Saunton Sands Hotel

This family-friendly four star beachside hotel has one of the best coastal views in the UK. The gorgeous, wide and long stretch of Saunton beach and its dunes are visible from all the public spaces, as well as from the expansive outdoor terrace and pool area and many of the rooms. It's a comfortable place to stay if you're surfing or walking in the area, with excellent service.

The Art Deco building is simply fantastic and retains many of its original features, and the vibe is a relaxed and family-friendly one (as you would expect in a hotel that was recently voted one of Top 100 family hotels in the UK). There are vases of fragrant freshly cut flowers all over the place, and spacious guest rooms that come in all shapes and sizes – both cosy and deluxe doubles, family rooms and so-called 'Living Suites' and fully-fledged dog-friendly apartments. They also have a number of inter-connecting rooms that are also perfect for families with larger children.

All the rooms have large and comfy beds, flatscreen Freeview TVs with Sky Sports thrown in, plus tea and coffee, Temple Spa toiletries and wifi. The more contemporary Living Suites have a Bose sound system and a fridge, and offer an early check-in. Parents will also be pleased that they can book the children into the beautifully equipped creche for up to two hours each day and treat themselves to a relaxing massage or beauty treatment in one of several classy black and white treatment rooms.

There's also an indoor and an outdoor pool, a sauna and gym, tennis, squash and croquet – and a fine dining restaurant that's one of the best in the area, serving a regularly changing, locally sourced seasonal menu featuring things like Brixham crab, venison from Exmoor and an amazing selection of UK cheeses. There's also a simpler restaurant, the Terrace Lounge, which serves lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. But the hotel's greatest asset is perhaps the beach and dunes, where they also run the Beachside Grill, whose wooden deck is a great place to watch the surf while having lunch or just nursing a drink or snack. Overall it really is family – and seaside – heaven.