Cool Place of the Day: The 25, Torquay

Every day, a new place to discover or explore from coolplaces.co.uk

The 25, Torquay

Perhaps there can be no greater recommendation for a hotel or B&B, but Basil Fawlty would have hated The 25 – an adults-only, boutique-style luxury guesthouse that is surely one of the most stylish places to stay in Torquay, Devon. Hosts Andy and Julian used to run a country house hotel in north Wales, so unlike Basil they know a thing or two about running a hotel – and it shows in the high standard of design throughout, the cleanliness of the rooms and above all the warmth of the welcome and the nothing-is-too-much-trouble attitude they demonstrate to their guests. There are six rooms in all, each a different size and each quirkily and thoughtfully styled with a different colour palette to show off its best features: the large Torre suite is decorated with zebra stripes; the mood in the Broadsands room is purple; while the Oddicombe is decorated with a fabulous large mural of – what else? – an orange gerbera.

They don't allow dogs but they do like dog lovers, who will be charmed by their miniature Schnauzer, Patsy, who is occasionally on reception duty. As for the location, the B&B is situated in a busy area close to Torre Abbey, which is a short – and for Torquay a relatively flat – walk from the seafront and handy for shops, restaurants and public transport. Torquay itself retains much of its faux-Mediterranean charm, and Andy and Julian are big fans of the town and indeed Torbay in general. Their enthusiasm is catching, and there's nothing they don't know about the town and its environs. Be careful – you may find yourself staying longer than you planned!

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)