Chalet K94 - Sunset View

Chalet K94 sits at the back of Camber Sands Leisure Park, a couple of miles along the coast from Rye, and its selling point is the outlook: it faces open ground rather than other chalets, and the sunsets are what guests remember. For dog owners the bigger draw is what lies beyond the gate, because Camber Sands runs for seven miles and is one of the better dog-walking beaches in the South East, with the usual seasonal restrictions on the busiest section in high summer.

The chalet itself has been done up recently and that comes through clearly: a new kitchen, comfortable beds, individually heated rooms, air conditioning for warm weather and a bunk room set up thoughtfully for children. Dogs are welcome and the property is used to them, and guests travelling with dogs pick out the beach access and the dog-friendly places to eat within a short walk of the park.

Cleanliness is where this one divides opinion. A recurring complaint is a lingering dog smell in the soft furnishings, cushions, blankets and towels in particular, with air freshener used to cover it, and some guests have arrived to find the chalet had not been cleaned at all, in one case badly enough that the party chose not to stay and had to find somewhere else late in the day with a dog in tow. Plenty of other visitors describe it as spotless, so the variation looks to be in the changeover rather than the chalet, but it is worth casting an eye over the bedding and blankets as soon as you arrive.

Two other things to plan for. The walk to the beach takes longer than it looks, because you leave through the park entrance rather than straight over the dunes, and accounts of the distance vary quite a bit. And the charges are at the higher end: £45 per stay for one dog and £65 for two, with dogs the only pets accepted. For a family who want a comfortable, well-equipped base with a huge beach close by, and who will check the place over on arrival, it works well, and it earns 4.2 out of 5 paws.