Hotel Seaways (Paignton, United Kingdom)

The beach is literally a one-minute walk from the hotel so this is definitely the place to come if you're looking for a bucket-and-spade break. The fact that the pier, town centre and train station are all less than ten-minutes' walk away is the icing on the cake.

It's well worth paying a little more for one of the rooms with a sea view: the vistas over the bay are a continual delight. The late evening views from the restaurant and bar during the summer are pretty stunning too.

Affable, chatty and always ready to help in any way they can; Seaways' owners are the perfect B&B hosts. They're wonderful with small children too.

There's no lift here so you'll need to be prepared to cart your luggage up a few flights of pretty steep stairs if you're allocated a room on one of the upper floors.

Although getting online is pretty straightforward when you're downstairs, the same cannot be said every time you try to log-on in your room. Phone reception is fine everywhere though.

The free parking is pretty generous, however there are times – particularly during the main season - when getting in and out can be a little challenging.