Seaview Cottage, Penmaenmawr

Seaview Cottage is a small terraced holiday cottage on Crimea Terrace in Penmaenmawr, directly across from the beach on the North Wales coast, and its best feature for dog owners is what sits outside the front door rather than behind it. The beach opposite welcomes dogs, the coast path runs along the front, and there is a park within walking distance that guests use for longer walks.

Inside, the cottage is compact but properly equipped - a washing machine and dryer, which matter after a wet beach walk, plus a well-stocked kitchen and sea views from the upstairs rooms. It is priced below comparable cottages on this stretch of coast, and several dog owners have judged it good value on that basis.

The rear garden is the problem, and it is a significant one. It is reached by steep steps, the access is shared, and the boundary with next door is a low gate rather than a fence. The neighbouring property has two large dogs that bark at the gate, and there are warning signs about them. Owners of small or anxious dogs have repeatedly said they could not use the back garden at all and let their dog out at the front on a lead instead. One boundary has also been a building site with broken glass in it. If a secure enclosed garden is what you need, this is not the cottage for it.

Two other things are worth knowing. The A55 runs immediately in front, so it is noisy day and night and the road is not somewhere to let a dog off the lead. And the stair carpet has had protruding gripper rods that catch feet and paws. Cleanliness is inconsistent, too: some guests find the cottage spotless, others have reported a stale smell and floors that needed doing.

Best suited to a dog owner who wants to be a step from a dog-friendly beach, keeps their dog on a lead outdoors anyway, and does not need a secure garden. It earns a 3.8/5 paw rating.