Esplanade Hotel

The Esplanade Hotel sits directly above Fistral Beach on Newquay's Atlantic-facing headland, and the position is the first reason to consider it with a dog. The coast path runs from the door, Fistral's sand is a couple of minutes down, and the Pentire headland gives you open, off-road walking before breakfast without getting in the car.

Dogs stay in selected rooms for £15 per dog, per night. The hotel keeps its sea-view categories dog-free - the standard singles and the sea-view doubles, twins and family rooms are all off the list - so travelling with a dog means a room at the back of the building. Guests with dogs mention that trade-off regularly, and it is worth settling before you book: the view is the thing you give up.

Where the hotel does better than most is breakfast. Dogs are not allowed in the main restaurant, but there is a separate dog-friendly breakfast room with sea views and proper seating, and the same food is served there. Guests travelling with dogs rate that room above the main restaurant - it is quieter, the outlook is better, and nobody is asked to eat in their bedroom. Staff come across as relaxed about dogs rather than merely tolerant, and families arriving with both children and a dog seem to be the hotel's core audience.

Two caveats are worth weighing. Cleaning in the dog rooms has drawn a complaint about hair left behind from a previous dog, which matters if anyone in the party has allergies, so it is worth flagging when you book. The building is also awkward to move around: access is up a long flight of steps, and the corridors between rooms are narrow with more steps in them, which is hard work with luggage and a dog on a lead. With a 4.3/5 paw rating, the Esplanade suits families who want beach access and a proper breakfast with the dog alongside them, and who do not mind trading the sea view to get it.