Quirkiness abounds at this contemporary hotel in a remodelled Victorian mansion, decorated with witty eclecticism, featuring modish, well-equipped bedrooms and an all-day menu of modern British dishes served in the restaurant or on the terrace amid dining pavilions and fire pits.

The yellow submarine in the grounds and a hedge sculpture of a giraffe set the scene at this playful, quirky hotel, in a traditional honey-stone building that is both family and dog friendly.

Guests have a wide choice of individually style rooms and suites at this dog-friendly, creeper-covered hotel on the edge of the New Forest, and can opt for fine dining in the restaurant, or cheaper fare in Monty's Bar pub.

History feels very present at this half-timbered medieval inn overlooking village green, with a choice of atmospheric four-poster rooms and contemporary accommodation, real ales on tap, and an eclectic menu served in a panelled dining room.

There is a buzzy ambience to this refurbished, child friendly, dog friendly 17th-century village pub, named after local tumuli, with restaurant, smart bedrooms and alfresco dining.

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.

There's certainly nothing monastic about this much-loved 'olde-world hotel with charm in abundance', in a 'wonderful building with a cleverly added glass dining room' looking out over gardens bordered by the River Frome.

On show through walls of windows, the sea is a huge presence at this family-run hotel on the cliffs above a surfers' beach, which offers craft sessions as well as a spa and kids club.

Overlooking subtropical gardens and sandy Carne Beach, the Ashworth family's hotel delights readers with its country-house style, superlative service and retro classics in the dining room.

Behind a neo-classical façade, this Georgian coaching inn is a happy mix of local drop-in, hotel and restaurant, with 'comfortable rooms, good food and welcoming staff', says a returning reader.

Inventive cooking of beautifully presented dishes impress at this gastropub overlooking the Evenlode valley, with four rooms that are smart but not ostentatiously 'designer'.

A walker's paradise on the Welsh border, the Hunter family's very dog-friendly hotel, in a Georgian former rectory with a 'beautiful garden and views', is much beloved by readers.

Whether you turn up with muddy boots or in your Sunday best, with wet dogs or children, you will be greeted with a warm welcome at this jolly country inn between Windermere and Beatrix Potter's Hill Top home.

Just over a mile from York, this imposing William and Mary country house in 20 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland offers 'first-class food and service'.

Perennial popular, professionally run but relaxed, this former coaching inn with views to the Shropshire hills is an ideal base for walkers and a perfect stopover within sight of the Welsh border.

A jar of cookies in the bedroom is just one of the quirks at this fun, intimate boutique hotel, with bedrooms that mix vintage and modern, contemporary British cooking, great service – and Alnwick Castle a stroll away.

Above Windermere, this Edwardian country house lies in gardens that melt into the glorious landscape. The hotel is part of the Storrs Collection (see Storrs Hall).

Boutique chic has replaced backpackers' basics at this former youth hostel, which is now a popular city hotel, with a handy car park and particularly good rates for single travellers.

The rustic-chic bedrooms in farmhouse, cider house and barn at this rural Wye valley retreat in the Forest of Dean are all excellent, but the cooking is a still-greater attraction.

The superb setting of the Nye family's hotel overlooking salt marshes to the sea and Scolt Head Island is matched by 'exceptional food and service', say readers who go back year after year.

This is a proper village inn with locals enjoying pints in the bar, scrubbed tables, robust food and comfortable, homely bedrooms.

Pass the little gate lodge to drive up to this bay-fronted country house in wooded grounds edged by a beach on Lough Swilly.

With an enviable position on Windermere, this Georgian hall has a relaxed country house feel, with formal and casual dining options, and bedrooms ranging from family friendly to seriously swanky.

The South African Leeu Collection's Edwardian country house in wooded, landscaped grounds above Windermere is a haven of civilised living, with casual and fine dining options, woodland hot-tub suites, and views to take the breath away.

'People come here for the food, and for good reason,' says a Guide insider of this buzzy pub with rooms, which is 'very much ye olde village inn, with rustic furniture and roaring fires under the beams'.

A beautifully proportioned Queen Anne-style mansion overlooking a duck pond, this much-loved traditional hotel has a new owner, but, after 48 years, Baba Hine remains, overseeing restaurant, bistro and well-equipped, spacious bedrooms.