Y Bwthyn, Conwy

Y Bwthyn is a small stone cottage on Mount Pleasant in Conwy, a few minutes' walk from the castle, the quay and the town walls. It has kept its cottage bones, with slate flags downstairs, painted floorboards above and a wood burner with logs left in. The slate is quietly the best dog feature in the house: a wet dog walks in off the estuary and the floor wipes down. It earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.

One well-behaved dog is welcome per booking. Behind the cottage is an enclosed yard, small but genuinely secure, which guests use for a last trip out at night and for sitting with a drink in the evening. Parking is included and takes a small SUV, which is more than most of central Conwy manages.

The location is the reason to book. Almost everything in Conwy is walkable from the door, the walls and the quayside make an obvious short circuit, and the estuary path and the hills behind the town open up longer walks without needing the car. Guests consistently describe the cottage as beautifully clean and better equipped than its size suggests.

Two things to weigh. The stairs are steep and turn awkwardly across the top three treads, worth thinking about if you would normally carry an older or nervous dog up to bed. And although it sleeps three, the seating downstairs really only works for two, so a party of three plus a dog will be sharing the sofa. The owners also ask you to return the key to the key safe whenever you go out, which is a small annoyance in the rain.

Y Bwthyn suits a couple or a small family with one dog who want to walk out into a proper Welsh town rather than drive to it. It is compact, warm and easy to clean rather than spacious.