Oliver Wests Apartment, Scarborough

Oliver Wests is a spacious two-bedroom apartment on Westbourne Grove, a quiet residential street on Scarborough's South Cliff, and dog owners consistently rate it as a comfortable base rather than just somewhere to sleep. The flat is warm, recently refurbished and well equipped, with a kitchen that makes it easy to eat in rather than hunting each evening for somewhere that will take the dog.

Guests travelling with dogs are welcomed without fuss, and the owners are quick to answer messages even though they are not on site. What comes up again and again is how easy the place is to relax in with a dog: comfortable sofas, sensible surfaces, and enough room for four people and a dog to spread out without anyone being on top of each other.

Walking is the practical question here. There is no private garden, but there is a field behind the building with dog bins, and a secure green space a short walk up the road that dog owners rate highly for off-lead time. The beach and the town centre are both within walking distance, and the South Cliff is an easy area to walk a dog in generally.

Two things are worth planning around. The apartment is on the fourth floor and there is no lift, so four flights of stairs are unavoidable - fine for a young spaniel, a real problem for an older or arthritic dog, and something to think about if you are carrying a small dog up and down several times a day. Parking is on-street and out of sight of the building, a few minutes' walk away. Cleanliness is also not always consistent: there have been arrivals where pet hair from a previous stay was still on the floors and crockery needed rewashing, so it is worth a quick look round when you get in.

It earns a 4.6/5 paw rating, and suits dog owners who want a self-catering base close to the beach and are happy with stairs and a short walk to grass.