Sea Shells, Paignton

Sea Shells is a self-contained annex on a quiet road in Preston, Paignton, about 200 metres from the beach, and it is thoroughly set up for dogs. The feature that sets it apart is an outdoor shower in the private side yard, with towels left out beside it, for rinsing sand and salt off a dog, and off people, before anyone goes back inside.

An extra charge of £20 applies when travelling with a dog. Inside, dogs arrive to bowls, a bed and treats, with a toy laid out in some stays, alongside the milk, juice, wine and chocolates set out for the humans.

The layout suits the rhythm of a beach holiday with a dog. There is a dedicated parking space directly outside the front door, so a wet, sandy dog goes straight from the car into its own space rather than through a shared hallway. The private outdoor area has seating and a BBQ in a small garden. Preston Sands is a few minutes on foot, Paignton Green and the pier a little further, and guests travelling with dogs report no shortage of nearby pubs and restaurants that will take one. Brixham, Dawlish and the rest of the bay are short drives for day trips.

Guest scores are outstanding at 9.9/10 across 32 reviews, and several of the guests travelling with dogs are repeat visitors.

The honest caveats are about size and style. This is a compact annex: fine for a couple or a solo traveller with one dog for a few nights, but guests who have stayed two or three weeks have found it cramped, particularly two adults sharing. The fit-out is quirky and characterful rather than contemporary, and the bed has been described as on the soft side. Best suited to couples and solo travellers with one or two dogs who want to be a short walk from the sand with somewhere to rinse the dog down afterwards. It earns a 4.8/5 paw rating.