The Royal Hotel

Ventnor occupies a shelf of land below St Boniface Down, sheltered from the north and warmed by the sea, which gives it a microclimate mild enough that palms and tree ferns grow outdoors. The Royal has stood here since the Victorian period, when the town was prescribed to consumptives as a health resort, and it remains the island's grandest address.

The hotel has 51 bedrooms and keeps a distinctly traditional feel — high ceilings, a proper drawing room, an ambitious dining room holding two AA rosettes. The gardens are the surprise: sub-tropical planting on several levels, with a heated outdoor pool tucked into a sun trap and views over Ventnor Bay.

Ventnor Botanic Garden is next door and worth an afternoon, the coastal path runs east towards the Undercliff and west to Steephill Cove, and the Needles, Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle are all within an easy island drive. It is a straightforward, unpretentious choice on an island short of genuine luxury hotels.