Seaside Guest House, Dawlish

This is a one-room seaside annexe in the owner's garden at Holcombe, the wooded dip in the coast between Dawlish and Teignmouth, and it is set up for dogs in a way bigger places rarely manage. The apartment is fully self-contained with its own entrance and its own walled courtyard, so there are no shared corridors, no lift and nowhere for a dog to meet a stranger on the way to bed. Guests travelling with dogs come back to that courtyard more than anything else: it is enclosed and secure enough to leave the door open and let a dog wander in and out while you sit inside.

The welcome is the other thing that comes up again and again. Arrivals find a cream tea, homemade scones and milk waiting in the fridge, and dogs have been met with bowls and treats of their own. The owner gets consistently warm notices for answering questions quickly before arrival and for the pile of local tips left in the room.

The beach is about five minutes on foot and dogs are allowed on it, though the lane down is steep and the climb back is the part people warn about. From the sea wall you can walk on into Teignmouth on the flat, which suits an older or shorter-legged dog better than the hill does, and Dawlish Warren is a short drive for a longer stretch of sand. There is a dog-friendly pub within walking distance, which matters here because the kitchen runs to a microwave and a fridge rather than a cooker.

Two honest caveats. The space is genuinely compact - fine for two people and a dog or two who will be out most of the day, tight if the weather pins you indoors - and there are reports of a draught and a fireplace that warms the kitchen end more than the sofa. The skylight has no blind, so light sleepers should pack an eye mask.

Best suited to one or two people with a settled dog who want a quiet, low-fuss seaside base and plan to eat out or bring food in.