Cornerways Guest House

Cornerways is a small guest house right in the middle of St Ives, a few minutes on foot from the harbour and from the town beaches. For anyone who wants to be in St Ives itself with a dog rather than driving in each morning, the position is about as good as it gets - and dogs are welcome in all six rooms rather than a designated one or two.

Guests travelling with dogs rate it 4.4 out of 5, and most of what they talk about is the host: friendly, quick to answer questions, free upgrades when a bigger room happens to be free, fresh milk and cold water waiting in the fridge, and dog treats on arrival. The rooms are stylish and individually decorated, a few with harbour views, and they come up again and again as spotlessly clean. The team also keep a list of local dog-friendly cafes and restaurants and will hand it over if you ask.

Two things to weigh before booking. Parking is the real one: there is none at the guest house, the nearest car park is a few minutes' walk and fills with day-trippers by mid-morning, so budget for both the cost and the hunt, or plan to arrive early or late in the day. The second is that a townhouse of this age has rooms of very different shapes and sizes - some are snug, one loft room has a low ceiling that catches taller guests, and dog owners have wondered aloud whether they were steered towards the smallest ground-floor rooms because they had a dog with them. If a particular room matters, ask about it by name when you book. Rooms have also been reported damp during long spells of wet weather, and breakfast is not part of the rate, which has caught guests out.

A charge of £10 per dog, per night applies, up to two dogs, and the guest house asks to be told at the time of booking. Dogs are not to be left alone in the room, so evenings need planning around that.

It suits a couple with one or two dogs who want a characterful, central St Ives base within walking distance of the harbour and beaches, and who are content to sort parking out separately.