Balmer Lawn Hotel

Balmer Lawn Hotel is a former hunting lodge turned four-star hotel and spa on the edge of Brockenhurst, and it is one of the New Forest's most thoroughly dog-friendly places to stay. Dogs are not tucked away in a corner here. They are allowed in the lobby and across most of the hotel and its grounds, and on any given day there are plenty of them about.

The welcome is the part guests with dogs talk about most. A dog bed, bowls and treats are typically waiting in the room, some owners mention poo bags too, and reception keeps a supply of biscuits. At breakfast dogs get a freshly cooked sausage, served in their own bowl, which comes up in review after review. There is also a dog shower with warm water for rinsing off after a muddy forest walk. Owners describe the staff as warm, helpful and genuinely pleased to see their dogs, and several say they have come back more than once.

Dogs cannot go into the pool or the formal Beresford restaurant, but that matters less than it sounds. The same menu is served in the bar and lounge, so you can eat well with your dog beside you, and in good weather the terrace is a pleasant place to sit out.

The location is the other big draw. The hotel opens straight onto the forest, with ponies and cattle grazing outside, and Brockenhurst village and its railway station are a short walk away. Walkers have even dropped in with their dogs for a cream tea at the end of a day out.

The building is where the complaints land. Many guests find the bedrooms dated and in need of maintenance, and the upper floors have no air conditioning, so they can get uncomfortably hot in a heatwave, which is hard on a dog. Ask for a cooler, lower-floor room in summer. A few guests without dogs feel there are too many around, so this is not the place if you want a dog-free bar.

For a New Forest break where your dog is fussed over from breakfast onwards and the walking starts at the door, it is a strong choice, as long as you can live with tired rooms.