The most exciting thing about arriving somewhere new after dark is the next morning – I felt like a child at Christmas as I drew back the bedroom curtains at daybreak

Saunton Sands Hotel enjoys a commanding position above Braunton beach
My “present” was the kind of sea view you dream about but rarely witness. Saunton Sands Hotel comfortably delivers on the promise of its website: “World class sea views that few hotels can match.”
Before me stretched five miles of sandy beach, backed by the rolling grassy dunes of Braunton Burrows. These are the focal point of the North Devon Biosphere Reserve – a Unesco designation that recognises the balance between a rich ecosystem and sustainable human activity.

 

Saunton Sands is popular with surfers, both with and without kites!
To my right, as I gazed south, robust Atlantic breakers provided a playground for half a dozen kite surfers. Yet the fearsome looking sea seemed respectful of the beach, as the waves spent their fury before edging quite gently across the sands to where the morning dog-walkers were out in force.
We’d chosen Saunton Sands, with its meticulous attention to art deco detail, as a base for exploring a slice of Devon’s north coast, which these days tends to lure surfers (with or without kites) more than it does families – or indeed, couples seeking a romantic Valentine’s break by the sea.
The hotel seems to have succeeded in squaring the eternal hospitality circle by creating a relaxed, indeed luxurious, environment in which both youngsters and empty-nesters like us can feel equally at home.
We happily shared the indoor pool (outdoors one, perhaps not for February!) with the families, before enjoying indulgent treatments in the spa. Though, in a nod to those looking for quieter down-time, the hotel’s new extended spa provides an adults-only outdoor deck and more treatment rooms.
There’s perhaps a very good reason why Saunton Sands seems to understand both its couples and families markets: it enjoys four-star pride of place in a wholly family-owned collection of 11 hotels and seven restaurants across Devon and Cornwall, named AA Hotel Group of the Year 2015-16.
Director Pete Brend, a third generation Brend Hotels man, puts it like this: “We try and treat everyone, whether customers or members of staff, as if they were family whom you would welcome into your home.”
These are no empty words: the barman shared his knowledge of local gins, while the waiting staff help us to create our “bespoke ice cream sundaes” in a dining room that effortlessly (once again) pleases both younger and older guests.
We can hardly wait to return: for the views; to explore the dunes; for the pretty thatched pubs and cream teas. But above all, to enjoy the hotel’s easy luxury and lovely, attentive staff.
  • We were guests of Saunton Sands Hotel, which is a little over an hour’s drive from Exeter Airport
  • We flew to Exeter with Flybe
  • The immense beach overlooked by the hotel serves as occasional airstrip, including in the film, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, in which nearby Ilfracombe stood in for St Peter Port
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