White Horse & Griffin

The former coaching inn on a cobbled street in the old town of Whitby offers a stylish, updated take on traditional lodgings. In a higgeldy-piggeldy warren above the restaurant, the handsome guest rooms retain their original panelling, antique fireplaces and maritime air, but you also get classy beds, big sofas and up-to-date bathrooms.

All of the inn's rooms named after famous Whitby ships and skippers, and we suspect we're not the only ones who can't resist staying in a room called 'Warrior Queen'. The cheapest rooms are the very cosy attic doubles ("petite" they say), but it's the pricier ones – no surprise – that push all right romantic buttons, from big beds to double-ended baths. There's no lift, plenty of stairs and a whole shed-load of atmosphere and character which continues downstairs in the excellent bistro where slap-up seafood meals await.