Cool Place of the Day: The Pier at Harwich, Essex

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Harwich isn't perhaps the obvious location for a boutique hotel and a fancyish restaurant, but that's one of the things we like about this place, which is part of the excellent, Essex-based Milsoms group of hotels.

They recently spent a large sum of money on revamping this wonderful old building, right on the harbour in Harwich, and have turned it into a hotel that is as chic and stylish a place to stay as you'll find anywhere on the east coast. Perhaps the best thing about the renovation is the way it references Harwich's seafaring past, with both its bar and restaurant and 14 upstairs bedrooms designed to make the most of the stunning sunsets and glorious harbour views.

There's a brasserie on the first floor that opens out on to the building's elegant period wrought-iron balcony and serves a lovely menu with a focus on fish and seafood, while downstairs the NAVYÄRD bar is a stripped back and cool space, offering a good choice of ales and a huge list of gins and a bar menu inspired by the town's Scandinavian roots.

We love it when any old building is brought up to date and given a bit of overdue love and care; when it's done this well, and with this much respect to its location, we like it even more. In short, The Pier is a great stop-off if you're catching an early Holland- or Belgium-bound ferry, but why stop there? At less than two hours from London, it's the perfect weekend escape.

Cool Places is a 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)