Hotel Tresanton

Where? On the edge of picturesque fishing village St Mawes, in Cornwall, England.

Sounds like a typical British seaside retreat. Not at all. The Tresanton's stylish interior is a million miles from the mock oriental furnishings, faded chintz and damp candlewick bedspreads of traditional coastal inns.

What's its secret? Olga Polizzi - designer par excellence and daughter of famous hotelier Lord Forte - who revamped the formerly down-at-heel hostelry to create a shipshape boarding house with an ocean theme.

So the design is neo-nautical? Exactly. In keeping with the hotel's history - it was originally built in the 1940s as a yachtsmen's club - there's an abundance of tongue-and-groove panelling, blue and white striped upholstery, oatmeal fabrics and natural objets.

Such as? Fossils, shells, seascapes in weathered wooden frames and models of lighthouses and yachts. Even the key-rings have a fish design.

Sounds like seafood's a given. Absolutely. The first-class restaurant spills on to a wooden-decked terrace and specialises in fresh fish, crustaceans and organic Cornish meat.