The city centre is an easy walk from Helen and Laurence Beere’s ‘near-faultless’ hotel, in an ‘unsurpassed situation’ within reach of museums, shops and heritage spots.

‘Friendly, smiley staff’ contribute to the ‘extremely enjoyable’ atmosphere of this traditional hotel overlooking the sea.

‘It’s up there with the top hotels we’ve stayed at,’ writes a reader this year of Sue and James Murray’s romantic rebuild of a Jacobean manor house, surrounded by parkland.

From dolphin-spotting to table tennis, there is plenty to enjoy at Keith Makepeace’s family-friendly hotel, which stands in expansive countryside, with views towards the sea.

‘Set in large gardens, this lovely old house feels like a big family home, with many pictures, books and magazines.’

Stay on an original Georgian model farm in extensive grounds and gardens strewn with milk churns, a vintage tractor and a hay cart.

‘The amiable staff at this charming country hotel make you feel like a guest in a good friend’s house.’

‘A place where the guest comes first’, the Grose family’s ‘lovely traditional hotel’ is run by ‘attentive staff who want to make your visit as enjoyable as possible’.

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.

Approached by a drive through parkland, Frances Meeres Young’s upmarket B&B, in an 18th-century coach house, is surrounded by gardens ‘planned and tended with love and skill’.

Dan Brod and Charlie Luxton’s ‘attractive old stone-built pub’ on the edge of the Fonthill Estate has an ‘airy, modern vibe’ amid traditional elements.

In an ‘ideal position’ between coast and moorland, guests enthuse about the ‘attentive, professional service’, ‘warm and gracious hospitality’ and home-baked in-room treats at Nigel and Sharon Reed’s guest house.

Close to the fine church in an ‘attractive’ medieval wool village, this ‘friendly, well-patronised’ 15th-century coaching inn has ‘the warm, buzzy feel of a country pub’, say Guide readers in 2017.

The lush grounds surrounding this luxury hotel and spa incorporate secluded arbours, outdoor sculptures, woodland trails and wild flower meadows, ideal for a wander or a picnic on a summer’s day.

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

At the top of a steep lane leading from the 14th-century fishing village, Andrea and Simon Copper’s sleekly designed B&B above Mevagissey Bay takes in panoramic views that make the climb worthwhile.

Come down a quiet country lane to this thatch-roofed 14th-century inn ‘in the middle of nowhere’: there are flagstone floors, ancient beams, nooks and crannies, an inglenook fireplace.