The Headland Hotel & Spa

Paw rating: 4.0 / 5 based on 5 confirmed pet-friendly stays. The Headland is a Torquay hotel set on Daddyhole Road, a few minutes' walk from the seafront cliff path — and it takes dogs, but with caveats worth understanding before booking.

The strongest praise from guests travelling with a dog focuses on two things: location and staff flexibility. Several rooms have patio doors opening onto a garden area, which guests describe as ideal for letting a dog out without needing a full lead-up to reception. The sea walks the property backs onto are repeatedly called out as a real reason to bring a dog here. Staff get consistent positive mentions too — most notably, because dogs aren't allowed in the main restaurant, they set tables up in the lounge instead so owners aren't sent off to eat in their room.

Less encouraging: some of the dog-friendly rooms are in the lower levels of the building, with no lift down. One guest who booked a dog-friendly room with mobility needs found themselves on a lower floor with no step-free route back to reception except via the garden — they hadn't been warned at booking. If a lift or step-free access matters, confirm the specific room location with the property directly before paying, not just "dog-friendly room" in general.

A second softer note: one family felt the dog-friendly setup put them slightly to the side of the broader hotel experience. Dining is in the lounge or bar rather than the restaurant, and depending on what's booked in the bar at the time (a private function caught one couple out), that can compress the options. It's worth checking the bar's diary if you're planning evenings around dining rather than walking.

Best suited to: couples or solo travellers with a well-behaved dog who value coastal walks and garden-access rooms, and who aren't bothered about dining in the main restaurant. Less ideal for guests with mobility limitations, or anyone expecting the full breadth of a spa-hotel experience to extend to the dog.