The George - Castletown Isle of Man

The George sits on The Parade in Castletown, whitewashed, gable end to the square, its name painted large across the front. A pub and dining room first, rooms above.

What you notice walking up is the deck. A timber-screened terrace fills the ground in front of the building, tables set out under a pergola, and behind the roofline the land drops away towards the water.

The bar and the rooms it opens into

Downstairs is a run of connected spaces on oak boards. There is a bar with bottles and glassware ranged along lit shelving, a tall dining hall laid up for service, a smaller room with pink banquettes, and a quieter sitting room with a fireplace, bookshelves and armchairs pulled up to it. Breakfast is served down here.

Beds under tartan headboards

The bedrooms are calmer than the bar: muted greys and creams, checked or tartan headboards, an oak wardrobe, a desk and an armchair by the window. Several have bay windows onto the square. Doubles, twins and a superior room with a sofa and its own dining table are all in the mix, and the beds are extra long. Each room is en-suite, with a corner shower or a bath, an illuminated mirror and tea-making things. Getting up there means stairs.

Out on the deck

The terrace is the property’s own outdoor space and the best seat in the building. Chunky timber screening keeps the wind off, there is outdoor furniture across two decked levels, and the view runs over the rooftops to the harbour.

Stepping out onto The Parade

You are in the old part of Castletown, the island’s former capital, where the castle, the harbour and a grid of narrow streets are all a short walk from the door.

A good fit if

You would rather sleep above a proper bar than in a hotel corridor, want dinner and breakfast under the same roof, and like a town you can cross on foot.