Soar Mill Cove Hotel

Family owned, family run, exuberantly family friendly, Keith Makepeace’s ‘welcoming’ hotel stands in rolling countryside above a valley running down to the shore. Continuity gives it ‘a pleasant, settled feel’: they still serve the ‘divine’ pavlova Mr Makepeace’s mother once made for Audrey Hepburn. Take a clotted cream tea on the terrace, then explore the many diversions outdoors and in: lawn and table tennis, a heated saltwater swimming pool, a spa, and ‘lovely walks to the beach, with its craggy rocks’ (borrow a pair of binoculars for dolphin-spotting). At dinner, tuck in to seaside-fresh fish and seafood alongside much locally sourced produce: chef Ian MacDonald’s market-style menus might include Cornish Yarg and Exmoor Blue cheese soufflé; Cornish hake, baby spinach, samphire, soft-poached egg. Pick one of the modern bedrooms to call your own: varying room layouts suit parents with children, or couples wanting privacy; all have French windows opening on to a private patio leading to the garden. In the morning, a cheering breakfast includes local sausages, Salcombe smokies, home-made conserves, freshly squeezed juices. (CE)