The Old Quay House Hotel - Hotel in Cornwall

You drop down the hill, weave through mazy lanes, then pull up at this boutique hotel which started life as a seaman's mission. It's a lovely spot, the estuary lapping behind the house and a waterside terrace for dinner in summer. Inside, uncluttered bedrooms flood with light; expect good beds, goose down duvets and elegant fabrics. Most overlook the estuary, eight have balconies (some tiny), the view from the penthouse suite is hard to beat. Bathrooms are just as good: white bathrobes, free-standing baths, perhaps a walk-in shower. Downstairs, super food waits in the restaurant, so take to the terrace for a cocktail, then dig into some delicious local fare, perhaps river mussels with wild garlic and shallots, stone bass with fennel and artichoke, poached rhubarb with white chocolate mousse. Fowey is enchanting, bustles with life and fills with sailors for the August Regatta. You can take the ferry across to Bodinnick where Daphne du Maurier lived, then walk over to Lantic Bay for a picnic lunch on the beach. Breakfast on the terrace, with local boats zipping past, is a treat.