Whitehouse

Small boutique hotel with 6 stylish rooms and delicious food, just a couple of miles from the beautiful south Devon coast

Between Salcombe and Dartmouth you'll find some of the prettiest coastline in England. Head to the sleepy village of Chillington but don't expect any road signs to advertise this 6-bedroom Georgian house. Instead, turn down a narrow lane, then wander up past the sweeping lawn and copper beech tree, through rose gables to the front door.

Inside, it's refreshing not to find another hotel just going through the motions to tick all those boutique boxes. Nothing's done by halves. Upstairs you'll find spacious rooms with all you'd expect and more: from custom-blended toiletries to Nespresso coffee machines. Downstairs there are vintage finds, giant contemporary lamps, a cuckoo clock (they've left it running late) and a pop-art painting of Audrey Hepburn with an iPod. Oodles of theatrical style, and humour; slick yet homely. Unwind in sitting rooms with small open fires and leather sofas, then saunter through to the bar and restaurant where imaginative menus have won the hearts of guests and locals alike. Finding anywhere nice like this to stay in south Devon used to be a real problem. Thanks to Whitehouse, life just got easier.

Highs

• Handsome, well-proportioned Georgian house sensitively restored with flair and attention to detail
• The food: simple, hearty and delicious
• A bolthole for all weathers with two sitting rooms and DVDs for when it rains and a large lawn for croquet in the sun
• Well located for exploring the stunning coastal paths and beaches of south Devon; Dartmouth is 10 minutes' drive away, Salcombe 25 minutes
• The three owners, Tamara, Matt and Ally are friendly and full of enthusiasm
• Unlike many boutique hotels, children and dogs are welcome
• You can hire the whole house with a group of friends or family

Lows

• Rooms at the back face the main village road, though the traffic isn't that busy and windows are double glazed
• Watch out for the "tray charge" for food and drinks served in your room
• Drivers will find turning out of the lane tricky (should have a mirror to see traffic coming)
• No pool or spa but guests have free use of Dart Marina Spa and in-room massages can be arranged
• WiFi better in some bedrooms than others
• Locals having long lunch parties might take over downstairs - but we liked the buzz