The Beach

Above sandy Summerleaze beach, Susie and Will Daniel’s young-at-heart hotel is a great hang-out for surfers, sybarites and sun-seekers (Bude is officially one of the sunniest places in Britain). You can order cocktails to drink on the terrace and drink in the coastal view, too. Within a 19th-century building, the bedrooms are in cool New England style, with limed oak furniture, Lloyd Loom chairs, pale paint finishes, a smart modern bathroom. Some of the rooms share the outlook over sand and sea, with glass doors to a Juliet balcony or a private terrace. Two self-catering suites are designed for a family; dogs are welcome, as well as six humans. The bar is often buzzing, and readers praise the friendly, helpful staff. For lunch and dinner, sharing plates, pasta dishes and pizzas are served in Elements restaurant. The former small port and village became a favoured resort for Victorians, when Summerleaze was a men-only beach. Today anyone is free to disport themselves in the waves or splash in the sea-bathing pool.