Step out of your yacht, if you have it, and on to the private jetty at Lana de Savary’s cliff-face hotel, on a ‘fabulously secluded’ cove; the rest of us will descend the winding road and admire the wide vista over the Teign estuary. ‘The exterior is unpretentious’, but come in to ‘a genuine, good-humoured welcome’ and ‘an appealing sense of domesticity’. Seasidey touches throughout include yachting memorabilia, binoculars for scanning the horizon, and buckets and spades for children, who are particularly welcome. (Dogs are liberally catered for, too, with a ‘high-quality dog’s dinner’, and a ‘well-produced guide of local walks’ for mutt and master.) The by-the-seaside atmosphere carries through to the ‘spacious, attractive’ bedrooms. Choose to stay in one of the new, chic beach huts that have popped up, with a private terrace, in a sheltered, sunny spot in the grounds. In good weather, dine on local chef Ben Kingdon’s Devon crab, West Country pork or Lyme Bay lobster on the ‘extensive, layered terrace’ (‘blue-check tablecloths emphasise the informal dining’). When cooler air blows in, find a spot by the log stove in the rustic bar. (RG)