The Cary Arms

By a ‘fabulously secluded’ cove, Lana de Savary’s chic hotel clings to wooded cliffs overlooking the beach. The approach involves a ‘precipitous’ descent by road; guests who are more seafarer than landlubber could arrive by yacht at the private quay. Seaside style comes in buckets (and shrimping nets) here; ‘an appealing sense of domesticity’ reigns. Arrive to a ‘genuine welcome’, then relax in the ‘tastefully decorated’ lounge (nautical prints, pot plants, a ‘splendid’ model yacht). It is thoughtfully supplied with board games, a ‘well-stocked’ library, ‘binoculars to fully enjoy the view’. All but one of the ‘attractive’ bedrooms in the main house have a terrace or balcony, but you can get closer to the elements in one of the smart new duplex beach huts and suites set into the grassy slope overlooking the sea. Not quite unwound yet? Luxuriate in the new spa, with its glass-fronted plunge pool. Later, order a local ale in the beamed bar, then tuck in to chef Ben Kingdon’s ‘informal’, ‘beautifully cooked’ dinners – ‘seafood’s a speciality’. In the morning, a splendid breakfast buffet is ‘an uplifting start to the day’.