Ocean View Hotel

Ocean View Hotel stands at 1-5 Park Road in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, opposite the cliff lift. Some bedrooms have balconies with sea views, so you can choose a room for a morning looking out to sea. Specify that outlook when you reserve. Every room has an en-suite bathroom, tea- and coffee-making facilities and a television. Downstairs there are indoor lounges where you can sit with a drink after a day out.

Choose the piano lounge or the bar lounge, depending on the evening you have in mind. There's also a restaurant, and a coffee shop serving hot drinks and cakes. The hotel hosts advertised entertainment too, including shows run by visiting organisers, and local audiences can attend those public performances without turning the evening into an overnight stay.

The garden has sea views if you'd rather sit outside. Across the road, the cliff lift links Park Road with the seafront, where Shanklin (Clock Tower) Beach gives you time by the water. A morning at the beach followed by a return to the lounge is one way to spend a day here. Shanklin station is half a mile from the hotel, which helps if you'd rather arrive by rail than bring a car.