Stoke Lodge Hotel

Stoke Lodge Hotel sits on Cinders Lane above Stoke Fleming, a couple of miles along the coast from Dartmouth, in landscaped gardens with sea views and a set of facilities that punch above the three-star billing: indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna, a jacuzzi and a working restaurant with a daily-changing menu. It is a traditional country hotel rather than a boutique one, and it treats a dog as an expected part of the booking rather than an exception to be managed.

The pet terms are refreshingly concrete. There is no separate pet charge to settle at check-in, because any cost for the dog is built into the room rate. Dogs are welcome in the bar and the lounge, and dinner can be served in the lounge, so the evening meal does not mean splitting the party or leaving the dog upstairs. The restaurant proper and the pool areas are off limits. The size rule is set by combination rather than a single weight cap: either two dogs of up to 10kg each, or one dog of 10kg and above. Dog-friendly rooms are on the ground floor, which suits an older or less mobile dog.

Guests travelling with dogs describe staff who make a genuine fuss of them, and spaniels, a German Shepherd and a pair of hounds have all been accommodated without issue, with something laid on for the dog at breakfast. Assistance dogs are accommodated too, though a fire door at the top of a flight of steps has been flagged as an awkward spot to negotiate with luggage and a working dog, so it is worth raising room placement when you book.

Stoke Fleming puts you a short walk from the village and a short drive from Blackpool Sands and the South West Coast Path, with the hotel gardens giving a short loop straight from the door. The village lacks pavement in stretches, which matters on a lead-only walk after dark.

Two honest counterpoints: parts of the fit-out read tired, with bathrooms and some furniture behind current standards, and the entrance hall, lounge and dining-room stairs have drawn complaints of a musty, cat-like smell. Best suited to couples and families wanting a South Devon base where the dog eats with them in the lounge and a swim is on site; less so to anyone after a modern refurbishment, or who is sensitive to scent.