The George In Rye

Expect neither a hidebound period re-creation nor a fashion-chasing lifestyle boutique from the George in Rye. This 400-plus-year-old coaching inn by the East Sussex seaside has been cleaned up and classed up just enough to suit the modern taste, while neither throwing the historical baby out with the newly renovated bathwater, nor needlessly altering the antique character of the place in pursuit of some idea of design-magazine sophistication.

Just a classic small inn is what it is, a modern classic: such timeless comforts as fine linens, plush heaping beds, and deep antique-style bathtubs — along with modern details like LCD televisions and Tivoli clock radios. Bedrooms retain period touches, like half-timbered ceilings, and the overall floor plan is charmingly ad hoc, with a maze of narrow stairs and walkways rather than the highly rational double-loaded corridor of the typical modern hotel.

Food is an essential part of the package as well. Here a top London chef, tempted south by a family connection, serves up the sort of fresh and seasonal fare that’s de rigueur these days: local seafood, regional meats and produce, and even wines from the South of England, a proud gesture with France a long stone’s throw away.