Where Can I Stay in Bournemouth With My Pet?

The Cumberland is an art deco, four-star seafront hotel with more than 100 rooms, many with a view of the sea and a terrace or balcony. The lido deck has a Miami feel about it, with an outdoor pool, open between May and September, and special events, including Latin Summer parties with barbecues and chill beds. Guests can also use the indoor sauna and pool complex and a small bookable gym at the Suncliff Hotel next door.

This cute hotel, in a Victorian townhouse, has bags of personality thanks to owner Chanine, who has filled it with interesting knick-knacks she picked up on her world travels. There is a large, communal kitchen with an ocean-facing bay window, perfect for whipping up dinner in the evening with your pet at your feet below the long wooden table. The location, on pretty St Michael’s Road, is peaceful but within walking distance to the centre of town.

This East Cliff hotel makes a virtue of its pet-friendly credentials thanks to seven dog-friendly bedrooms. They all include creature comforts such as treats, a blanket, a dog bed and ball thrower. There’s even a doggy menu so owners can dine with their pets in the bar, out on the terrace or in The Snug. All the dishes for canines are prepared fresh – just like the food for humans. The view of the sea from the outdoor heated pool is great and the location by the pier and beach even better.

A traditional seaside hotel greets you at the Durley Dean, with its attractive red-brick Victorian architecture on West Cliff Road near two lovely sections of the beach – Durley Chine and Middle Chine. Dogs are welcome (one per room) and there’s a dedicated lounge for pets. The hotel leisure complex boasts a free-to-use swimming pool, gym, sauna and steam room. The bar offers Dorset cream teas, which are highly recommended, as well as beverages and snacks during the day. The No 28 Restaurant serves authentic British cuisine and is a good spot for dining.

This neat flat in an apartment building on Christchurch Road is perfect if you’re looking for a self-contained and private stay. That said, you can still walk to the centre of lively Boscombe, and the heart of Bournemouth itself is easily accessible. There’s a terrace and light-filled open plan living area and one room with a double bed, while the other has two singles. You’re fine to bring your pets but you need to ask first and there may be a charge involved.

These six apartments are in Westbourne, to the west of Bournemouth town centre, keeping you well away from all the beachside bustle if you choose. The nearby Alum Chine beach is much quieter than the ones nearer town, a chine being a narrow and deep ravine cut by water which runs vertiginously to the sea – it’s a word peculiar to the Isle of Wight and Dorset. The apartments are pet friendly and the owners boast of having had “dogs, cats and even chinchillas to stay”. Many of the apartments have garden views and are all well appointed.

There are two resident dogs at Waves In, Charlie and Arthur, who are just as friendly with other pets as they are with guests, and they can often be seen roaming the garden. This pretty B&B has a nautical theme, with pastel seaside shades on the walls and beach scenes on the pillows. You can get a breakfast hamper to your door if you fancy enjoying it in bed – why not follow that with a stroll to the beach through the picturesque Boscombe Chine Gardens?