Salt House, Cornwall review: Chic cube a 'flawless' B&B

IT'S not often that a hotel (or, in this case, bed and breakfast) takes me by surprise. Delights me, yes. Disappoints me, sometimes. But it has been a while since I've arrived to check in somewhere and been excited to be there. Salt House in Cornwall has that effect.

It might have only two bedrooms but this sleek, contemporary property, on a hillside overlooking the bay of St Ives, packs a punch when it comes to location, service and sheer quality of stay. For a start, there's its appearance. Flawless. It's hard to think of another B&B that better personifies how far the category has advanced since the days of chintzy armchairs and nosy landladies. (Swan House in Hastings, England, is the only other one I've stayed at that comes close.)

Salt House is a white cube, not at all what you expect in a quiet residential cul-de-sac. All sleek lines, sharp corners and lots of glass, it has been renovated to within an inch of its life by its former graphic-designer owners, Alan and Sharon Spencer. The bedrooms, North and South, are upstairs (the Spencers live on the ground floor), both with huge balconies looking out to sea.

I was in South. Part of me wishes I was still there. With nearly as much living space as my own apartment, it was bright and airy, with pale oak floorboards and furniture by some of the leading names in design. Flashes of colour from a pair of red-felt armchairs (Ligne Roset's Pop design, since you ask) and cushions upholstered in reclaimed vintage flags add warmth to the minimal whiteness of it all.

But really, the room is all about "the view". Huge sliding doors open to a balcony with unobstructed vistas of water and sky. It's breathtaking. Admittedly, I was spoilt with the weather on the weekend I stayed – blue skies and sparkling water – but even on a grey day I would imagine it's pretty impressive. As a breakfast spot, the balcony is about as good as it gets, I reckon. Not bad for an early-evening glass of wine, either, handily supplied, at no extra charge, in the room's mini-fridge (along with freshly ground coffee, tea and what tasted like home-made biscuits). It's touches such as that, along with treats including goose-down pillows, a top-notch mattress and swanky bedlinen, which give Salt House a service edge that rivals several five-star hotels I've stayed in. Free Wi-Fi (you don't get that in many of London's priciest places), satellite TV, underfloor heating ... you just don't expect those things in a seaside B&B.

Salt House surpasses every expectation. Tempting though it may be to spend your whole stay luxuriating in your room, you would be missing out on some of the British coastline's loveliest spots if you didn't venture out.
Salt House sits on the coastal path – duck down the alleyway at the side of the house and you're there. Turn left, walk for 10 minutes through leafy, unspoilt countryside and you come out on Porthminster beach. Think Bondi but smaller and without the tacky seafront.

The Porthminster Cafe & Restaurant (porthminster cafe.co.uk) is a must-stop spot for lunch, dinner or both. I had a Saturday lunch and a Sunday dinner. I'm only sorry I didn't manage to squeeze in a breakfast.