Villa Marina, Torquay

Villa Marina is an adult-only guesthouse in an 1860s Victorian villa on Tor Park Road in Torquay, a few minutes on foot from both Torre and Torquay stations and within easy reach of the seafront. It is run by two hosts who live on site, and it is about as thoroughly set up for dogs as a small town guesthouse gets.

The practical side is clear-cut. One dog per booking is accepted, up to 20 kg, so larger breeds are out, and it is dogs only rather than any pet. The fee is a flat £20 for the whole stay rather than a nightly charge. Guests arriving with a dog find bowls, a towel, a blanket and treats already in the room, and there is a paw wash and a boot cleaner by the door for muddy returns from the beach or the coast path. The property also has a designated off-lead area, which is unusual for a guesthouse in the middle of a town.

What guests with dogs talk about most is the hosts. The welcome is warm without being overbearing, dogs get a genuine fuss rather than polite tolerance, and the hosts take time to suggest dog-suitable walks, beaches and places to eat around Torquay and the wider South Devon coast. The hosts have a friendly dog of their own living at the property, which most visiting dogs take in their stride, though it is worth keeping a lead handy in the garden if yours is nervous or an escape artist. Rooms are spotless, the beds are comfortable, and the cooked-to-order breakfasts with homemade bread and jam come up again and again.

There is very little in the way of complaint, and the main limits are the ones in the policy: one dog, a weight cap, and no children, which keeps the house calm. It suits a couple travelling with a small or mid-sized dog who want a grown-up, dog-first base in Torquay with real pet facilities rather than a token welcome.