The sweep of honey-stone buildings that form Bath’s Georgian crescent is home to two majestic mansions which combine as one hotel, beyond which lie a leafy garden and atmospheric spa.

When the Earl of Ilchester hired a certain Thomas Hardy to extend his Georgian dower house, he could not have foreseen the praise it would receive as an 'extremely well-run, very comfortable, welcoming hotel with first-class food' (Relais & Châteaux) and spa.

‘Set in rolling hills, 15 minutes from Bath, Homewood is a lovely hotel,’ our inspector writes of this country house extravaganza.

Once you have navigated the joys of this 'rambling building' in honey Cotswold stone, with its 'superb spa', cinema and choice of dining, there are the 26 different 'rooms' in the 'beautiful, well-tended gardens' to explore.

'The location is stunning, the views as the sun sets truly magical’ from this family-run, cliff-top hotel and spa, with acres of Scandi-style relaxation space, squashy sofas, and plenty of things to do, from relaxing in a spa pool to surfing at the beach.

A sea tractor ferries guests across the sands to this white concrete Art Deco edifice on a tidal island, built as a party venue in the 1930s, and what a swell party it is!

Nick and Charlotte Dent have had a field day converting a Georgian stone farmhouse and outbuildings in 11 acres into a dog-friendly, fun hotel brimming with character and 'so many appealing, endlessly inventive features'.

‘We would certainly go again,’ write trusted readers after a stay at the Hassell family’s country house hotel and spa in wooded grounds, with Dartmoor on the doorstep.

Serenity and space are the two words that crop up most in the wealth of praise we receive for this 'utterly relaxing' adults-only spa hotel with sublime views over beach and sea.

A private drive leads to this Victorian gentleman farmer’s Italianate country house, in wooded grounds and gardens, with ‘a lovely heated outdoor pool’.

Drive down 'tiny country lanes', putter across from Salcombe aboard a little motorboat ferry, or walk the South West Coast Path to reach this remote hotel and spa with 'a commanding cliffside position and sublime views'.

This 800-acre country estate, centred on a Palladian manor house, is a sophisticated yet fun adventure land offering chic rooms, breathtaking gardens, spa, cider orchard and plenty more.

Close to Sherborne Abbey, this handsome Georgian town house in ‘lovely’ walled gardens makes a ‘pleasant retreat’ in the heart of the historic market town.

Approached by lanes ‘resplendent with wildflowers’, this ‘thoroughly dependable’ hotel is set in 19 acres of sub-tropical gardens along the South Devon National Trust coastline.

From sunrise to sunset, bask in ‘spectacular views’ of the Atlantic ocean from the Armstrong family’s child- and dog-friendly hotel above Fistral Beach.

Tony Pithers and Gordon Craig’s ultra-modern B&B stands in hillside woodland across the estuary from Dartmouth.

‘Divine countryside views’ sweep away from Olivia and Hugo Guest’s Georgian house, on the hilltop of their 15-acre smallholding.

Walk through the ‘pretty’ garden to reach the Helford river from this spa hotel and golf resort.

A Georgian rectory-turned-boutique hotel, in manicured gardens with swimming pool, is a first hospitality venture for music industry executive Alex Payne, who called in the team behind The Beckford Arms, Tisbury (see entry), with designer Natasha Hidvegi, a former plastic surgeon, to give the place a facelift.

‘In a glorious setting’ on the cliff-top with 'spectacular views', this Edwardian cathedral of a hotel that opened its doors in 1898 after being built by the Great Western Railway also has a 'really nice, welcoming atmosphere'.

Surrounded by orchards and woodland deep in the Taw valley, this wisteria-hung 18th-century manor house is a ‘very comfortable’ hideaway.