In an idyllic location, cascading down the cliffs at St Mawes with views to St Anthony's lighthouse, Olga Polizzi's seaside hotel continues to delight readers. Once home to a yacht club, it is spread across a cluster of houses and has a feel of the French Riviera about it.

'Hotel settings don't get much more spectacular than the Polurrian's, on the cliff edge overlooking its own beach,' writes a guide insider. The relaxed family and dog-friendly hotel makes the most of the coastal views.

Just four minutes by train from arty downtown St Ives, this adults-only 1930s hotel is a serene refuge from the bustle, with views over the clear waters of St Ives Bay.

Hidden in a back street of Padstow's old town, these sybaritic B&B suites, created by chef Paul Ainsworth and his wife, are an ideal retreat for foodies.

There is great food and serious fun to be had at this clifftop hotel on the South West Coast Path, its interiors filled with whimsical touches, its bedrooms all unique, its subtropical gardens a wonderland of witty sculptures.

Set on a private sandy beach, this dog friendly, Barbados-inspired hotel has a terrific mix of rooms, suites and beach cabins as well as a sea-facing restaurant and beach bar and grill.

With a youthful vibe and brimming with fun, this quirky hotel and local hangout, occupying a Georgian coach house above the harbour, has beach-shack chic bedrooms, a café, cocktail bar and curated art collection.

Meandering down to a private beach, glorious sub-tropical gardens enfold this secluded Victorian mansion.

Bedrooms with a coastal palette overlook the beach and harbour at this updated Edwardian hotel in a fishing village, while in the sea-view restaurant or alfresco you can dine from short, creative menus of seasonal Cornish produce.

A Baroque Victorian mansion in five-acre grounds above the Fowey estuary is home to this relaxed but stylish hotel, offering fun for all the family (not forgetting the dog), flexible dining, and comfortable, contemporary bedrooms.

With golf, tennis, kayaking and powerboating, indoor pool and outdoor hot tub, this spa hotel in 65 acres of garden and woodland on the Helford river is a holiday resort in its own right.

Celebrity chef Rick Stein's famous fish restaurant and seafood bar, with coastal-inspired bedrooms, is the flagship of a mini ‘Padstein’ empire that includes a cookery school, a gift shop, fishmonger's and deli.

With a waterside terrace above the Fal estuary, David and Karen Richards' Edwardian hotel on the Roseland Peninsual has 19 coastal-chic bedrooms, most with a sea view, while in the restaurant menus are big on fish and seafood delivered by the hotel's dedicated fisherman.

In 25 acres of verdant grounds, Paul and Lesley Stapleton's handsome stone manor house is a first-class B&B, with seven chic bedrooms featuring emperor beds and home-made treats, a relaxing lounge, and friendly staff who deliver a much-praised breakfast with a smile.

Above a sandy surfer's beach, this Victorian gabled hotel has a youthful vibe, with cool New England styling, contemporary comforts, a cocktail bar, sun terrace, modern bistro-style cooking, and now a sister hotel, The Edge of the Beach, next door.

There are spectacular sea views from this dog-friendly, late-Victorian clifftop hotel and glass-walled spa, with traditionally furnished bedrooms and suites, sophisticated cooking in the restaurant and more casual dining from an eclectic bistro menu.

Each of the beautiful, uncluttered bedrooms has a sea view at Susan Stuart's Georgian house B&B in a subtropical garden, overlooking the harbour and Mount's Bay, where guests are free to drop into the kitchen for coffee and cake, and breakfast is exceptional.

The Fowey estuary washes around the rear terrace projecting out into the water at this white stucco Victorian hotel, with boutique-chic bedrooms in restful shades, some with a small balcony, and a restaurant serving classic dishes with a modern twist.

There are great views of the Camel Estuary from this 1920s, family-friendly hotel that is virtually on the famous golf course and comes with stylish bedrooms and brasserie food.

There are splendid views across the causeway to St Michael's Mount from some of the simple, chic bedrooms, as well as from the beach bar, sun terrace, and the new Shutters restaurant at this boutique hotel, which serves bistro-style dishes, light bites and sharing plates in a relaxed, informal setting.

This hotel in a hillside village with golden-sandy bay, close to buzzing, arty St Ives, has smart contemporary interiors, coastal-chic bedrooms, a varied menu of locally sourced dishes, and guest use of spa, pool and salon at sister property the Carbis Bay Hotel.

Victorian features blend with modern comforts and contemporary style at this B&B with five gorgeous, uncluttered bedrooms, where new arrivals are greeted with home-baked cakes or biscuits and breakfast choices might include a full Mexican, full Spanish, maybe eggs Kejriwal, and artisan breads.

Owned and run by hospitality professionals with a passion for provenance and sustainability, this white-stuccoed 19th-century boutique guest house overlooking the harbour has light and airy New England-style interiors filled with upcycled furniture, paintings by St Ives artists, and sea views from most of the sleek bedrooms.

Occupying the entire second floor of a Victorian house just yards from the beach, this chic B&B offers privacy and plenty of space.

Chef-owner farmers Tom Adams and April Bloomfield draw inspiration from European agriturismo at their rustic-chic guest house and restaurant in an 18th-century farmhouse and grain barns.

Overlooking an iconic surfers' beach, this adults-only spa hotel has a wide choice of rooms from very affordable to luxurious with sea-view balcony.

An amalgam of a 17th-century sailors' pub with modern additions, this large hotel stands on the waterfront, with some of the best of the bright contemporary bedrooms enjoying a harbour view. Guests can drink and dine in the restaurant, bar, and in the sunshine on the seaward terrace.

A landmark Victorian building above Fistral Bay, this hotel is a mix of the grand and contemporary, with pools and spa treatments, a golf course, surf school, bedrooms in coastal colours, plus refined and informal dining on the waterfront terrace, restaurant and poolside.

Some of the best of the light, bright bedrooms have spectacular sea views to St Michael's Mount at this good-value, family-run former coaching inn, where pub classics are served in the Cutty Sark restaurant and bar.