The Sorting House, Hunstanton

The Sorting House is a smartly converted house on George Raines Close in Hunstanton, five minutes on foot from both the beach and the town centre, and it is one of those rentals where the dog arrangements have clearly been thought about rather than merely tolerated. Covers are put out for the sofas, bowls and treats are left ready, and there is a porch at the rear that earns its keep when you come back with a wet dog and muddy boots, since the front door opens straight into the living room.

A pet fee of twenty pounds per dog applies. Permission to bring a dog is arranged with the owner rather than assumed at booking, and dogs are kept to the ground floor, so it is worth settling both points when you reserve. Guests are relaxed about the upstairs rule and several link it to how clean and hair-free the bedrooms are, but it does mean anyone whose dog will not settle downstairs alone should plan for someone sleeping down there too.

The rear yard is enclosed and gets the sun for much of the day, which keeps a dog from straying while you sit out, and there is secure parking behind the property as well as space on the road at the front. Two rooms look out to the sea. Beyond the beach at the end of the street, the north Norfolk coast path and Wells-next-the-Sea are within easy reach for longer walks.

The house draws consistently high marks for cleanliness and for the quality of what is in it: good mattresses, a well-stocked kitchen, dishwasher and washing machine, and small extras such as milk, fudge and dog biscuits waiting on arrival. Complaints are few and mostly about morning noise at the front of the house.

Best suited to dog owners who want a walk-everywhere base in Hunstanton, do not mind a ground-floor-only rule for the dog, and appreciate a house kept genuinely clean. It earns a 4.8/5 paw rating.