Hotel Meudon, Falmouth

Hotel Meudon is a country-house hotel in a subtropical garden setting near Falmouth, with its own access down to a beach, and it is set up properly for dogs. Guests travelling with pets are mostly very positive, praising the gardens, the great walks straight from the grounds and beach, and staff who make a fuss of visiting dogs.

The welcome is well thought through. Dogs are met with treats, a bed, bowls and a towel, there are dog packs in the rooms and a doggy wash station for sandy paws after the beach. Up to two dogs can share a room, and crucially dogs are welcome in most of the hotel, Freddie's Bar and the drawing room included, so you can have a drink or a meal with your dog rather than being confined to the room. The main restaurant is the one exception, and dogs should be kept on a lead in the grounds.

The trade-off is cost and a few expectations to manage. There is a £25 per dog, per night charge, which adds up over a longer stay, and a minority of guests have felt the dog experience did not quite match the billing, so it is worth being clear on what you want and confirming the details when you book. For most dog owners, though, the gardens, the beach access and the genuine in-hotel dog welcome are the real draw.

On balance Hotel Meudon earns a 4.3/5 paw rating: a characterful garden hotel with a proper dog setup and lovely walks, best for owners happy to pay the per-dog fee in exchange for beach access, a wash station and dogs being welcome in the bar and lounge.