Fodor's Expert Review Fowey Hall

A showy Victorian edifice, all turrets and elaborate plasterwork, this hotel with 5 acres of gardens, a spa, and a pool was the original inspiration for Toad Hall in The Wind in the Willows. It's a great place for families—most rooms are spacious enough for several people, and there are excellent facilities for the kids. Recent modernization has injected new life, and the overall tone is a successful melding of vintage character and contemporary pizzazz. The relaxed dining room, which opens onto a terrace, is open to non-residents.