Meredith House

There are House rooms with an additional bath, and one with a spa and an open fireplace in its spacious living room. Guests in the House have mini-bars in their rooms, plus some complimentary port. Over in the Mews, corner spas are an optional extra, and all the studios include a small kitchenette with a refrigerator, microwave oven, toaster and a collection of crockery and cutlery. You have a dining area, a wide-screen television, parking space right in front of you and your own veranda adjoining the garden.

Come the morning and Meredith House serves all guests a cooked breakfast, something the hotel has won at least one award for. The beautifully furnished lounge with its red cedar furniture and antique decorations, the library and a laundry are available to guests, along with the well kept gardens. The house is in an elevated position, so it overlooks the town, and it does not take long to reach the clean, sandy beaches of Great Oyster Bay.

Swansea is of course best known as a seaside town, but there are other noteworthy attractions. A couple of minutes’ walk and you can find the East Coast Heritage Museum, and if historic architecture is your thing, there are a large number of Georgian buildings which date to the colonial era – a booklet is available for further information. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes, Kates Berry Farm for excellent fresh fruit, award-winning vineyards in the neighbourhood, and take a look at Swansea Bark Mill, a working display which includes a traction engine and has a tavern, a restaurant serving wood-fired pizzas and also a bakery.