Shangri La, Alfrick

Shangri La is a modern three-bedroom house in Alfrick, a quiet village in the Worcestershire hills about seven miles west of Worcester and a similar distance from Great Malvern. For dog owners the draw is the combination of an enclosed rear garden and footpaths leaving straight from the village, so a big dog can be exercised properly without a car journey first.

Guests travelling with dogs describe the house as immaculate, spacious and warm, with good beds, strong showers and a well-appointed kitchen. It now has full fibre broadband, which matters because earlier guests found the village connection slow. The host is described as helpful and quick to sort things out, including posting on items left behind.

The garden deserves a closer look before you settle in. It is enclosed and most guests call it secure, but two separate parties found gaps a determined small dog could exploit, one of them very nearly losing a dog through a hole into the neighbouring garden. Guests are asked to check the boundary before letting a dog out, and that advice is worth taking seriously if you travel with an escape artist. For a larger dog it is more than adequate.

Alfrick itself is part of the appeal: a community shop and cafe, a medieval church, quiet lanes that stay walkable in wet weather, and a well-liked pub within striking distance for a Sunday lunch. Worcester and the Malvern Hills are both close enough for a day out. The house is not without friction. One party reported a difficult exchange with the owner after their stay over alleged damage, and a few guests have wanted curtains downstairs, where a lot of glass makes the rooms hot in strong sun.

Shangri La earns a 4.8/5 paw rating and suits groups or families with one or more dogs who want a high-spec village base with a garden and walks from the door, provided you check the fences on arrival.