The Best Budget-Friendly Hotels to Book in Devon

Thanks to its spot along the Teign Valley, and a host of walking tours complete with bacon sarnies or a post-walk pub lunch, the Cridford Inn has become an essential stop on the South West Coast Path. In the summer you’ll find scores of hikers sipping cider in the cobbled courtyard, while inside the foliage-strewn inn, low-slung beamed ceilings and traditional copper pots above the fire lend a homely quality perfect for that post-winter-walk-pint. The bedrooms follow the same snug yet functional flair, so you’ll be forgiven for spending more time than usual in the exceedingly well-stocked bar.

This multi-award-winning hotel attracts an arty crowd thanks to the thundering sculptures that scatter its grounds and the popular Terra Madre restaurant, which hosts monthly supper clubs featuring folk and jazz musicians. In contrast to the experimental creations outside, rooms at Broomhill Art Hotel follow a contemporary aesthetic with a smattering of tasteful paintings to compliment the neutral decor – think of the bedroom as a palate-cleansing sorbet prepping your eyes for the colourful feast outside.

Despite its Victorian architecture and turn-of-the-century decor, the Telstar has a gen-Z approach to travel with a sustainable manifesto that includes harvesting rainwater for plants and using produce from local suppliers to reduce fossil fuels. Similarly, the townhouse’s central location cuts down your own petrol use with three shopping centres, a pretty quayside and the gothic splendour of Exeter cathedral less than 15 minutes’ walk away. Expect homely, compact rooms at this cheap accommodation in Devon, along with slap-up full English breakfasts, generous fruits and yoghurts and decent-size mugs to fill with a wide range of hot drinks.

In keeping with Devon’s carefree attitude – as befits life by the water – the Live and Let Live Inn follows its freewheeling name with a pub that promises zero waste and big vibes. Sharing and community are the pillars of this pub, which sees a weekly zero waste menu and a focus on sustainability and seasonality that is echoed in the make-do-and-mend decor – think pig trough light fixtures and retro scales doubling as napkin holders. Upstairs, rooms are light and airy with vaulted beamed ceilings, white-washed floors and supersize beds.

Hark back to a simpler time in North Bovey, a pretty village in Dartmoor National Park punctuated with a local butcher, delightful tea rooms and a smidgen of small shops. Wood-panelled walls and plaid bedding add to the traditional air at this thatched inn. A popular spot with cyclists, thanks to the moorland’s wild and challenging terrain, Ring of Bells also offer a variety of walks ranging in from just shy of a mile up to seven; all lead back to the ancient ale house where you’ll want to sink a pint by the fireplace, just like the Medieval stonemasons (probably) did during the pub’s founding days.

A peachy exterior greets you at the Rose & Crown, where warming Mediterranean tones are continued inside – even the nippiest South Hams days can be countered by yolk-yellow walls, plump sofas, a log fire and a menu packed with pub classics including beer-battered fish and roast beef sarnies. The rooms are within stumbling distance from the pub and a 10-minute drive from the teeny seaside village of Noss Mayo, where you can lean into the estuary-adjacent community’s history as a smuggler’s haunt and try your hand at fishing or sailing.

Vines wind around traditional mullion windows at this 14th-century Snow White-style pub. Low-slung timber frames, pine cladding and a quaint thatched roof ooze Disney charm, while the achingly adorable village of Branscombe, which homes the Masons Arms, could have come from a Californian storyboard, too. For the full fairytale experience, book the Branscombe Room – the countryside reaches right around the vaulted wood-beamed room and a four-poster bed takes pride of place. A stone’s throw away is pebbly Branscombe Beach where the waves lap at the Jurassic coast.

Moorland by name, moorland by location – this squat and sprawling hotel is plonked close to the edge of rough and rugged Dartmoor. The rooms favour function over fashion, so expect modest decor, working TVs and a perfectly fine hot drinks station. The winning feature is the far-reaching view of Dartmoor or Plymouth Sound (depending which room you get), though there’s no need to worry about landing a dud – the views are all spectacular and likely to be enjoyed by outdoorsy types who make up the bulk of the Moorland’s clientele.