Hakuna Matata, Rye

Hakuna Matata's selling point is where it stands. The house is a few minutes' walk from Camber Sands, the long dune-backed beach east of Rye that is one of the best dog-walking beaches on the south coast, with a cut-through to the dunes around the corner and a dog-friendly pub, The Owl, about five minutes away. Rye itself is a short drive.

One well-behaved dog is welcome. Be clear about what the property is, though: not a cottage in the picture-postcard sense but a two-bedroom house in a terrace on a residential holiday development, with close neighbours and a small garden rather than open space around it.

Guests travelling with dogs give a genuinely mixed picture, and the pattern is worth reading before you book. Several have arrived to find the previous guest's dog hair still on floors and rugs, or dog mess left in the garden that had to be cleared before they could let their own dog out. The garden draws the most consistent criticism: weedy and overgrown with nettles in places, decking that has been rotting, and gaps in the slats where a small paw could get caught. Reviews also record stained carpets, tired furnishings and a run of maintenance faults, and one party travelling with a pet was left waiting outside in hot weather when the door-code system did not recognise their booking and the booking agency took around forty minutes to answer the phone.

Set against that, the house is comfortable and well-equipped when it has been properly turned around, with a dishwasher, a welcome pack and everything needed for a self-catering week. Some stays clearly go better than others.

The 4.1 out of 5 paw rating is an honest reflection of that spread. It suits a dog owner whose holiday is really about the beach and who will happily spend the day out of the house, rather than anyone hoping to relax in the garden. Check the garden before letting a dog out unsupervised.