My boyfriend and I arrived on a Saturday and despite some early showers, the promise was for a beautiful spring afternoon and the place was heaving.

By lunchtime we'd had enough bumping into strangers as we squeezed ourselves down the cobble stone alleyways of the Lanes shopping area and headed to our hotel - Brighton's Hotel du Vin - to dump our bags and freshen up.

Tucked away in Ship Street, just off the beachfront across from the main pier, Hotel du Vin is right in the throng of the city's main attractions and a great place to base yourself.

The hotel is in a Gothic revival and mock Tudor building erected by a wine merchant on the site of an old Brighton inn.

The rooms, all named after wine producers, were designed around the original structure, which has made for some rather interesting room shapes and also is the reason for the incongruous suite sizes. It also explains some of the hotel's other interesting features such as the carved staircase and bizarre gargoyles.

As we entered, the reception desk seemed as frenetic as the street outside. A group of people were milling around trying to check in. There seemed to be some mix up and it was a short while before someone acknowledged us.

However, once the problem group was sorted, staff couldn't have been more welcoming or efficient.

The restaurant

Hotel du Vin's bar, spanning two levels, is a vibrant and popular place to meet for a drink and is frequented by hotel patrons and visitors alike. The night we were there the bar was what I call comfortably crowded, a vibrant buzz but not enough to make you have to yell over your drink.

For those who do prefer something more private, the hotel has smaller offshoot rooms where people can talk and relax in a less frenetic environment. Another option is to plonk yourself down in one of the balcony lounges where you can view the spectacle of the impressive bar and restaurant below.

Wine is the central theme of this hotel, which is part of a chain stretching across the UK, and as such it has an extensive wine list ranging in price from £14.50 to £300 a bottle. It is without doubt a wine connoisseur's delight, but even for the novice appreciator like myself, there was something familiar so I didn't feel intimidated.

This wine list is complemented by a broad selection of whiskies, cognacs, armagnacs, rums, bourbons and fine spirits. The bar itself, features a Cruvinet wine machine. Manufactured in the US, the machine is one of the largest in the UK and dispenses six white and six red wines directly from Hotel du Vin's cellar.

Times recommends

• Travel advice: what to do if your flight is disrupted
• Top 10 unmissable events in 2010
• Seven spa breaks for January