Cool Place of the Day: Artist Residence, Brighton

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

Artist Residence: As quirky as they come

When it comes to boutique hotels there are few that do it better than the Artist Residence, with 23 guest rooms each individually designed by, well, an artist! With so much variety, it’s safe to say you'll find pretty much any style you're looking for, from stark minimalist designs to loud pop-arty decor or wooden-clad Caribbean-style huts.

The inevitable outcome of such a mix of bedroom styles is an informal atmosphere throughout the rest of the hotel – a laid back vibe that is only accentuated by the vibrant Cocktail Shack, a super cool bar next door run by the same people. All the rooms are en-suite and most have excellent sea views across the West Pier, a result of the prime seafront position on Regency Square.

Along with flatscreen TVs, free WI-FI and tea/coffee facilities, rooms feature vintage and up-cycled furniture and cosy king-sized beds. Breakfast is served in a room with perhaps the best views of the lot and sees locally sourced ingredients sizzled up into delicious fare, most notably the mini Full English with Brighton Sausage Co. sausages.

As quirky as they come, and all the better for it, the Artist Residence Brighton is a cool and unique place to stay, with its central location adding the icing to the carefully crafted cake.

Martin Dunford is Publisher of Cool Places, 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)