Merchants Manor, Falmouth

A little removed from the thick of the action, but nicely positioned between Falmouth’s thriving town centre and its beautiful beaches, the 39-room Merchants Manor is a sleek and stylish option for those looking to base themselves in this bustling corner of south Cornwall. Through careful sourcing of vintage furnishings and artworks, the owners have created a charmingly retro retreat with a style that pleasantly meanders from Edwardian through to mid-century modern, with a subtle nautical undertone that nods to the town’s maritime heritage.

Rooms from £122, merchantsmanor.com

Hell Bay, Isles of Scilly

This attractively remote hotel is a somewhat unlikely outpost of art and culture in the far-flung Isles of Scilly. It’s situated on Bryher, the most westerly of the archipelago’s inhabited islands, and sits in a wild and windswept landscape facing the wide blue Atlantic. But, on the inside, there’s a bright and breezy New England feel to its 25 rooms, with Lloyd Loom wicker furniture and artworks by some of Cornwall’s best-known resident artists, including Barbara Hepworth, Patrick Heron, Ivon Hitchens and Rose Hilton.

Rooms from £105, hellbay.co.uk

Fowey Harbour Hotel, Fowey

Set in an attractive 19th-century villa overlooking the Fowey Estuary, this boutique getaway is infused with old-school glamour. The exterior is perfectly complemented on the inside by a contemporary Victoriana style (tiled floors, plush easy chairs, an old-fashioned cage lift), paired with tropical touches to create a more summery feel. This comes through in the restaurant in particular, with its rattan seating and whirring ceiling fans. The 37 rooms, most of which have sweeping views of the river, are styled in restful shades of blue and white.

Rooms from £125, harbourhotels.co.uk

Artist Residence Penzance

Quirky, artsy and supremely relaxed, this is a hotel that complements its hometown perfectly. The Artist Residence occupies a townhouse on Chapel Street, the pretty Georgian thoroughfare that runs through the centre of Penzance. Inside it’s a warren of passageways, with a restaurant and lounge spread across the ground floor and 22 rooms scattered here and there on the upper floors (and a family-friendly cottage in the rear courtyard). The vibe is oh-so-boho, with lots of stripped wood, sliding barn doors, roof beams crossing this way and that, and fascinating flea market finds at every turn.

Rooms from £125, artistresidence.co.uk

Talland Bay Hotel, Looe

It’s all about fun at Talland Bay. The twisty mushroom sculptures in the garden, the tables and chairs “embedded” halfway up the walls, the extraordinarily eclectic array of styles that have been unleashed upon the 20 guest rooms (from French chateau to Hollywood deco, with everything in between) – it’s wild and whacky, but it works. And children will love the Alice in Wonderland feel to the place. It helps that the coastal position is ideal, with sea vistas and a quiet little beach just minutes away.

Rooms from £140, tallandbayhotel.co.uk

Budock Vean, Mawnan Smith

A venerable old hotel with a history that spans almost 100 years, Budock Vean has kept pace with the 21st century while remaining firmly rooted in its Roaring Twenties origins. That is to say, while there’s a spa, nine-hole golf course and various other trappings of modern hospitality, there’s a pleasingly retro country house feel to the rooms and public spaces that evokes the high-society worlds of Agatha Christie, P G Wodehouse and Daphne Du Maurier. Incidentally, the hotel is set on the banks of the Helford River, a few miles downstream from the eponymous setting of Du Maurier’s Frenchman’s Creek.

Rooms from £151, budockvean.co.uk

Boskerris Hotel, Carbis Bay

This beachside bolthole on the outskirts of St Ives sits in a quiet spot above Carbis Bay Beach, nicely removed from the hustle and bustle of the summer season. Inside and out, the atmosphere is that of a Californian beach club crossed with a Mediterranean villa, with a cool colour palette that’s accentuated by bright floral fabrics. The 15 bedrooms are equally cool and inviting, there’s a relaxed restaurant and bar, and a glorious suntrap terrace with panoramic views over the bay.

Rooms from £160, boskerrishotel.co.uk

The Alverton, Truro

Truro doesn’t tend to feature in most tourists’ holiday plans. It’s a shame, because Cornwall’s only city has a fair amount to offer: shops, galleries, bars, restaurants. Then there’s The Alverton. Situated a little away outside the centre, it was previously a convent, then a rather grand private home. Many of the original features have been retained, including an old belltower, while new ones have been sensitively woven into the mix: a cocktail bar, an upscale restaurant and 50 individually styled rooms

Rooms from £89, thealverton.co.uk

The Colonial Rooms at Tolcarne Beach, Newquay

You might think that there would be very little common ground between the British Empire of the 19th century and modern-day surfers. But then you probably haven’t been to Tolcarne Beach Village’s Colonial Rooms. Leaving aside the somewhat challenging name, this collection of two rooms and one suite, located directly on the beach in the centre of Newquay, straddles two very different worlds, but does so with a surety that can only be admired. Where else can you sit on rattan furniture, surrounded by vintage maps, elephant lamps, wirelesses and whatnot, while watching cutbacks and wipeouts?

Rooms from £125, tolcarnebeach.co.uk

The Beach at Bude

For laid-back beach chic, you’d be hard-pressed to find a finer spot than The Beach. This stylish stay overlooking Summerleaze Beach (one of the best in Cornwall), has been fashioned out of a Victorian terrace, although the look is pure contemporary coastal cool: all neutral tones and no-frills furniture, but with the occasional driftwood statement piece to keep things interesting. There’s an informal restaurant serving a menu of classic Cornish dishes, a lively bar on the ground floor, and a decked terrace that’s perfect for an end-of-day sundowner.

Rooms from £160, thebeachatbude.co.uk