10 dreamy hotels in Devon that still have availability this month and next

Lush and lovely Devon is a county of beauty in abundance. Its riviera has a timeless allure, and its south-coast sandy coves are heaven for sea swimming, sailing and family-and-friends beach breaks. Inland, there’s a gentle bucolic charm to its rolling hillsides and forested valleys, rivers winding down to the sea, and the wild beauty of Dartmoor National Park. Fishermen and farmers are bringing their produce to the kitchen doors of revitalised country-house hotels and spruced-up inns-with-rooms, who are embracing all that is local and seasonal, and welcoming everyone from foodies to families. Here's our pick of the best spots you can still book for May and June – if you're quick!

The Cary Arms, Babbacombe Beach

This 17th-century seaside inn brims with history, from tales of smugglers to King Edward who came for tea and scones which he took sitting on the grass outside, overlooking Babbacombe Bay’s turquoise waters. Now owned by entrepreneur Peter de Savary, The Cary Arms has blossomed from humble pub into five-star beach resort, despite having the appearance of a low-key village. There’s a spa, a sophisticated restaurant where lobster and Champagne feature heavily (the pub sent Churchill lobsters during the war), and various cottages and beach huts have been added. It’s super dog-friendly, too – hard to imagine a more idyllic first family beach holiday with the new puppy.

Rooms from £295; caryarms.co.uk

River Cottage Farmhouse, Axe Valley

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage is a bucolic bolthole overlooking the Axe valley on the Devon/Dorset border. It’s beautiful, outside – abundant kitchen gardens, 100 acres of organic farmland, and beyond that the Jurassic coast – as well as in, with three stylish Scandi chic bedrooms, with painted floorboards, sheepskins, handcrafted furniture, and big bathrooms. But of course it’s the food you come for. River Cottage is a celebration of sustainability and seasonality, with everything sourced locally or on the estate – think four-course feasts served in the delightfully restored barn. Foodie breaks to feed the soul.

Rooms from £130 (two-bedroom Gardener’s Cottage from £290); rivercottage.net

Lympstone Manor, Exe Valley

Pale and delicious as Devonshire clotted cream, Lympstone Manor is a Georgian country house hotel overlooking the Exe and serving Michelin-starred food created by owner Michael Caines. The dishes change with the seasons, and the eight-course signature tasting menu is a showcase for Caines’ creative cooking. He’s been clever in the design, too, bringing the colours of the valley into the interiors, which are five-star glamorous.

Rooms from £444; lympstonemanor.co.uk

South Sands, Salcombe

Nautical but nice South Sands is as bright and breezy as the young yachties who pile down to Salcombe at the first hint of sunshine. It’s located, self-evidently, on South Sands beach to the south of the main town, and it’s just perfect for an easy British beach break that – this being Salcombe – is a notch or two above your average bucket-and-spade holiday. Rooms, all named after sailing boats, vary; from J-Class’s double rolltop baths and telescope to the self-catered Beach Suites.

Rooms from £250; southsands.com

The Bull Inn, Totnes

If all pubs were like the Bull Inn, we’d all be in terrific trouble. To start with, it’s painted the colour of a Devonshire sunset, but that’s beside the point. In right-on Totnes, The Bull is fully organic, dedicated to good honest food, simply prepared. Seasonal, local, veg-first, fairtrade, nose-to-tail, biodynamic, ethically sourced – all the buzzwords of sustainability that are fast becoming prerequisites for a good food break – but also hearty and delicious. Like the food, eight bedrooms are simple and good quality in shades of deliciousness. And very affordable too. Another round please, barkeep.

Rooms from £135; bullinntotnes.co.uk

Gara Rock, East Portlemouth

Dramatically placed above an empty stretch of golden sand, Gara Rock is a clifftop sanctuary that’s all windswept romance. Design-wise it’s rustic-coastal chic, with wide-open architecture that brings the outside in. Expect sweeping views of the blue Atlantic and craggy coastline stretching out either side from the restaurant, the spa pool, and the gorgeous low-key-luxe suites. This is the kind of luxury that’s laid-back, child and dog-friendly – but best of all is the location, above Gara Rock beach, only accessible on foot or by boat (unless you’re staying here). Just the ticket to blow lockdown cobwebs away.

Rooms from £589; gararock.com

Gidleigh Park, Teign Valley

If you like your country house hotels steeped in English tradition, the hushed ambience and polished service of Gidleigh Park will soothe your soul. The Gidleigh estate dates back to medieval times, though the house was rebuilt in the 1920s by an architect from Tunbridge Wells in an on-trend mock Tudor style. It’s all about quiet classic luxury, with wooden panelling, antique furniture, fine dining and landscaped gardens. Add to that tennis courts, a bowling green, 19-hole putting course and wilder woodland on the edge of Dartmoor National Park – so you can go walking from the door.

Rooms from £422; two-bedroom Pavilion from £896; two-bedroom family loft suite from £666; gidleigh.co.uk

Burgh Island Hotel, South Hams

Over the decades this Art Deco landmark, set on its own private island off the coast of South Devon which gets cut off from the modern-day world by the tide, has hosted writers, royalty and rock stars ever since its early days of Gatsby-fabulous parties. That 1920s glamour is still very much the motif today, from the interior design to the live music and outdoor dance floor. If you’re quick you can bag one of the last few rooms left in May and June – including the writer’s cabin where Agatha Christie penned two of her novels.

Luxe Doubles from £525; burghisland.com

The Masons Arms, Branscombe

Branscombe’s chocolate-box-pretty Masons Arms is a 14th-century thatched inn with rooms in a quiet spot inland from Branscombe Beach. It’s cosy and historic, but not chintzy. Food is hearty pub fare (lots of local fish, simply cooked), served inside or out on the sunny, buzzy patio. Rooms feel unchanged (in a good way) with their oak beams, antique furniture and – in the top category – four-poster beds. It’s child-friendly and, what a stroke of luck, even has availability in half term.

Rooms from £130; masonsarms.co.uk

Weeke Barton, Dartmoor

Family-run Weeke Barton is a pocket-sized boutique hotel on the edge of Dartmoor. The Listed stone house has just five rooms – done out with love and sheepskin-covered window seats overlooking the gardens and surrounding Devonshire countryside – but there’s some limited availability in May and June if you’re quick. Hands-on owners Sam and Jo delight in the local, from English sparkling wine from the vineyard next door, to the mostly organic breakfast. Days start and end on the terrace – with al fresco breakfasts and star gazing beside the woodburning stove with a Dartmoor whiskey in hand.

Rooms from £130; weekebarton.com

All availability was checked directly through the hotels' websites and was correct at the time of publishing.

• For more inspiration on where to stay this summer, see our guide to the best hotels in Devon