Wellinghill Lodge, Cheltenham

Wellinghill Lodge is a small self-catering cottage on the Charlton Kings side of Cheltenham, and it suits dog owners for the simplest of reasons: you get the whole place to yourselves. No shared corridors to negotiate at six in the morning, no lift to share with a nervous dog, no reception desk to walk past with muddy paws. For a couple using Cheltenham as a Cotswolds base, that private front door does most of the hard work before you have finished unpacking.

Dogs are accepted here on request rather than automatically, so the booking needs a conversation first, and an extra charge applies for the dog - the property confirms the amount when you book rather than publishing it up front. The cottage is set up for one well-behaved dog rather than a pack, which fits its scale.

Guests travelling with dogs describe warm, unfussy hosts and a cottage that works comfortably for two people plus a dog. The wider guest profile is excellent too, at 9.6 out of 10 across 30 stays, with the welcome and the homely feel the themes that come up most.

Charlton Kings sits on the eastern edge of Cheltenham, which is the useful side for walking. The town centre and its parks are a couple of miles west, while the Cotswold escarpment climbs almost immediately to the east, putting Dowdeswell Woods and the ridge paths of the Cotswold Way within a few minutes' drive. A dog can have a proper hill walk before breakfast and still be in town by lunch.

Two things to sort before you travel. Get the dog agreed and the charge confirmed in writing when you book, since acceptance is not automatic. And this is a compact cottage rather than a house with acres attached, so a large or restless dog will find it snug.

Best suited to a couple with one calm, house-trained dog who want a quiet, homely Cheltenham base with the Cotswold hills close at hand. It earns a 4.5 out of 5 paw rating.