THINGS have come a long way since Fawlty Towers first aired almost 50 years ago.
Hapless Basil Fawlty and his shambolic hotel were the epitome of everything that was wrong with the not-so-Great British holiday — terrible food, rude service and a crumbling building.
But the English Riviera, where the classic sitcom was set, has undergone a renaissance in recent years — a new Rivi-era if you like.
And nowhere is it more apparent than in Paignton where the Accor group has spent £70million building two plush new hotels commanding staggering views over shimmering Tor Bay.
The Mercure and Ibis stand like futuristic sentinels among the Victorian-era seafront, bringing with them the money and style reminiscent of the town’s heyday as one of the country’s premiere destinations.
We had packed our bags for a three-night stay split between the two properties.
With two boys, aged five and two, brimming with energy, Paignton turned out to be the perfect spot – a classic bucket and spade holiday which has kept families coming back here for generations.
Just a skimmed stone away from the 161-room Mercure, our first stop is a giant play area, complete with Caterpillar kids’ roller-coaster, sandpits and ice cream kiosks.
A few steps beyond and you’re standing on the gently sloping reddish sand beach with calm waters that are ideal for young children to paddle in.
After a few hours of digging sandcastles and throwing balls, my children were desperate to visit the landmark Victorian pier — a world of noisy and colourful amusements placed amid the sickly-sweet fug of fried donuts and ice cream.
Then it was back for showers and dinner in the stylish Mercure, whose design harks back to the golden age of the Riviera.
There is no “Duck Surprise” here à la Fawlty Towers, but a modern menu with beefburgers, fish and chips, sea bass and seafood pasta.
For a more casual seaside vibe, try the Ibis next door.
The hotel, which features dry spa rooms for treatments, was built on the site of the famous Deller’s Beach Cafe and has named its restaurant in its honour.
It serves a more snacky American-style menu of chicken wings, loaded fries, and to my five-year-old’s delight — pancakes and maple syrup for breakfast.
He was just as delighted by everything going on outside of the hotel too.
South Devon is home to the brilliant Pennywell Farm, prehistoric Kents Cavern, the South Devon steam railway and Splashdown Waterpark, all within 40 minutes’ drive of each other.
We stepped back in time to visit the historic former monastery Torre Abbey in Torquay, set in beautifully kept gardens around the ruins of the old buildings.
The house features hundreds of fascinating artefacts, paintings and curios telling the story of Torquay and has activities to keep children interested, like dress-up areas where they can pose as a monk or a medieval princess.
And don’t miss the tropical greenhouses starring an incredible range of cacti.
Torquay is the main town of the Riviera, which also includes the busy fishing port of Brixham.
It’s “Riviera” name came from the warmer climate and villa-style Art Deco buildings of this area, which saw it likened to the French Riviera towns of Nice and Cannes.
In recent years Torquay has seen an injection of money, with new restaurants popping up around the marina.
It also boasts the famous Princess Theatre which has played host to acts including The Beatles and Tommy Cooper.
On the outskirts of the town, by the coast, lies Babbacombe Model Village which, it claims, is “bigger than you think”.
It certainly had our whole family enchanted.
Wandering down through a meticulously planted valley with miniature scenes of British life, celebrity parties, model trains, and fire-breathing dragons, it is brilliantly funny and tickets include a free game of crazy golf.
Twenty-minutes south of here by car sits Paignton Zoo, another must for families with young kids.
Started by eccentric millionaire Herbert Whitley — who lived nearby at Oldway Mansion — as a private menagerie, it is now one of the UK’s best zoos holding scores of exotic animals including tigers, cassowaries, crocodiles, rhinos and giraffes.
Sadly, they hadn’t secured Fawlty Towers’ talking moose.
But the kids still had a blast.
STAYING THERE: B&B double rooms from £60 per night at The Ibis Styles Paignton and from £88 per night at The Mercure Paignton. See all.accor.com.
OUT & ABOUT: Babbacombe Model Village is £17.75 per adult and £14.75 per child pre-booked at model-village.co.uk.
A family ticket to Paignton Zoo costs £71.25 for two adult and two children pre-booked at paigntonzoo.org.uk.
