Drakes of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom

Drakes, boutique hotel located in Brighton, England, is an elegantly crafted and very smart addition to the Brighton boutique hotel scene. It consists of two Georgian houses gracefully knocked into one, right on Brighton's seafront.

Architect Michael Phillips, who designed all the Hotels du Vin, also came up with the concept behind Drakes of Brighton. He has chosen contemporary touches to complement the original features of the house. Discreet Oriental artwork creates a flash of bright red lacquer against the soothing Heritage colours of the sweeping Georgian staircase. He went to town on the details of the boutique hotel, importing Thai bamboo and European elm and sourcing the finest fabrics. It all feels immaculate and expensive.

The facilities

The boutique hotel has gained quite a reputation in Brighton through its excellent bar and restaurant. A branch of The Gingerman, the restaurant is becoming a destination in its own right. The bar/lounge – small, comfortable and handsome – has an inventive cocktail list.

The rooms

Hotel Drakes has 20 rooms, many of which have sea views. The most exciting are the vast feature rooms and “circular suites”. These have double-ended roll-top baths on a raised dais in front of the full-height Georgian windows, so that you can watch the sun set over the sea from your bath. The bathrooms are equally indulgent, some with wet rooms and waterfall showers with experimental mood lighting to play with.

Details are impeccable, from the recessed lighting in the beautiful wood paneling above the beds to the built-in champagne buckets. Geek-chic flat screens and music systems and generous wardrobe space are cunningly hidden by a curtain which whooshes open at the touch of a remote.

The boutique hotel prides itself on having the same high levels of service as a five-star luxury hotel. Just ask, and the staff will have a bath prepared and music of your choice playing when you arrive or a therapist waiting for you. Importantly, though, the service feels friendly and efficient, never unctuous.