A spirit of fun flits about Teresa and Kevin O’Sullivan’s cliff-top hotel, from the sub-tropical sculpture garden full of surprises (‘you feel like Alice walking into Wonderland’) to the ‘delightfully humorous artwork scattered throughout’. The atmosphere is welcoming; the staff are ‘smiley and friendly from start to finish’. Pick a spot to relax in – there are panelled lounging areas and ‘lots of space outside to sit and admire the view’. Not all the bedrooms face the sea, but each has its own charm – perhaps a four-poster bed, a terrace or an original fireplace – and ornaments (model boats, toy pandas) to raise a smile. On cool days, a log fire burns in the bright, seaward restaurant; all year round, chef Nick Hawke’s ‘wonderful’ modern menus have ‘lots of fish’. A typical dish: Looe turbot, brown shrimp, tarragon gnocchi, girolles. The brasserie serves simpler fare (burgers, fish and chips, Fowey River mussels in white wine and cream). ‘Generous portions’ of ‘everything you could possibly expect’ are served at breakfast. Bring Rover – a nightly charge includes a blanket, bowl and doggie treat. The South West Coastal Path skirts the bottom of the hill.