South Sands Hotel, Salcombe

South Sands Hotel sits directly on the sand a mile or so round from Salcombe, and it is about as committed to dogs as a four-star hotel gets. Dogs get their own welcome pack, towels are stacked in the bedrooms and again by the entrance for wiping paws before you come in, blankets and a bowl appear in the room, and there is a section of the bar and restaurant where they can sit with you through dinner. Dog-friendly rooms are bookable directly.

A pet charge applies and has been reported at around £19.50 per night, which is not made obvious at the booking stage. It is worth confirming the current rate when you reserve, because over a week it becomes a meaningful line on the bill.

The honest caveat is that everyone else has brought a dog too. On a busy evening the restaurant can have seven or eight tables with a dog under them, and owners report early-morning barking carrying through what are undeniably thin walls. For most people that is the appeal - nobody is going to tut at yours, and a dog who wants to greet everyone will be in heaven. If your dog is reactive around other dogs, or you want a quiet hotel, this is the wrong choice.

Two access points to plan for: there is no lift, which is awkward if you are carrying a small dog up to a top-floor room, and the lanes down to the hotel are steep and narrow. In return the beach is a few steps from the terrace, and the ferry runs from the hotel into Salcombe, which beats the twenty-five-minute walk up and over the hill. At 4.5/5, it makes for a genuinely excellent dog holiday - as long as you want the company.