The Most Pet-Friendly Destinations and Hotels in the United Kingdom

Feel like a massage after a long day’s rambling with your dog? The four-star Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa, in Keswick, Derwentwater, is on hand to help with luxury treatments in its top-notch spa, which comprises a Finnish sauna and salt steam room. As you recharge, you’ll be able to leave your pooch in your room, with a bed and bowl provided by the hotel. Meanwhile, at dinner, you can dine with your pet in the side lounge, otherwise they will have to wait patiently while you eat in the restaurants or lounge bar.

The 18th-century Charles Cotton Hotel, in the village of Hartington, is a cosy village pub and hotel that retains its original look and feel with wood beams throughout. Two of the rooms here are pet-friendly, and it’s in a prime location 8mi (11km) from Dovedale National Nature Reserve. You’re also at the heart of the Peak District’s cheese production and you can taste local supplies in the hotel’s lauded bistro.

Just north of Gloucester, the Tewkesbury Park Hotel offers a remote luxury escape from city living. This grand hotel is set in 176 acres (71ha) of parkland so where better to base yourself where the dog can run loose in the grounds. Patio doors, a feature of the hotel’s dog-friendly rooms, lead out directly onto the grass. Your four-legged friend can’t go everywhere in the hotel of course – dogs are not particularly welcome on the 18-hole golf course, the indoor tennis courts or in the pool – however, they can join you for a pre-dinner drink at the piano bar.

Soak up Dartmoor’s dramatic landscapes with a stay at this Grade II*-listed former manor housel. Set in 275 acres (111ha) of one corner of the park, the five-star Bovey Castle allows for 360-degree views of the countryside. You might get to enjoy the view, but only post walk. Back in the hotel, dogs are allowed in most of the 59 bedrooms – just check beforehand.

Dating back to 1430, the Spread Eagle Hotel & Spa is one of England’s oldest coaching inns. As such it makes for a charming countryside hotel that’s rooted in tradition. That doesn’t mean it lacks modern touches, though. There’s a spa to unwind in, and the rooms are rather contemporary in feel. They accommodate dogs here – but, be warned, only well-behaved ones.

Not much rivals cosiness in the countryside – and in Snowdonia, no place does it better than the Groes Inn. About half a mile (0.8km) from Snowdonia National Park, this traditional British inn welcomes weary walkers and their four-legged friends to revel in the hotel’s warmth and enjoy views of the Conwy River estuary. But mind, only select rooms accommodate pets.

Continue the theme of tranquillity with a stay at the four-star Ballathie Country house Hotel, set in 900 acres (364ha) of countryside. This regal estate was first occupied in the 1880s, and its traditions persevere – such as afternoon tea in the grandiose drawing room. While dogs will have to sit out on the scones and sarnies, they are able to sit with you at breakfast and evenings on request, and you’ll find most bedrooms are more than accommodating.

Set in more than 4 acres (1.6ha) of gardens and the Nithsdale Valley woodlands, Trigony House Hotel is a paradise for pooches and their outdoor-loving owners. This hotel, just off the A76 in Dumfries and Galloway, is pet-friendly throughout and boasts wonderful garden spa complete with a wood-fired Swedish hot tub and Finnish sauna cabin. There are only 10 rooms here, so advance booking is essential.