FOR FAMILY FUN… Bovey Castle & Elan Spa, Dartmoor National Park

There are many wonderful things about Bovey, but the gorgeousness of the people who work here is worth travelling to Devon for alone. From the liveried doormen, who’ll whizz you around by golf buggy, to the conservation expert who’ll take you on a walking tour of the deer park, everyone GH met shares that twinkly brand of kindness and humour that just can’t be faked. It’s a particular boon in the low-key spa, where relaxed but competent Espa-trained therapists take sore bodies and dull skin in hand without fanfare or fuss, then deliver dreamy facials (from £105 for 55 minutes) and powerful body massages (from £90 for 40 minutes) that have gone straight into GH’S top 10.

Bovey excels at multi-generational breaks, with self-catering lodges and activities that range from feeding chickens to making sloe gin. And, unlike most spa hotels we’ve visited, the pool prioritises families, so kids can swim from 9am to 5pm. It’s not chichi but you’ll feel enormously at home, and poolside facilities include a steam room, sauna and whirlpool area. The breathtaking grounds have shoulder-dropping qualities, too. Even when the hotel is at capacity, you can wander from tennis court to croquet lawn to hidden toadstool garden, or along the dappled stream to nearby village North Bovey, without seeing many fellow guests at all. And do try a scone – they’re incredible!

NEED TO KNOW Find the spot where diver Tom Daley got married in 2017 for one of the most perfect views of any hotel in the UK.

 Accommodation from £325 a night; spa days from £120; treatments from £105 (boveycastle.com)