No.51, Lymington

No.51 is set up for dog owners in a way that a lot of self-catering places are not. It is a self-contained annexe rather than a hotel room, so there are no shared corridors or lifts to negotiate, and it comes with a small enclosed patio that dogs can use without a lead. Dogs are accepted as a matter of course, and the welcome package that greets guests on arrival includes biscuits for the dog alongside the cake and prosecco for their owners.

Bowls and treats are put out for visiting dogs, and guests travelling with pets consistently describe the host as helpful and quick with suggestions for where to go locally. The property is immaculately kept, which matters more than it sounds when you are bringing a muddy dog back off a New Forest walk, and there is no sense of a place tolerating pets rather than expecting them. It earns a 4.6/5 paw rating.

The location is the strongest part of the pitch. This is the south-western corner of the New Forest, with dog-friendly beaches within an easy drive and open forest walks closer still. Parking sits directly outside the door, and there is a Morrisons Local and a Waitrose about two minutes away on foot, so a stay here does not need a supermarket run by car. Lymington town centre is a brisk fifteen-minute walk.

There are a couple of things to know before booking. The annexe adjoins the hosts' own house, and the connecting door is not soundproof - the hosts keep dogs of their own, and guests have been able to hear them through the wall. A nervous or reactive dog may find that unsettling, and it works both ways, since guests have felt conscious of noise travelling in the other direction too. The kitchen has no dishwasher or draining rack, and the property sits on a busy road, though the inside stays quiet.

Best suited to a couple or a pair of friends travelling with one small or medium dog who want a New Forest base with beaches and forest walks in reach, and who do not mind being next door to the hosts.