Orestone House, Holcombe

Orestone House stands above the coast at Holcombe, the village on Teignmouth Road between Dawlish and Teignmouth, and it is built for the kind of trip where two households travel together. The house is large, laid out so that a group can share the living space and still retreat to separate sleeping areas, and it comes with the sea views that give this stretch of south Devon its reputation. Parties of ten with dogs in the mix have used it without anyone feeling on top of anyone else.

Dogs are welcomed rather than merely permitted, and groups have reported travelling here with more than one between them. The published limit, though, is one dog per booking, so a second is something to clear with the owners rather than assume - do that at the point of booking if a group is bringing two or three between them. No pet fee, weight limit or restricted breed is published alongside it.

The owners' touches land well. Guests have arrived to find scones and cream laid out, and the house is described as having everything a large group needs already in place, which cuts down the number of trips back out to the shops in the first hours of a stay.

Location is the other reason to book. Holcombe sits a short drive from both Dawlish and Teignmouth, so beaches and seafront walks are only a few minutes away, and the coast path runs along the cliffs above the railway line for longer outings straight from the village. Holcombe itself is quiet, which suits an early-morning walk before the rest of the house wakes up.

The caveats are minor. The kitchens are well stocked, but the coffee pods left behind do not fit the machines, so bring your own if that matters to your morning. And a house this size is priced for a group - a couple with one dog would be renting far more than they need. For two families holidaying together, or a large family gathering that would rather not leave the dog at home, Orestone House is about as straightforward as this gets, provided you square the number of dogs first.