DOWN HALL HOTEL, ESSEX
‘They were right little pampered pooches’
This grand spa hotel was used for this year’s Bake Off, so you could be snuggling in the same bed as Paul Hollywood (which is either exciting or horrifying, depending on your view). As well as a great restaurant, spa facilities and acres of gorgeous grounds, they’ve gone that extra mile to ensure you and your furry friend are totally taken care of, including a dog bed in your room and treats and toys on arrival. Here’s Olivia’s verdict…
“Down Hall was really lovely. Winnie and Reggie have never been to a hotel before. We never take them away as they can be quite naughty, but there were loads of options to have them around the hotel or leave them in the room during dinner and massages, and they were both fine. I said to Alex that we should warn the hotel about them chewing things, but Pets Pyjamas gave us loads of toys and treats, so they were fully occupied if they were left alone.
“The dogs slept on the hotel bed between Alex and I, and they loved it – they were right little pampered pooches. The dog beds the hotel provided looked so cosy, but there was no way we were going to get away with not having them in the bed with us. The room had patio doors, which we could open and let them run outside and the staff were really welcoming – we didn’t feel like we were treated any differently, because we had dogs. You can dine in the anti-lounge with the dogs for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner if you like, but we wouldn’t have got a look in with the food if we did that – the dogs would have eaten it all! They are also allowed in the cocktail bar, too. We had dinner in The Grill Room and the food was amazing. I had the steak and didn’t take any back for the dogs because it was so good – oops. For me, the best part of the hotel was the grounds, because I’m such a sucker for countryside and it was lovely to explore with the dogs.
“I’d definitely go to a dog-friendly hotel again. It’s really nice to take the pups away for a change of scenery, more so now since we’ve been at home most of the year. I’d just take loads of toys to keep your dogs occupied. But we’ve got the two naughtiest dogs in the world and we still managed to do it!”
Stay at Down Hall Hotel from £109 per night, including access to Petspyjamas 24/7 emergency vet line Pawsquad, for the duration of the stay when booked with Petspyjamas.com.