8-Berth Caravan at Unity Beach Resort, Brean

This eight-berth caravan sits on the Unity Beach holiday resort at Brean, a short walk from the Somerset sands, and it is a comfortable, roomy base for a family holidaying with dogs. Two dogs are routinely accommodated, there is plenty of open ground on the resort for walks, and the van is spacious enough that a couple of dogs are never underfoot: two toilets and berths for eight leave real room to move.

The honest caveat comes first, because it is the one thing dog owners raise repeatedly. This van has no decking and no fenced area around it. Several neighbouring vans on the resort do, and guests with dogs consistently wish this one did too. In practice a dog cannot simply be let out of the door to stretch or go to the toilet, and on a hot day the door cannot be propped open safely; guests have resorted to blocking the doorway to keep dogs inside. The absence is noted at booking, so it need not come as a surprise, but if a secure outdoor space is what you are looking for, this is the point to weigh.

What guests do rate is the owner. Communication before arrival is thorough, the information needed to get in and settled arrives without chasing, and the van is handed over clean and well equipped. The resort setting suits families, with the entertainment complex, the play park and the facilities all within walking distance and parking for two cars alongside.

Brean gives dogs miles of flat sand to work with and the beach is close by, which goes a long way towards making up for the lack of a garden.

The park charges for dogs and expects them to be declared and paid for at the time of booking, though the amount is not published, so ask when you reserve. No weight limit or maximum number of dogs is stated, and the park keeps the right to turn away breeds it considers unsuitable for a family site. The 4.4/5 paw rating reflects both sides: a genuinely welcoming, well-run and roomy caravan, held back for dog owners by the missing fence.