Magical May!
Sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself to a holiday where absolutely everything is taken care of for you. This month, Andrea McHugh has found three beautiful dog-friendly hotels, offering you and your best friend the chance to enjoy a pawfect city break, or a country retreat.
THATCHED COTTAGE HOTEL
BROCKENHURST, HAMPSHIRE
The picture-perfect Thatched Cottage hotel is in the centre of Brockenhurst in the New Forest National Park, which offers miles of superb walking routes to explore.
This quintessentially English building is a warm and welcoming Grade II listed hotel, originally built in 1627. Today, the Thatched Cottage offers a choice of historic and contemporary accommodation, with dog-friendly rooms conveniently situated on the ground floor with easy access to the garden.
Matthew Lawson, the owner, was the proud owner of Cassia, a beautiful Black Labrador for 14 years. Although no longer a dog owner, Matthew is keen to ensure the hotel remains as welcoming as possible to dogs and their owners.
“Dogs receive a warm welcome from our dog-friendly staff and will also receive a special gift of a pot of hand-baked treats made from natural ingredients,” says Matthew.
“We have a small tea garden to walk your dog, but nearby there are plenty of walks in the New Forest in every direction out of the village of Brockenhurst. We only charge £10 per stay for you to have a dog (or dogs) in the room with you. This is just to cover the extra cleaning — we don’t understand why some hotels charge a ridiculous amount per dog or per night! Within reason, there is no limit to the number of dogs.
“Although dogs are not allowed in the hotel kitchen, they are welcome to join their owners at breakfast and in the tearoom. We don’t offer evening meals because there are so many great places to eat and drink in Brockenhurst. There are at least 12 eateries within a five-minute walk from the hotel and some of these are happy to welcome dogs, so there is plenty of choice for guests.”
● For more information, visit www.thatchedcottage.co.uk