The Best Hotel in Fowey, The West Country

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. Modernizations have successfully melded vintage character with contemporary pizzazz. The relaxed dining room, which opens onto a terrace, is open to nonguests.