The fun begins in the sculpture-studded subtropical garden at this dog-friendly clifftop hotel, and runs through everything, from the ambience to the decor.

This gastropub-with-rooms is set in a beguilingly pretty 17th-century Bath stone inn with mullioned windows and cascading wisteria, and lovely gardens outside.

'Bags of character and a warm vibe' are on offer at this pub with rooms on an organic farm in a pretty l village on the Marlborough Downs.

In 'the most 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.

This modest Georgian house, built for the Earl and Countess of Poulett, has been much extended since Jane Austen visited and fell in love with Lyme.

A Saxon royal hunting lodge in the Gloucestershire countryside, rebuilt over centuries, is run today as a private hotel by 'lovely hosts' Christopher Trim and Kathryn Warner.

High on the cliff top above Chesil Beach, this is an effortlessly hip, relaxed, fun hotel with a Cape Cod vibe, light and airy bedrooms, a bar serving cocktails and brilliant snacks, with seriously good cooking in the restaurant.

Country-house luxury abounds at this child-friendly, dog-friendly hotel, a Georgian mansion, its ‘well-maintained gardens a huge joy to visit’.

This beautifully proportioned Queen Anne-style mansion, in a hamlet between the Cotswolds and the Mendip hills, is as traditional as its owner, Baba Hine, who has been at the helm for more than 46 years.

Eco values as well as enjoyment are fundamental to this cliff-top hotel, with sea thrift-covered roof, sweeping curves, reed-filtered pool and walls of windows to soak up the light and the seascape.

Across from the Guildhall, this former sports bar, now a gastropub with rooms, has been given an extensive makeover in Art Deco style, inspired by its glamorous 1920s incarnation as a cocktail bar.

In sub-tropical gardens with views over Lyme Bay, this family-run hotel offers a wide choice of accommodation, and imaginative, locally sourced food.

Ideally situated beside Corsham Court at the heart of the village, this former coaching inn has smartly refurbished bedrooms, a friendly, casual ambience and a menu of pub classics and fancier dishes, using produce from the kitchen garden.

In a village close to Bath, one of England's oldest inns offers characterful rooms and above-average pub fare.

Without and within, this dog-friendly, family-friendly, extended 19th-century pub is a mix of traditional and modern, with a relaxed vibe, varied menus and smart, unstuffy bedrooms.

Down a single-track road on the edge of Dartmoor national park, this dog-friendly, ancient, thatched and whitewashed pub, with four individually designed bedrooms, is a local hub serving exceptional gastropub fare.

A hip, youthful vibe permeates this quirky hotel and local hangout above the harbour, with beach-shack chic bedrooms, café, cocktail bar and curated art collection.

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.

In wooded grounds with Dartmoor National Park on the doorstep, the Hassell family's country-house hotel and beautiful spa impresses with a warm welcome, great service, fine-dining restaurant and bistro.

A charmed 'village within a village', this collection of honeyed buildings houses chic rooms surrounded by pretty gardens, with outdoor pool, spa, cookery school, bar, and short, modern menus of country produce in the Ox Barn.

Overlooking the beach and harbour in a fishing village, this updated Edwardian hotel offers bedrooms decorated in a soothing, muted coastal palette, while in the restaurant you can dine from short, highly creative menus of seasonal Cornish produce.

Close to Westonbirt arboretum, this Cotswold stone Fuller's hotel in gardens and woodland, has an easy charm, a relaxing bar and drawing room, interesting bedroom choices and varied options in the restaurant.

Little has changed at this restaurant-with-rooms in its three decades, but spotless bedrooms with thoughtful touches, and a slightly retro gourmet dining experience have their own appeal.

Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines has created a country house hotel for the 21st century, a foodie destination and place of soft-spoken luxury, in a Georgian mansion overlooking the Exe estuary.

The Gloriana of Robin Hutson's Pig hotel collection (see other entries), this Grade I-listed Elizabethan beauty stands in 'wonderful grounds in a special location' in the peaceful Otter valley.

With a waterside terrace, coolly stylish interiors, well-equipped bedrooms and a chef who honed his craft in Raymond Blanc's kitchen, this Edwardian hotel in a fishing village on the Fal estuary is the place to idle away blissful days.