Westpoint Dog Friendly Apartments

Westpoint Dog Friendly Apartments sit directly on the Esplanade at West Bay, the harbour village on Bridport's stretch of the Jurassic Coast, and the name is not just marketing. This is a property where dogs are the expected guest rather than a special case.

Dogs are accepted in three of the apartments only and need to be arranged when you book, so the dog-friendly stock is limited and goes early in summer. Dogs cannot be left unattended in the apartment, which is worth planning around if you were hoping to have dinner out without them. There is a patch of lawn at the front that guests use for quick toilet breaks, allocated parking, and ground-floor apartments with no steps, which is a genuine advantage for older or arthritic dogs.

The location does most of the work. The beach is across the road, the harbour with its pubs and cafes is a couple of minutes' walk, and there is a dog beach within easy reach. The South West Coast Path runs through West Bay, and guests regularly walk east towards Abbotsbury or take the Jurassic Coaster bus to Lyme Regis and walk back. Dog-friendly restaurants in the village mean you rarely have to choose between eating out and leaving the dog behind.

The apartments themselves are the weaker half of the equation. They are comfortable and well equipped, but cleanliness is genuinely inconsistent: guests repeatedly report dusty skirting boards, grubby blinds and floors that need a better clean, and rodents around the bin store have been reported. Some flats are noticeably dated, second bedrooms are heavy on bunks, and shower rooms are small. Night-time noise from cars meeting on the seafront comes up often enough to matter for light sleepers and nervy dogs.

Westpoint suits dog owners who want to walk out of the door onto the coast path and the beach, and who care more about location and a warm welcome than about a spotless, recently refurbished interior. It earns a 4.4/5 paw rating.