Hotel Cafe Cultura by Dominic Hamilton

The 26-room hotel occupies a beautiful colonial mansion, replete with three open fires, colourful murals and comfy leather sofas. The building, which once housed the French Cultural Center, is seeped in atmosphere, comfort and style. It's owned and run by Laszlo Karolyi, an Ecuadorian of Hungarian descent, who is, however, more English than the English: a St George's flag flutters from the hotel's first floor window. Laszlo has great style and taste, and is nearly always on hand to ensure the smooth-running of the establishment.

Rooms range from singles to family suites. All are individually decorated by different artists, so take a tour to choose one that suits you (the best are on the ground and first floor, eg Room 1, 2, 9, 17 and 16). There are comfy sofas in the library/lounge, logs on the fire after six in the evening, and a peacock at the front gate to welcome you.

The hotel runs a useful travel service which can make reservations with other unique establishments around the country, as well as help with the basics. And their restaurant is excellent, with plenty of variety, colour and flavour. They even serve an authentic English cream tea, complete with fresh cream, jam and scones, for the equivalent of about £1.50 - surely the world's best cream tea deal.