‘Utterly peaceful’, with ‘fabulous views’ of the hidden Heddon valley, Mark and Pat Cowell’s ‘unpretentious’ hotel ‘brings back the feel of country living’.

‘What a fab place,’ say Guide inspectors in 2016, who arrived on a jolly quiz night at Sue Burdge’s ‘wonderful’ village pub-with-rooms.

Arrive by sea tractor (‘an experience in itself’) to fully appreciate this ‘amazing’ Grade II listed hotel – an ‘Art Deco tour de force’, and a dreamlike tribute to the now-faded glamour of the 1930s.

‘Huw Rees and Sam Prosser, two perfectionists, have created a great place where every guest feels very welcome,’ say visitors this year, of this ‘beautiful’ small hotel close to the Exmoor coast.

‘What a difference the details make!’ Regular Guide contributors agree, finding service at Peter Wharton’s traditional hotel ‘consistently excellent’.

Turn down a wooded track and keep going (‘you’ll think you’ve gone too far, but it’s a little bit further’): at the end is a rustic B&B where sparkling wine, home-made truffles and Maureen Rowlatt’s ‘charming’ hospitality await.

‘Caring, friendly’ hosts Penny and Kit Noble run their homely guest house in a former sea captain’s home, in a ‘stunning location’ overlooking the Dart estuary.

‘What a wonderful hotel – more like a lovely home,’ writes a visitor this year to this Edwardian holiday cottage with ‘sea views to die for’.

Surrounded by ancient fruit orchards and mature woodlands, quiet pathways and open lawns, Jean-Pierre Mifsud’s 18th-century manor house in the Taw valley is ‘a very special place’, say Guide readers this year.

‘It gets better every time,’ reports a devotee this year, after a sixth visit to Richard Seton’s super-smart hotel and luxury spa on the River Dart – and no wonder.

A Regency fishing lodge built for Georgiana, Duchess of Bedford, stands in a ‘magical’ landscape of grottoes and follies created by Humphry Repton, on the banks of the Tamar.

First impressions don’t deceive at Richard Hendey’s ‘very special’ hotel, in the countryside near Dartmoor and the Devon coast.

The Grose family have delivered ‘first-class’ hospitality for over 120 years at their ‘very good’, family-friendly hotel, a five-minute walk from the sea.

A short walk from the waterfront, Clare and James Brown’s modern town house hotel is liked for its informal atmosphere.

‘Off the beaten track – and worth finding’, this ‘delightful’ Dartmoor hotel has been run by the Hassell family who have been Devon hoteliers for four generations.

Nautical but nice, this ‘beautifully designed’ hotel injects New England flair into a secluded cove on South Sands beach.

Stuart Litster and Kevin Hooper’s B&B, in a 16th-century manor house, stands in the centre of a coastal South Hams village, its flamboyant interiors a pleasant surprise.

Get ready to go off-road: ‘dogs and muddy boots’ are welcomed at this inviting quayside inn, which stands right on the South West Coastal Path as it snakes around the Torridge estuary.

A flamboyant streak runs through Andy and Julian Banner-Price’s refurbished Edwardian villa behind Torre Abbey.

Curiouser and curiouser, Pieter and Fran Hamman’s ‘cheerful’ 19th-century manor house on the southern edge of Dartmoor national park teems with collections and vintage pieces – ‘all rather fun’.

One of four ‘butterfly’ houses in Devon, Tony Pithers and Gordon Craig’s ultra-modern house is all curving stairways, unexpected angles and walls of glass, the whole hidden at the end of a private drive amid 12 acres of woodland.

Facing the beach and a wide expanse of sea, this 19th-century inn on Start Bay is ‘rightly popular’ for its ‘excellent’ upmarket pub grub and stylish accommodation.

You don’t have to be into field sports to love this ‘very nice’ sporting hotel, but it helps.

Sadly, Blagdon Manor Restaurant & Rooms closed on 30th Jan 2017 after 16 years of trading.