With the sea to the fore and Tennyson Down rising up behind, this newly refurbished dog-friendly hotel 'with one of the island's best settings' has spectacular views and scarcely less impressive cooking in the revamped restaurant. Built in 1830 and incorporating the 18th-century thatched Mermaid Inn, its façade might be slightly ‘austere and uninspiring’, but, inside, a £6 million makeover has been transformative, says our inspector. The new look blends coastal colours with what the designers call ‘Victorian chic’. All bedrooms are air conditioned; 36 have a balcony or 'very impressive shared terrace looking out over the water. ‘They are stylishly fitted out in light greeny blues reminiscent of the sea.’ A wood-panelled deluxe room had ‘a large seating area, a tea tray with biscuits, a swish bathroom in black, greys and whites’. And if the restaurant, ‘in deep blues, with some banquettes’, felt ‘slightly characterless’, on a weekday night the service was ‘swift and smiling’, the atmosphere buzzy. ‘You know why when you taste the food. The goats’ cheese salad with poached pear, fig and caramelised pecans was a medley of delicious flavours, while the seafood linguine couldn’t have been bettered.’ See also sister venture Sentry Mead in Totland.