Cool Place of the Day: Linden House, Essex

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

Linden House

Hmm, a budget hotel a five-minute drive from Stansted Airport... doesn't sound very enticing, does it? Yet almost everything at Linden House is beautifully done, from the relaxed friendliness of the welcome to the funky yet high-end furnishings of the rooms and public areas.

The bar buzzes away nicely downstairs, the restaurant serves food that non-residents flock to eat and all in all it's hard not to feel right at home from the moment you arrive. Best of all, its nine rooms have been fitted out thoughtfully and with some originality, with a nice balance of modern style and distressed antiqueness: there are big comfy beds, high-end bed linen and toiletries, well-appointed modern bathrooms with ample showers, along with TVs, DVDs and IPod docking stations and free wifi.

It's not rocket science, and if we were to open a hotel, we'd like to think we'd do it a bit like this - with comfy rooms, a nice restaurant and bar and decent, non-rip-off prices. The only drawback might be the area, which apart from the airport is a bit off the tourist map. But there's loads to do nearby, and – who knows? – maybe Stansted should be known as more than just a way of leaving the country (its location near the airport is kind of handy, too!). Londoners, especially, take note.

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)