South West Torquay
The Downs, Babbacombe
Independent pet-friendly review by Four Legged Guests · updated August 2026 · paw rating built from 1 verified guest review mentioning pets
Bring your dog if
- You want a whole-property rental - no shared lobbies or corridors to navigate with your dog
- You're basing yourself in Torquay / the South West and want a pet-friendly anchor for day trips
- The wider guest experience is strong - guests rate this 10.0/10 overall on booking platforms
Worth knowing
- Paw rating sits on a single confirmed pet review - expect movement as more data arrives
- Pet fee and any size restrictions aren't published - confirm directly with the property before booking
- Shared corridors and common areas mean nervous or vocal dogs may find it harder to settle
How this review was built Evidence, sources, refresh cadence
- Evidence: 1 pet-mention guest review sourced from major booking platforms - guests who explicitly mentioned travelling with a dog. Each review is screened for pet-relevance, then judged for sentiment to compute the paw rating.
- Not a personal visit. We don't stay at every hotel we cover - we summarise patterns from real guest reviews, paraphrased and never quoted verbatim. Full standard on our editorial policy page.
- Wider context: The property has 1 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, averaging 10.0/10 - the paw rating reflects only the pet-mentioning subset.
- Last refreshed: August 2026. Policies and pricing drift; we re-check on a rolling basis. Confirm specifics with the property at the moment you book.
- How the paw rating works: Full detail on the methodology page, including the three verification gates and known limitations.
Pet policy at a glance
- A pet surcharge applies. The amount is not published, so confirm it when you book.
- Dogs are specifically listed as allowed (check directly if you are travelling with a cat or another pet).
- On-site pet amenities: water bowls, towels, cold storage for fresh dog food on request.
- Dedicated dog-friendly room types: allocated dog-friendly rooms; some are not suitable for larger dogs.
- Every area of the hotel is dog friendly apart from the restaurant. Dogs can join you in the lounge bar at mealtimes, or stay in your room while you eat.
- If you leave the hotel you must take your dog with you.
- Some rooms are not suitable for larger dogs, so mention your dog's size when booking.
Pet-friendly summary
The Downs sits directly on the Babbacombe Downs cliff-top promenade in Torquay, and for anyone travelling with a dog that address does most of the work: a long, level clifftop walk over Lyme Bay begins at the front door. It is a small Victorian seafront guesthouse rather than a large hotel, and it earns a 4.4/5 paw rating for a dog welcome that is spelled out in detail rather than left vague.
Dogs are allowed in every part of the guesthouse except the restaurant, which is a wider run of the building than most seaside guesthouses offer. At mealtimes you can either bring your dog into the lounge bar with you or leave them settled in the room while you eat. A surcharge applies, though the amount is not published, so agree it when you book. The practical touches go beyond permission: water bowls and towels are on hand, and fresh dog food will be kept refrigerated on request. Dog-friendly rooms are allocated rather than universal, and some are too small for a larger dog, so mention your dog's size when you book.
The one rule to plan around is that dogs cannot be left behind while you go out: if you leave the hotel, your dog leaves with you. That suits owners who intend to spend the day out together, and rules out anyone hoping to leave a dog in the room for an afternoon trip. Otherwise the setting does the entertaining. The cliff railway drops down to Oddicombe Beach, and the Downs itself is flat, wide and lead-friendly in any weather, while the breakfast and the sea views draw steady praise.
Best suited to a couple or a solo traveller with a small or medium dog who plan to be out together most of the day. Rooms are reached by stairs, which is worth a thought with an older or stiff-legged dog. Less suited to owners of very large dogs, or to anyone who needs to leave a dog unattended in the room.
Highlights from pet-mentioning reviews
What reviewers travelling with dogs consistently noted about staying here.
- Dogs welcome everywhere except the restaurant
- Water bowls, towels and dog-food storage
- Cliff-top promenade walk from the door
- Dogs cannot be left in the room alone
- Allocated dog rooms, some too small for large dogs
About this hotel
The Downs, Babbacombe is a 4-star Victorian guesthouse on the Babbacombe Downs cliff-top promenade in Torquay, south Devon. Rooms look out over Lyme Bay, breakfast is cooked to order, and there is a lounge bar and an on-site restaurant. The clifftop promenade, the cliff railway and Oddicombe Beach are all a few minutes away on foot.
Hotel facts
Photos
Location
Seafront, 41-43 Babbacombe Downs Road, Babbacombe, Torquay, Torquay, TQ1 3LN
