Sentry Mead Hotel

A turreted and gabled Victorian villa built for the owner of the Newport–Freshwater railway is now a B&B ‘with the feel of a luxurious hotel’, our inspector reports. ‘The attention to detail in the nine beautifully designed bedrooms is exceptional’, with piles of books, homemade brownies, chocolates, a pillow menu, Elemis pillow spray. If you run out of fresh milk, there’s more on the landing, along with a posh coffee machine. Alum room has ‘a bed in the tower from which to gaze out to sea’; Osborne, ‘beautiful views across the garden and sea’, Compton ‘an enormous bathroom with impressive tub’. Pour an Isle of Wight Mermaid gin from the honesty bar, relax in the sitting room, with music courtesy of Alexa, or catch the sun in the ‘pleasant garden’. It’s a ten-minute walk to The Hut on Colwell Bay, ‘one of the best seafood restaurants we’ve been to for a long time’, but you can use the dining room if you want to stay in with a takeaway. A ‘slap-up breakfast’ includes ‘an impressive buffet, a full English and vegetarian’. Take the dog: there are superb walks from the door to Alum Bay and Tennyson Down, and ‘treats and towels’ on your return.