London - Ask a local to direct you to the coolest bar in Bude, England, and most of them will wave you towards The Beach Bar.
For here, killer cocktails - or, by day, simply coffee and cake - are as much a part of the lifestyle as the sandy beach in view from its terrace.
Lucky then, that this cool and contemporary vibe has rubbed off on the New England style rooms on offer here, where the limed oak furniture, Lloyd Loom chairs and king-size beds all add to the stylish seaside environment - this may be an old Victorian building but the vibe is contemporary, young and unpretentious.
It's not the hotel to choose for a quiet romantic weekend or family holiday: although the rooms are well soundproofed, in the evenings the bar can take over the entire public area, and guests may feel like gatecrashers at a party they don't want to go to. On the other hand, if you are in the mood to socialise, you can simply join in - no matter what age you are. The Beach does the cool party hotel thing just perfectly.
The rooms encompass Classic and Classic Plus - which are very nice, with walk-in showers and sometimes baths as well, but rear-facing so no sea views - to Superior and Deluxe, which tend to be larger and have terraces and sea views.
They all have Vi-Spring beds and duck down duvets and pillows. As well as the cool Beach Bar, which also does bar food, there is a restaurant if you want something more substantial - local ale-battered hake, steak, burgers and a divine brioche of wild mushroom and smoked brie.
The daily, reasonably-priced brunch menu is also great, including a wonderful eggs benedict and a mighty, hangover-blasting “Full Cornish”.
The Independent
* Cool Places is a new website from the creators of Rough Guides and Cool Camping, suggesting the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop in Britain (coolplaces.co.uk)