Hotel Of The Week: Myhotel, Brighton

What a relief! A modern hotel with contemporary styling that doesn't rely on a palette of browns, creams and variations on those tones. No colour is too vibrant for myhotel's latest opening, in Brighton – but that doesn't mean it's gaudy.

For designer Karim Rashid has used a bright white canvas on which to add his colourful flourishes – a swirl of orange in the carpet, a funky multicoloured pattern on the doors, a bright mandala on the walls and window blinds.

Rewind: mandala? Yes, and there are also lots of crystals and curved surfaces – myhotel prides itself on following feng shui principles. This hotel is straight out of the Seventies ...

And yet it's straight out of the Noughties, too. "We're retro yet futuristic," explains spokesman Imran Hussain. He's right, you know. Any guest over 40 will do a double-take at the symbol on the reception floor, surely inspired by the logo for BBC1's 'Nationwide', circa 1974. But step into the cocktail bar, merkaba, and you're in 2008, with its ribbed wood walls, chrome counters, leather sofas, and bank of TVs above the bar showing ambient visuals. It's a blend that will prove attractive to a cross-generation audience.

The bedroom

Choose from seven styles. My "more superior" double offered a masterclass in how to maximise space and make it stylish: an efficient capsule bathroom; a recessed cupboard with lots of storage space; a window seat to make the most of the room-height window; a flat-screen TV hung from the ceiling; and, the centrepiece, a covetable double bed, sculpted in leather with wings for side tables, a bedhead containing a vanity unit, and iPod connection for playing your own tunes through the speakers in the ceiling.

The food and drink

Aldo Zilli has partnered with the hotel to provide its two eateries. His café serves moreish Italian deli fare. But for a special meal book a table in his brasserie, which serves superior fish dishes in a classy atmosphere.

The extras

A library, the "energy zone" gym, and "jinja" treatment rooms have just opened. The hotel's location in the North Laine, next to Brighton Pavilion, puts you right in the city centre and close to the beach.

The access

Public areas can be accessed by guests with disabilities and four rooms have been specially modified. Children welcome.

The bill

A "destination: myhotel Brighton" one-night package costs £89.50 per person, based on two sharing a double room, including buffet breakfast, two-course dinner at Zilli Brasserie, and a cocktail in merkaba. Unusually for this city, there's no minimum stay.

The address

Myhotel Brighton, 17 Jubilee Street, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1GE (01273 900300; myhotels.com).