From cosy cottages that open onto sweeping, pooch-friendly beaches to hotels that offer goody bags and treats for canine companions, here’s some of the best accommodation where you and your furry friend are sure to get a warm welcome.
Words Jenny Oldaker
1. Best for breathtaking vistas | Shieldaig Lodge, Ross-shire, Scotland
With its show-stopping position overlooking Loch Shieldaig, set in a 26,000-acre estate with a huge variety of trails to explore, this retreat in the West Highlands of Scotland is a perfect getaway for humans and hounds alike. Guests can choose from a Classic Room (one dog), or a Deluxe or Family Superior Loch View Room (up to two dogs) to share with their pet. Dogs get a comfy bed for their stay, a ‘Hound Bag’ filled with canine accessories, including a tennis ball, treats and poo bags, plus a map of local routes for walkies. Stays in a Classic Room start from around £150 per night (room only), plus £20 per pup per night (shieldaiglodge.com).
2. Best for family fun | Moonfleet Manor, Dorset
Just five miles from Weymouth and overlooking the Fleet Lagoon and Chesil Beach, this comfortable Georgian manor welcomes canine holidaymakers just as warmly as it does their owners. On arrival, doggy guests will feel immediately at home with a welcome pack including a bed, bowl, tennis ball and treats. An in-room A La Bark menu and Waggy-Tails Tea for dogs (complete with puppacino) are also offered to make pets feel utterly pampered. There are dog-friendly dining spaces, ample grounds to roam and a dog wash station for getting clean after a day of exploring. Deluxe Rooms sleeping up to four start at £271 per night (B&B), plus £25 per dog, per night (luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk/locations/moonfleet-manor).
3. Best for a self-catered hot tub retreat | Salt Life, Dunes at Upton Towans, Cornwall
Almost 60% of Luxury Coastal’s holiday lets welcome dogs – and Salt Life is just one of them. This striking two-bedroom eco-lodge in west Cornwall is ideally positioned for pups – just a short stroll across the dunes to the beach, which is dog-friendly all year round. On returning from an energising walk on the sands, head to the private garden for alfresco dining and a relaxing soak in the hot tub. Salt Life sleeps up to four, with prices for two- or three-night stays starting from £614. It welcomes up to two dogs, charged at £30 per pet per week (luxurycoastal.co.uk).
4. Best for a Wild Atlantic stay | Ocean Sands Hotel, Co Sligo, Ireland
Dogs are not merely tolerated at Ocean Sands in Enniscrone on Ireland’s Atlantic Coast – the hotel endeavours to ensure that all furry guests feel thoroughly well looked after. To that end, there are eight comfortable dog-friendly rooms plus self-catered apartments that offer direct outdoor access and a doggy dining area where guests can eat with pets by their side. With miles of beach and the Wild Atlantic Way right on the doorstep, the location is also a paradise for both two- and four-legged walkers. Double rooms start from around €139 per night, plus €15 per dog per night – a maximum of two dogs per room applies (theoceansandshotel.ie).
5. Best for chic boutique appeal | Penally Abbey Hotel, Pembrokeshire, Wales
The Coach House at Penally Abbey near Tenby has four bedrooms which are perfect for dogs, opening directly onto the gardens. Dog-friendly dining is available too, with a pretty sunroom where guests can enjoy breakfasts and dinners accompanied by their pets. Many of the team are dog owners and so are well-placed to share local knowledge on activities and locations you can enjoy with your four-legged friend. And, to top it all off, bracing beach walks and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path are a short and easy stroll away. Cosy Coach House doubles start from £230 per night, including a full Welsh breakfast – up to two dogs are welcome, at a charge of £15 per pet per night (penally-abbey.com).
6. Best for a spa stay | Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa, Isle of Mull, Scotland
With a path that leads from the hotel grounds to a remote beach, guests can walk their pooch straight from the door at the Isle of Mull Hotel – and the island is a dream for dogs. Think miles of canine-friendly coastline, endless countryside to romp in and several conveniently close eateries where furry companions are welcome. Within the hotel, comfortable bedrooms aren’t only reserved for humans – there are 48 rooms that can accommodate a maximum of two dogs each and they can join you in the lounge too. Classic Double rooms start from around £137 (room only) or £164 including breakfast, with an extra charge of £25 per dog, per night (crerarhotels.com/collection/isle-of-mull-hotel-and-spa).
7. Best for a coastal cottage stay | Old Walls, Devon
This characterful former fisherman’s cottage in the heart of Salcombe couldn’t be better placed for a coastal recharge. It’s close to the harbour and just a few minutes’ walk away from local pubs, shops and restaurants – and with lovely estuary views to boot. It’s one of almost 800 dog-friendly properties available through Toad Hall Cottages and with both coastal and creek strolls and hikes close by, it’s in a great location for walkies. On your return, Old Walls’ patio balcony is a tranquil place to unwind with your pet – or head to the nearby Fortescue Inn or The Wardroom for dog-friendly coffees, cakes and dining. Old Walls sleeps up to five people and three nights costs from £505, with an extra charge of £30 per week per pet (toadhallcottages.co.uk).
8. Best for bracing beach walks | The Whittling House, Northumberland
The Northumberland Coast enjoys some of the UK’s finest stretches of dog-friendly sands and Alnmouth is a perfect base from which to explore them. The Whittling House offers several dog-friendly rooms and has a designated section of its dining room where furry guests are welcome too. Furthermore, they will be gifted their own welcome pack of treats and comfortable dog beds are available on request so your pet can enjoy a cosy night’s sleep after bounding over those golden dunes. Dog-friendly rooms start from around £225 per night and it costs an extra £15 per night to bring your pooch (thewhittlinghouse.co.uk).
9. Best for chocolate- box charm | Periwinkle Cottage, Norfolk
When you book one of Winterton Cottages’ dog-friendly Norfolk-based properties, there’s no additional charge for bringing your pet – and one of its prettiest, Periwinkle Cottage in Winterton-on-Sea, is a thoroughly appealing prospect for a relaxing coastal break with your pups in tow. This four-bedroom detached cottage sings chocolate-box charm, from its thatched roof to its flower-festooned façade. The enclosed garden means that pets can spend quality outdoor time safely, while the easy walk to local amenities and the long sandy beach makes it easy to get out and about for pretty shoreline strolls. A three-night stay for up to eight people and up to two dogs starts from £750 (wintertoncottages.co.uk).
10. Best for an Island getaway | Luccombe Manor, Isle of Wight
With a clutch of awards for its dog-friendly credentials, guests seeking an Isle of Wight break with their pet can be assured the warmest of welcomes at Luccombe Manor. From dog beds and doggy welcome packs to towels and blankets, a ‘doggy shop’ for toys and treats and a doggy wash station, canine guests and their owners are well looked after. There is even a separate hotel restaurant where four-legged diners can join you for meals (and enjoy their own breakfast sausages). Prices start from £99 for a Classic Double room and breakfast, with a charge for dogs of £15 per night (luccombemanor.co.uk).
Sicover more dog-friendly places to stay, the best coastal dog walks or pick up the latest copy of coast magazine for the latest seadogs news.
