Seascape Cottage, Ventnor

Seascape Cottage is a small terraced house in the middle of Ventnor, on the sheltered south coast of the Isle of Wight, and it works as a base for a dog for the simple reason that everything is walkable. The seafront and the town are a short walk downhill, and guests who brought a dog report reaching a dog-friendly beach in around twenty minutes on foot. Several Island resort beaches restrict dogs over the summer season, so it is worth checking which beach you are heading for before you set off.

Dogs are welcome and the cottage is set up for a comfortable, low-key stay rather than anything elaborate. It is beautifully renovated and very well equipped for its size, with a sea view from the front, and the hosts are the part guests single out most: quick to answer messages, generous with local suggestions, and willing to hold a parking space on the road so you can unload without circling the town first.

Two practical things shape whether it suits your dog. The staircase to the first floor is steep and narrow, which several guests found difficult and which an older, larger or less confident dog may too. And there is no private parking - the free car park is about five minutes away, with steps down towards the sea, so the walk from the car with luggage and a lead is part of the deal.

The rear outside space is small and has been described as tired, laid with artificial turf, so it is somewhere to let a dog out rather than a garden to sit in. The upstairs toilet is noisy when it refills, but that is the extent of the grumbles. Seascape Cottage earns a 4.5/5 paw rating, and it suits a couple or a small family with a dog who want a walkable Ventnor base and are happy with steep stairs and street parking.