Yorkshire

Dog friendly hotels and cottages in Yorkshire

Lifestyle blogger and dog owner Amanda is here to share her personal favourite dog friendly hotels and cottages in Yorkshire that welcome both you and your four-legged friend with open arms…

Ever since we got our lovely little dog, not leaving him behind on weekend breaks has been of the utmost importance. Luckily, since my pup is a miniature dachshund (a sausage dog), he is a bit easier to accommodate than, say, a Great Dane! And as we are based in York, we have some of the most beautiful countryside in all of England on our doorstep – we couldn’t ask for a better location for quick and easy staycations and weekend getaways!

With that in mind, here are my personal recommendations for the perfect dog-friendly weekend in Yorkshire!

A dog-friendly hotel beside the seaside

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Scarborough is one of those traditional British seaside towns that come steeped in memories of childhood visits in the summertime. And even today, British seaside holidays still hold all the charm of yesteryear, with Scarborough being the perfect choice for a trip down memory lane.

When visiting Scarborough, I recommend staying at Ox Pasture Hall Hotel. The hall is a former country house and it still retains a lot of its rustic charm. The space is large and there’s lots of natural light in the rooms. The bathtub was literally amazing – that flow of water! – and I spent nearly an hour and a half in the bath reading and relaxing.

It’s surrounded by beautiful countryside and fields. Walk 500 metres from the hotel and you’re in the stunning Yorkshire Moors National Park or drive 10 minutes back into Scarborough and you’re by the sea, making it the perfect location for a relaxing staycation. It’s isolated and full of natural beauty; however, because of its rural location, mobile reception and WIFI can be slightly spotty- an excellent motivator to make you dedicated to unplugging over the weekend.

And luckily the hotel is very dog-friendly! In fact, you’re almost guaranteed to see a handful of canine faces at some point during your stay. There’s a £10 tariff per dog per night and if you’re bringing your pet you must mention it when you book the room (so that the hotel can make sure that you’re in the right dog-friendly rooms). The staff are always excited to meet your dog, and as a dog-owner it’s delightful to have your four-legged friend seen not as a burden but as a welcome guest!

The Ox Pasture Hall is about seven minutes outside the town so if you don’t have your own transportation you’ll have to travel by taxi. However, the hotel can help you organise this and a single trip into town will cost you about £10.

Ox Pasture Hall

Scarborough
8.2 Very good (14 reviews)

A dog-friendly hotel with beautiful views

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Helmsley is located on the doorstep of the North Yorkshire Moors and some of the views around there are absolutely breathtaking, not to mention the fact that there are some fabulous walking routes. It really is the ideal country destination for you and your dog. Helmsley is one of the most stunning little market towns that I’ve ever seen; it has the perfect rural idyll vibe going on. I definitely recommend visiting the Helmsley Walled Garden (open every day from April to October) to see the beautiful gardens, and in case you’re wondering, yes, your dog is more than welcome! There are water bowls dotted around and dogs are even welcome at The Vine House Cafe within the Garden.

When in Helmsley, I’d suggest a stay at The Black Swan. The hotel started life as a traditional coaching inn, so there’s nearly 500 years of history behind it. The Black Swan bills itself as a traditional country hotel, so it makes sense that the team behind it pride themselves on being able to point out and describe some of the best walking routes for you.

At the Black Swan Hotel, your pet can stay with you the majority of the time. So, if your special guy wants to curl up next to a big open fireplace after a long day’s walk, then he absolutely can. The restaurant, tea room and ‘dog free’ bedrooms are the only parts of the hotel that are off-limit. I would personally be sure to set aside a tiny bit of dog-free time to visit the award-winning tea room, it’s a real treat!

