At Caledonia

At Caledonia takes up one of the tall Victorian terraces on Queens Promenade, on the stretch of Douglas seafront where the bay begins to curve north. The red sign above the porch works as a landmark on the walk along the front.

The front is all Victorian confidence. Stone pillars stand either side of the double doors, arched windows run along the ground floor, and painted render rises through several storeys above. A short flight of steps lifts the entrance off the promenade pavement, with clipped bays in pots at the top.

Behind the pillared porch

The hall keeps its original black and white tiled floor, and a chandelier hangs over a staircase carpeted in deep red. A lift runs to the upper floors, which counts for a lot in a building this tall. Breakfast is laid out in a dining room with large windows facing the water, cereals on the sideboard and cooked plates brought to the table.

The rooms above the bay

Bedrooms have been done recently and plainly: navy panelled headboards, grey carpet, a flat-screen on the wall, a kettle, a desk and good window light. Some look straight out over the sand, others across the rooftops. The family rooms take a double and singles without feeling crowded, every room has its own bathroom, and one holds a roll-top bath beside a walk-in shower.

Out along the promenade

Douglas Beach starts across the road, so the sand is on the doorstep and the tide is the view from breakfast. The promenade carries on from the door into the centre of Douglas, with the shops, the restaurants and the sea terminal, which makes walking the obvious way to get about.

Who tends to stay

This suits guests who want the seafront rather than a ring road, and who like a building with some age in it. The larger rooms look after families, and the lift matters if stairs are hard work.