Hotel Tresanton

In the postwar years the Tresanton was one of Britain’s favorite seaside hotels, before falling on hard times from the Seventies on. Lately it’s again become one of Cornwall’s hottest spots, rescued from the ravages of time by Olga Polizzi, perhaps best known as the keen decorator behind her brother Rocco Forte’s global brand of big-city luxury hotels.

Here in the seaside village of St. Mawes, the feeling is anything but big-city. The Forties construction is all still in place, looking unassuming enough from the outside, just a collection of small seaside houses scattered up the hillside. It’s the interiors, though, that attract attention, as you might expect; not at all Forte-style luxury chic, the style is something a little more homegrown, with period touches like authentic antiques, bathroom-floor mosaics and tongue-and-groove construction.

The bedrooms also offer something few city hotels can match: every one features stunning panoramic views of Cornwall’s south coast and St. Anthony’s lighthouse. The restaurant is a fine one, with a menu that changes daily, emphasizing local seafood and produce. Weather permitting, dinner can be served on the terrace, offering a close-up view of the harbor. And if the unpredictable Cornish climate isn’t cooperating, there are worse places to be stuck than in one of England’s most comfortable lodgings.

How to get there: Hotel Tresanton is about a 2-hour drive from Exeter International Airport (EXT), which receives daily flights from London Gatwick (LGW.) The flight from London to Exeter takes about an hour.