Ski Vertigo, specialists in ski chalet holidays but analysing the Time Out short list for the purposes of local short-break planning and guidance, praise Hastings and St Leonards for its history, promenade and mixed food scene, advising – “Rooms near Hastings Old Town or the seafront favour walkable sightseeing, while St Leonards suits visitors who want the promenade, cafés and a quieter evening atmosphere close by.”

Brighton, the only other town on the Sussex coast to feature in the Time Out list, is described as “work[ing] better for people who want a denser city itinerary”. But would-be visitors are warned that a cheap-looking booking there can become “an expensive short break” when parking costs, remote station access and distance to the beach are taken into account.

The website of the 1066 Country Marketing Partnership, which Hastings Borough Council agreed to re-join last month in order to promote visitor numbers, naturally endorses Time Out’s choice. It advises its clientele “to soak up Hastings’ history, wander the preserved Old Town’s winding streets and tiny twittens, crammed with Tudor houses and flower-bedecked cottages, and inhale the hard-working fishing quarter with its towering net huts and ramshackle huts on the beach.” St Leonards is credited with an “alternative vibe…, its architecture provid[ing] a striking backdrop for art galleries, antique shops, chic boutiques and a thriving café culture.”