The Hydro is old-school, but in a good way. The interior looks much like it must have looked a hundred years ago, but is immaculately clean and beautifully kept - perhaps patina is the word. Dinner was great and not overly expensive, and there's a huge choice at breakfast, including gluten-free options. Hot items are cooked to order. But perhaps The Hydro's greatest asset is its staff, who were uniformly welcoming and personable, and quick about their work. We ordered bar snacks before heading out to the theatre, and they arrived five minutes later. Overall, a lovely traditional seaside hotel, which goes straight onto our (fairly short) list of hotels we wouldn't mind visiting again.