Tattershall VIP Retreat

Tattershall VIP Retreat is a hot-tub lodge on Tattershall Lakes, and it takes dogs on clear, published terms - which is more than many holiday-park lets manage. It is a roomy base for a family with a dog, with a large decking area and hot tub outside, and it sits on a quiet part of the park with the lake close by.

The pet terms are the useful part: £25 per dog, up to two dogs. That is charged per animal rather than per booking, so a two-dog party is looking at £50 on top of the rental. One thing to watch - the dog charge has been applied to a booking some time after it was made, so check your confirmation and query anything that appears late rather than discovering it at the door.

Dog owners who have stayed describe it as easy going: space enough for four people and a dog without tripping over each other, and a location that works for walks around the lakes. RAF Coningsby is next door, so displays from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the Red Arrows are visible from the decking in season - a real draw for some, and worth knowing about if your dog is noise-sensitive.

Cleanliness is where this one loses ground, and it is the reason for the 4.2/5 paw rating rather than something higher. Guests have repeatedly found the lodge below the standard the listing implies: pet hair left under the settee from previous stays, greasy marks on windows and upholstery, stained bedding and flooring, chipped and dirty crockery, and a towel that had not been changed. Heating is the other recurring complaint - the lounge has been described as freezing even with the radiators on full, which matters if you are drying a wet dog off after a lakeside walk. The hot tub has also been found only partly working, and the walk to the park's main facilities is longer than the listing map suggests.

Best suited to dog owners who want the hot tub and the lake setting, are travelling in the warmer months, and will check the lodge over on arrival rather than assume.