well-appointed and comfortable.

There's a 24-hour reception and room service till 11 pm, and they have a small car park at the back - although there's plenty of free public parking in front of the hotel. They also have a popular bar and two restaurants.

• Two restaurants

• Bar

• Room service
• Free breakfast
• Pet-friendly
• Family-friendly
• Free parking

• Free Wi-Fi

All rooms come with Freeview TVs, complimentary water and biscuits, tea and coffee-making facilities and good Wi-Fi. As in all seafront hotels, the real choice is whether to go for a sea view or not and here you'd be well advised to pay the extra.

Room types: Seaview, Superior and Inland Rooms

Key amenities: ensuite bathroom with separate bath and shower, HD TV, tea and coffee-making facilities, countryside or sea views, free Wi-Fi

The hotel has two restaurants - the main Brasserie next to the bar which is a very nice place to eat but has a slightly boring Modern British menu, and an Indian restaurant, Sea Spice, at the other end of the building, which is the town's only Indian and serves good, authentic food that is a cut above the average curry house.

Sea Spice: Indian cuisine, coastal Suffolk produce, local craft beer. Dinner served 5.30pm - 9:30pm. Mains from £11.

The Brassiere: British pub-style dishes, temporarily closed.