Victoria House, Caernarfon

Victoria House is a guesthouse on Church Street inside Caernarfon's medieval town walls, two minutes' walk from the castle, with a terrace built onto the wall itself. It is a dog household first and a guesthouse second: the owner keeps two resident dogs who have the run of the place, and that shapes a stay here more than anything else about it.

Dogs are welcome for £10 a night, capped at £30 for the stay, with any deep cleaning or damage charged separately. The rear garden has its own dog bin and dogs can be let off the lead there provided owners clear up after them, though they should not be left unsupervised on the terrace or balcony. Guests who have brought a dog report no friction over the arrangement itself; the nightly charge is the part that draws comment.

The resident dogs are the thing to weigh. Guests consistently describe them as friendly and a highlight of the house, but they are everywhere: in the hallways, in the breakfast room, and in the kitchen while breakfast is being prepared. Several visitors have found dog hair on the carpets and, less happily, at the breakfast table. Others mention barking. Housekeeping responds when asked, and rooms have been re-vacuumed on request, but anyone allergic or fastidious should book elsewhere, and a dog-reactive pet would find the shared spaces hard work.

What you get in return is a genuinely relaxed welcome and a very good position. The town walls, harbour front and castle square make for easy lead-on wandering straight from the door, parking permits are supplied when the street is full, and Eryri (Snowdonia) is a short drive inland.

Best suited to a sociable, unflappable dog and owners who would rather stay in a warm, slightly hairy family house in the middle of the old town than an anonymous hotel outside it.