Just above the beach, Lana de Savary’s hotel was newly built when Edward VII came by rowing boat for a Devonshire cream tea. He would not know it today, with its spa, coastal-chic bedrooms, glamorous suites, beach huts with mezzanine bedroom, glass doors, sun deck with Adirondack loungers. All rooms are supplied with decanter of sloe gin, White Company toiletries, robes. All but one have a terrace or balcony. Our inspector’s room was ‘spacious and attractive’, with a ‘magnificent view of Torbay’. He rated the ‘genuine welcome’, the dog-friendliness, the ‘relaxed, intimate atmosphere’ of the lounge and ‘strong sense of fisherman’s pub’ in the bar. Expect ‘gastro food cooked simply’ from head chef.Steve Poyner. River Exe mussels, Brixham fish and chips, West Country beef fillet, veggie options. New, too, this year are watery activities: kayaking, paddle-boarding, mackerel fishing, sailing on a classic wooden yacht. Reports, please.