Creative Commons licensePhoto by flickr user timbr00

Devon & Cornwall, England's West Country: scintillating coastlines, bucket-and-spade seaside villages, wild moorland, secret valleys and deep, high-sided lanes. On Cornwall's south coast there are sparkling seas, hidden coves and tropical gardens, while the north coast is known for its sweeping surfing beaches. Devon's countryside is as impressive as its two very different coasts, with Dartmoor and Exmoor rising from a landscape of patchwork fields, thatched whitewashed cottages and traditional longhouses. Our favourite hotels are either dramatically sited on the coast or lost deep in countryside. Many of them reflect the region's chic new image, spearheaded by Olga Polizzi's Hotel Tresanton; others are cosy old favourites. The order of the hotels in this list bears no reflection on our preference.

Written by Fiona Duncan