Seen through walls of windows, the sea is a huge presence at this family-run hotel ‘in a fabulous location’ on the cliffs above a surfers’ beach.

Eco values as well as enjoyment are fundamental to this cliff-top hotel, with sea thrift-covered roof, sweeping curves, reed-filtered pool and walls of windows to soak up the light and the seascape.

'Nigh on perfect’, Mindi McLean’s ‘superb B&B' is in a restored 200-year-old barn at the heart of a historic village.

Surrounded by Rylestone Gardens, with its tearooms and bandstand, this cottage orné-style Victorian residence is presented in traditional style, with period furnishings and a breakfast cooked by the enthusiastic host.

Raise a nasturtium martini to chef/director Tommy Banks, renowned for his wildly creative cooking and use of foraged ingredients, at the family’s Michelin-starred restaurant-with-rooms, with country-style bedrooms, here on the North York Moors.

This delightfully eccentric boutique B&B, a stroll from Torquay’s seafront, has won numerous awards for its singular style and luxurious standards.

Hidden in a back street of Padstow’s old town, these sybaritic B&B suites, created by chef Paul Ainsworth and his wife, are an ideal retreat for foodies.

In a row of stucco-fronted Edwardian town houses, this small hotel, a stroll from Hyde Park and the South Kensington museums, has smart, well-equipped bedrooms, a lounge, bar and secluded terrace.