Base yourself near Plymouth on your next summer break and combine the city’s urban bustle and maritime heritage with wild swimming, moorland walks and heritage so real you can reach out and touch it. Whatever your idea of the perfect summer break, the Good Hotel Guide knows some great hotels near Plymouth for you.

   

Art Deco island escape: Burgh Island Hotel

This gleaming Art Deco hotel – much loved by Good Hotel Guide readers – is undergoing a multi-million-pound refurb for its 90^th birthday this year.

Getting there is still an adventure, in the sea tractor that ferries guests across the tidal sands. Morning tea and coffee are brought to period-style bedrooms named after notable former guests, and supplied with chocolates, fluffy bathrobes, bespoke toiletries. Some have a balcony, most a lovely sea view. To really escape the crowds, hire Agatha Christie’s beach writing retreat.

A dip in the natural seawater Mermaid Pool is a perfect start to a summer’s day. The rest of your day is likely to be far less healthy… Immerse yourself in the spirit of the hotel’s golden era and drink cocktails or take afternoon tea in the Palm Court bar, just as past guests Agatha Christie and Noel Coward did, and don best bib and tucker for a three-course dinner in The Ballroom, where it’s impossible to be overdressed. For less-formal dining, try the hotel’s new Nettlefold fish restaurant or new newly refurbed Pilchard Inn, which has been slaking thirsts on the island since 1336.

    

Adults only on the edge of Dartmoor: Glazebrook House 

Those in search of a kid-free break during the school summer holidays would do well to check in to Glazebrook House, where no children may stay as overnight guests. Kids wouldn’t fully appreciate the hotel’s wonderfully zany styling anyway. Alice in Wonderland-inspired curiosities and vintage pieces burst through Fran and Pieter Hamman’s 19th-century manor house on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. Drums, hats and old street signs adorn the walls; chandeliers and a stuffed flamingo decorate the hall.

Large, bright bedrooms continue the theme: romantic White Rabbit has King and Queen of Hearts artwork and a kingsized bed made of sheep’s skin; Tweedle Deez has twin four-poster beds.

Downstairs, the glamorous bar has local beers, custom cocktails, while the airy dining room serves imaginative dishes such as pan-fried market fish, shellfish orzo, crispy soft shell crab. There are plenty of walks from the hotel’s doorstep, too.

  

For your four-legged friends: Talland Bay Hotel 

On a cliff-top close to coast and countryside that’s ideal for walkies, the Talland Bay Hotel overlooks sub-tropical gardens filled with whimsical sculpture and statuary. All bedrooms are individually styled – some with sea and garden views, perhaps an emperor-size sleigh bed or four-poster, and egg-shaped bath – and all of the (regularly deep-cleaned) bedrooms (apart from rooms 1 and 20) welcome four-legged guests.

In the fine dining restaurant and pet-friendly brasserie, Chef Nick Hawke uses local seafood to create dishes such as macadamia-crusted hake. You can eat more simply from the lounge menu, perhaps Cornish cheeses or Fowey river mussels. On sunny days, take tea on the terrace with your faithful friend by your side. Doggies are well catered for too, with sausages for breakfast and chicken for supper, as well as a pamper package of treats, bowl and bed on arrival.

  

River swims and moor walks: Pentillie Castle

Historic grounds tumble away from this magnificent, lovingly restored castellated mansion on the banks of the Tamar river. The grand country B&B is steeped in history. The Coryton family home for nearly 300 years, it has stately sitting rooms filled with antiques, old mirrors and original artwork. Glorious views pour into the spacious bedrooms, each named after a family character.

The morning meal hinges on estate-produced jams, honey, apple juice and eggs. Come evening, there’s a three-course dinner every Thursday; on other days of the week, a DIY Aga-warmed supper – a selection includes Looe Bay fish pie or slow-cooked beef shin lasagne (order in advance).

In winter, the open fires are ideal spots for afternoon tea or pre-dinner libation but in summer it’s all about Pentillie’s sun-soaked terrace and grounds. As you explore the castle’s 55 acres, stop at the Bathing Hut for a dip in the river. In July, stretch your legs in the Tamar Valley and over Dartmoor on one of Ted Coryton’s walking breaks for small groups – TED Walks!