Spacious Bungalow, Bexhill

This bungalow on a quiet residential street in Bexhill-on-Sea is set up for people who travel with a dog rather than merely tolerating one. Being a single-storey property with its own front door and an enclosed outdoor area, there are no stairs, no shared entrance and nowhere a dog has to be walked past other guests. Owners who have stayed with dogs consistently pick out the outside space as the best part: room to let a small dog out off the lead, and a public footpath running alongside for a quick circuit before breakfast.

Dogs are welcome and the hosts put some thought into it. Guests mention extras left out for the dogs, and the owners are quick to point visitors towards pubs, cafes and beaches nearby that take them. Several people who returned said the place felt like a home rather than a rental, and the standard of finish gets mentioned as often as the dog welcome - modern, well equipped and reliably clean, which is not always a given in pet-friendly self-catering.

Bexhill itself is a good fit for a dog holiday. The seafront and the De La Warr Pavilion are a walk from the door, the town centre is reachable on foot, and the shingle and sand west towards Cooden is popular with dog walkers, with the usual seasonal restrictions on the central stretch in high summer. There is also an electric-vehicle charging point near the shopping centre if you are driving down.

The main caveat is the size of dog rather than anything else. The enclosed area is described as secure for a small dog, so anyone with a large or bouncy breed should ask about the fencing before booking. No pet fee, weight limit or maximum number of pets is published on the booking listing either, so confirm those directly with the owners. For couples travelling with one well-behaved small dog who want a proper house rather than a hotel room, this is an easy recommendation, and it earns 4.7 out of 5 paws.