The Black Swan - The Inn Collection Group

Top rated
Helmsley
8.8 Excellent (799 reviews)

A dog-friendly boutique-chic hotel

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Hotel du Vin in Harrogate occupies a stretch of Georgian houses and comprises four suites and 48 rooms. The buildings have real character and history, which is exactly what you want if you’re booking a trip to Harrogate. Some of the rooms have beautiful free-standing baths definitely makes the experience! The hotel is quite sleek and boutiquey so you wouldn’t expect it to be dog-friendly, but it is! They offer special dog friendly rooms, again at a charge of £10.00 per dog per night.

The hotel is very conveniently located in the centre of town, which enables quick access to lots of great restaurants and points of interest for exploring. But what makes it really stand out for dog owners is that the hotel is located across the street from beautiful parkland, so if your dog needs an evening walk or even a late-night run around, you don’t have to go far from your room.

Harrogate has been voted “the happiest place to live in the UK” multiple times and it only takes a short break to this spa town to see why. The ultimate tips from me would have to be a trip to the gorgeous 200-acre parkland called The Stray in the centre of town to let your dog run around. And if you can manage some solo time out, no visit to Harrogate would be complete without afternoon tea at Bettys; you’d have to leave your dog behind however as they only allow assistance dogs in the cafe.

Hotel Du Vin & Bistro Harrogate

Top rated
Harrogate
8.6 Excellent (1594 reviews)

A dog-friendly tree-house hotel

I first encountered the Bivouac when I spent my birthday last year in Masham. The Swinton Bivouacs are part of the Swinton Estate (another beautiful hotel for another time!) but the Bivouac is truly something a little bit different. This ‘hotel’ is better described as a tree lodge and glamping retreat. It is situated on the 20,000-acre Swinton Estate full of gorgeous timber tree lodges built using traditional wooden frames.

The location is really special, as just a short walk from your lodge is the Druid’s Temple, a famous local stone circle modelled on Stonehenge. It was only built in the late 1800s, but the beautiful woodland lends it an ethereal atmosphere.

Your choices of things to do whilst there aren’t just walks and being cooped up in your cabin with your dog – they are also allowed into the cafe where both of you can treat yourselves to a snack!

If you want to book in to the Bivoauc with your dog, you’ll want to plan in advance. There are only two dog-friendly Tree Lodges, so you will have to make sure that one of them is free for you. There is also a one off £15 charge when you are booking with a pet and they also ask that dogs aren’t left alone in any of the Lodges.

Hotel Swinton Estate

Top rated
Masham
9.4 Excellent (343 reviews)

A dog-friendly 5-star hotel in Yorkshire

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In my humble opinion, it would be foolish to visit Yorkshire with your dog and not visit York, as it is such a dog friendly town. I may be biased (being a York local and all) but the town really is one of the most stunning historic cities in all of England. You’ll find the beautiful Minster Cathedral, the Roman Walls, lots of museums, an amazing food scene – I could go on and on! I particularly recommend the cafes along Bishopthorpe Road, and beautiful Rowntree Park is always filled with dog walkers.

My top hotel pick here must be the Grand Hotel & Spa. For out-of-town visitors, the Grand is conveniently located just down the road from the train station, which makes checking in and out very convenient (and if you have a travel-weary dog you know that you don’t have far to go before your friend can have a warm lie-down). One of York’s most iconic Edwardian buildings, the Grand Hotel & Spa used to be the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway and has transformed itself into a stunning luxury hotel where the history of the building has not been forgotten. Ranked as the top 5 Star hotel in the UK by the trivago Awards 2017, it is definitely my top recommendation for York visitors wanting to treat themselves and their pooch to a little luxury.

There’s a £25 service fee when travelling with a dog (it goes towards an intense deep-cleaning after your furry friend checks out so that future guests won’t have any allergy issues) and usually you’ll be accommodated in on of the ground floor rooms when travelling with your dog.

The Grand, York

Top rated
York
9.4 Excellent (2688 reviews)

A proud dog owner and GBBO fan, Amanda runs the successful blog Rhyme and Ribbons, sharing beautiful tales about her life in Yorkshire focusing mostly on food, travel and small adventures.