Five of our favourite dog-friendly hotels in Dorset
Dorset has a dreamy combination of coast and countryside, rural peace and bustling towns, to keep you and your dog entertained for a weekend, or a few days, in a spoiling hotel. You might not always put ‘hotel’ and ‘dog-friendly’ in the same sentence but our office full of dog-lovers are always delighted when one of our favourite hotels ticks the boxes for sublime food, serious style and a warm welcome for our four-legged pals. In this selection of dog-friendly Dorset hotels you’ll find an irresistible combination of good food – don’t worry your dog can join you in most, if not all, public spaces – gorgeous interiors and a genuine welcome to all members of your family.
The Ollerod
Dog treats on arrival. Special menus on request, drying towels and best walks advice. £15 per dog per night; 1 medium-sized dog or 2 small dogs.
In a lush Dorset valley, this warm and friendly little hotel in arty Beaminster is on a mission to give you really good food, excellent wine and a very comfortable night’s sleep. You’re looked after beautifully and it’s the friendliness you’ll remember – there’s no pomp or ceremony, it’s intimate and deeply comfortable, with something beautiful at every turn. Guests with dogs stay in the spacious and cheerful ground-floor deluxe bedroom. Dogs will be happy scampering in the secure walled garden or exploring the village. Five hills surround you for wonderful walks, Bridport, 15 minutes on the bus, and Lyme, a half hour drive, are close for great restaurants, fossil hunting and plenty of beaches.
Owner Silvana: Go fossil hunting at Charmouth Beach – part of the Jurassic coast – just a 15-minute drive.
The Seaside Boarding House, Restaurant & Bar
Dogs by arrangement, no extra fee. Welcome on the terrace and in the bar.
A serene restaurant-hotel on Chesil beach with a perfect view of the big blue sea. Rolling hills shoot north towards Dorchester, while the view east follows the sand 20 miles round to Portland Bill. The terrace on a hot summer’s day is out of this world. For dogs and their human walkers, the Jurassic coastline is a wonder and the South West Coastal Path passes right outside your door. After a day’s blast of sea air, return to treats at the bar for your pooch and snazzy cocktails for you before you wander up to sleep in bedrooms with far reaching sea views. Dinner is a treat of imaginative modern classics and lovely local wines.
Owner Mary-Lou: There are seaside and countryside walks for all seasons and all levels of keenness, fabulous old castles, hill forts, churches and historic buildings to explore. On sunny days there are BBQʼs, picnics and swimming to be had on the beach below.
The King’s Arms
£15 per dog per stay. Dogs are welcome in first floor bedrooms, the bar and old smoking room where the full restaurant menu is served.
You’re well looked after at this beautifully restored old coaching inn. Expect a vibrant, bustling atmosphere, great food, friendly staff and super-swish bedrooms. If you’re travelling with your dog, you eat in the jolly smoking room with comfortable chairs in pretty fabrics, but you’re also welcome to prop up the bar. An excellent breakfast menu includes really good veggie choices plus Old Spot pork and sausages from Wedmore, and home-baked bread. A ciabatta menu at lunchtime is popular but you can also get classic pub grub or posh modern British with a twist. Bedrooms come in different sizes but even the smallest have beautiful windows and high ceilings. All have mini fridges, Nespresso machines, Roberts radios and very good beds.
Owners Rob & Camille: Dorchester was once a fortified walled Roman Town, Durnovaria. Explore the Roman ruins and Dorset County Museum, home to more than two million artefacts.
The Eastbury Hotel & Spa
£20 per dog per night. Dog biscuits are free and dog grooming can be booked. Dogs are welcome in 9 bedrooms and throughout the hotel and in the restaurant.
Delightful staff make you feel welcome with their smiley efficiency, and local lad Matthew Street, MasterChef contestant and finalist in the prestigious Roux Scholarship, heads up the kitchen. You, and your dog, can eat in the restaurant overlooking the garden. Wander about elegant Sherborne, with the stunning Abbey and castle gardens landscaped by Capability Brown. While away an afternoon browsing independent shops then return to a comfortable lounge, sunny morning room with magazines and games and a library for loafing. The walled garden is set in an acre of mature trees and plants – perfect for your dog to run around after supper or for you all to stroll to Purlieu Meadow for a splash in the river.
The owners: The Jurassic Coast is a 30-minute drive. Favourite spots include Lyme Regis, West Bay, Weymouth, Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove.
The Bear
The Bear£15 per dog per night. Dogs are welcome in 7 bedrooms and all of The Bear’s public areas.
A smartly-refurbished 1720 coaching inn sitting by the river in pretty Wareham. Inside, find a lovely bar with a wood-burning stove, a library with a mix of tables and comfy chairs for a quiet read, a big dining room and a café with a high beamed ceiling and a more contemporary feel. Bedrooms, suitably bear-like, are all a good size and some have huge copper baths. Wake to homemade granola, buttermilk pancakes, bacon and maple syrup, eggs how you like. Menus are nicely short, ethical and local with game in season, tapas nights and Dorset ales and wines. There are miles of glorious countryside to stride with your dog or stroll along the boat-bobbing quayside.
Owners Janet & Chris: The Wareham Two Rivers Walks follow footpaths and quiet roads alongside the rivers Frome and Piddle. There are two circular walks starting at Wareham Quay.
Written by
Carmen McCormack
Carmen is a freelance writer specialising in travel. She once lived in a bus in north Wales, skipped off to study in Barcelona, and now calls Bristol home. When she’s not tapping away on her laptop, she can be found reading (a lot), lake swimming (a little), and pottering on the allotment with husband and two kiddos. She’s currently dreaming about cold cerveza and torta in Mexico.
