Hotel du Vin Brighton

You couldn't ask for a better spot for your holiday in Brighton than the mock Tudor, Gothic revivalist Hotel du Vin. Sitting at the bottom of Ship Street across the road from the seafront, you are also in the very epicentre of the trendy South Lanes, groaning with cool bars, restaurants, jewellery shops and clothes stores. The restaurant at du Vin is a destination eaterie for the locals in itself (try getting a table at the weekend without booking) as it's a joy to eat in, a real buzzy atmosphere prevails and the food and service is wonderful. After dinner, climb one floor up the grand staircase to the cocktail bar for a cheeky nightcap and then ascend to your room (I love the Nespresso machines and the power drench showers) where you can hear the roar of the waves from the cosiness of your Egyptian cotton sheets.