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.

Above Woolacombe Bay, this former Edwardian gentleman’s retreat is today a ‘comfortable, relaxed’ hotel owned by Amanda James.

‘In an utterly peaceful valley, Richard Johnston’s quirky B&B is a cross between a 1930s rural escape and an eccentric aristocrat’s home, with a bit of adventure at every turn, and lots to keep you entertained.’

In ‘what must be one of the most tranquil places in the country’, Huw Rees and Sam Prosser run their ‘splendid’ hotel, a handsomely converted Georgian rectory in large, well-maintained grounds.

Old-school service and attention to detail come to the fore at this ‘splendid place’ overlooking Lyme Bay.

‘The Grose family maintains its excellent tradition’ of providing first-class hospitality near the rugged Devon coastline, where consecutive generations have run the family-friendly hotel for more than 120 years.

At high tide, the waves come up to the wraparound terrace of this ‘beautifully designed’ beachside hotel, sheltered in a pretty cove.