Brightham House Boutique B&B

Situated in the gorgeous Devon village of Malborough, just a couple of miles inland from the popular South Hams resort of Salcombe, this luxury boutique B&B occupies a quirky and very comfortable Victorian-style townhouse which enjoys beautiful views over the surrounding countryside. It's close enough to Salcombe to be convenient, yet far enough away to provide the sort of peace and quiet that is hard to find in the busy seaside resort. It's special enough to have won a number of awards, including an AA award for 'Most Unique B&B' in 2020, and they were also featured very positively in Channel 4's 'Four in a Bed' a few years ago.

Owners Scott and Alistair relocated here three years ago from Brighton, and they've conjured something of the boho feel of their former home town at Brightham House, which exudes a funky yet homely vibe. The guest rooms and public spaces are decorated with flair and creativity and the welcome is so warm it takes most people by surprise. As the sign says in bright neon, 'There's no place like Brightham House'.

They have eight very comfortable guest rooms, each playfully decorated according to a loose theme – the 'Preston Circus' room, evokes the carnival; 'Brighton Rocks is decorated in a 1960s retro style; or there's the wonderfully rustic 'Dartmoor' room.  The rooms come in various sizes ranging from 'Premier Double' to 'Premier King' to 'Cosy Twin', and, as Scott and Alistair know it's the details that count: all are decorated with style, and they all come with comfortable double or king-size beds with high quality Egyptian linens, tea- and coffee-making facilities, Nespresso machines and biscuits. Bathrooms come with generously sized fluffy towels and robes and slippers, spacious walk-in showers and Rituals toiletries. Three of the rooms are dog-friendly – no surprise perhaps given the presence of the Scott and Alistair's own dogs but a blessing in a location that is just made for 'walkies'. Breakfasts, too, are amazing, made to order by Scott, who in a previous life worked full-time as a chef.

It's not the sort of B&B you are in a hurry to leave: there's a lovely lounge that is perfect for a spot of, er, lounging; a fabulous little 24-hour bar with a wicked array of craft gins; and a large courtyard garden with a wood-fired hot tub for guests' use. There's even a 'Fitness Hut' full of dumbbells and surfboards and other items to get you out and active. Finally it would be a shame to miss out on the nearby attractions: the yachty haven of Salcombe, most obviously, but also all delightful nearby beaches like Thurlestone, North Sands and – the nearest – Hope Cove, which is just under 2 miles away and easily walkable. There are lots of country and seaside walks that start from in and around the village: you can walk to Salcombe in just over half an hour, from where you can pick up the South West Coast Path or take the ferry across to the other side of the estuary.