4 Best Hotels in The West Country, England

With the grandeur of a country estate and the amenities of a modern hotel, Bovey Castle, built in 1906 for Viscount Hambleden, has it all, including guest rooms and self-catering lodges. On its vast grounds are an outstanding golf course and 24 miles of riverbank that can be used for salmon fishing. There's a resident pianist, falconry displays, and a spa center, and children have a barn filled with activities. Enormous fireplaces and oak-panel rooms give a sense of early-20th-century pomp to the public rooms; bedrooms are luxurious, and even some of the bathrooms have great views across the valley.

It's the Cornish Riviera, Italian style—this former yachtsman's club, owned by hotelier Olga Polizzi, makes for a luxuriously relaxed stay. Decorated in stately, muted tones, with terra-cotta pots on the terrace, the Tresanton is a meeting of classic English and warm Mediterranean styles, and the terraced Beach Club and the yacht available to guests in summer reinforces the jet-set spirit. In the restaurant, the Italian-inspired menu includes local oysters, lobster, gnocchi, and beef fillet.

A showy Victorian edifice, all turrets and elaborate plasterwork, this hotel with 5 acres of gardens, a spa, and a pool was the original inspiration for Toad Hall in The Wind in the Willows. It's a great place for families—most rooms are spacious enough for several people, and there are excellent facilities for the kids. Modernizations have successfully melded vintage character with contemporary pizzazz. The relaxed dining room, which opens onto a terrace, is open to nonguests.

A cool, contemporary ambience pervades this seaside hotel overlooking Falmouth Bay and fronted by a lush, subtropical garden. The public areas are sleek and nautically themed, and the young staff is especially welcoming to families. Alongside the well-equipped guest rooms are four luxury spa garden lodges, and self-catering beach apartments are also available. The modern, panoramic Brasserie on the Bay offers an adventurous menu, while Nourish serves excellent freshly made tapas and salads all day as well as pizzas in the evening, with no need to book. The pool and gym will give you the opportunity for a good work-out, perhaps followed by a pampering spa treatment.