Hotel Meudon, Falmouth

Hotel Meudon is a country-house hotel set in subtropical gardens on the road between Falmouth and Maenporth, with a path through the grounds down to its own small cove. For a dog, that mix of gardens, beach and coast path is hard to beat, and the hotel is well set up for canine guests.

Up to two dogs can share a room, at £25 per dog per night. Dogs are welcomed with treats, a bed, bowls, a towel and mats, and there is a dog wash station for sandy paws after the beach. They are allowed almost everywhere except the main restaurant, Freddie's Bar and the drawing room included, and should be kept on a lead in the grounds.

Guests with dogs speak warmly of the staff, the gardens and the walking, with the South West Coast Path running past the cove towards the Helford Passage in one direction and Falmouth in the other. Dogs are welcome on the beach as well as in the gardens, and several owners describe the hotel as about as dog-friendly as they have found.

The weak point is breakfast with a dog. Dogs cannot go into the main restaurant, so owners eat in the upstairs dining area or the Bridge lounge, and the low or folding tables there come up again and again as awkward and uncomfortable, with queues when the hotel is full. If your dog cannot be left in the room, plan around that. The nightly fee also adds up quickly on a longer stay or with two dogs, and guests without dogs sometimes mention barking from dogs left alone in neighbouring rooms.

Hotel Meudon earns a 4.4/5 paw rating and is best for owners who will make the most of the gardens, the cove and the coast path, and are happy to pay the per-dog fee and accept a makeshift breakfast table.