The inspector was impressed with his stay at this East Sussex beach hotel – a heartwarming place to visit whatever the weather

The Frenchman who had to renovate the Relais Cooden Beach hotel near Bexhill-on-Sea was apparently inspired by the wealthy Nantucket on America’s east coast. This is a great compliment to the good old English Channel.

And it works. Even arriving on a stormy, wet November night is uplifting. Bright and happy.

I love the palm tree wallpaper opposite the front door and then it’s all open plan, with various twists and turns to create cozy spaces, plus a central fireplace with wrap around seating and a trendy bar. Red and white stripes add to the nautical theme.

Above is The Rally restaurant, a reminder of the building’s motoring past

Fashionable: Pictured is the bar, where “red and white stripes complement the nautical theme”

Cooden Beach train station, a sister hotel to Relais Henley, is a two-minute walk away and offers direct trains to London.

There’s been a hotel here for almost a century, but it’s only recently that Grace Leo took over the De La Warr family home (famous for British motorsport) and began transforming it into a posh East Sussex seaside outpost ( or resort) to convert . ‘ as it claims) which should be very popular in the summer.

It is a 1930s building and once the work is complete there will be a spa and 45 rooms.

Mine, at the top of the house with views of the sea and Eastbourne in the distance, is categorized as a single bed but only has enough space for a double bed.

The Frenchman, who was commissioned to redesign the Relais Cooden Beach Hotel near Bexhill-on-Sea, was apparently inspired by wealthy Nantucket on the American East Coast.

When various works are completed, there will be a spa and 45 rooms, the inspector reveals

“When the weather is nice, it will be lovely to eat outside on the large terrace (photo),” says De Inspector

The sink in the shower room is so small that it is impossible to wash your face without splashing your feet. And attention to detail is required in the main hallway, where some of the doorknobs and radiators come from another and far less wholesome time.

The restaurant is called The Rally in honor of its automotive heritage. My seafood cocktail is a hit – much better than the main course of large salmon patties. But how nice it would be to eat outside on the large terrace when the weather is nice.

There is only one other person eating breakfast with me and I wonder if she finds the excessively loud music as intrusive as I do. Nothing against Ed Sheeran and Craig David, but there’s a time and a place.