Berwyn Lodge, Llangollen

Berwyn Lodge is a compact self-contained cabin on a small holiday park just outside Llangollen, with its own hot tub and a canal-side walk into town. Dogs are part of the normal run of guests here rather than an exception, and the format of the place, a single-storey unit you have entirely to yourself, takes most of the friction out of travelling with one.

What guests with dogs praise most is the setting. The towpath into Llangollen is short and level, which suits an older or slower dog, and the surrounding noise is mostly steam trains, canal barge horses and birdsong rather than traffic. The lodge is reported as spotlessly clean on arrival, and repeat visits are common enough that several guests are on their second stay.

There is one practical drawback that dog owners raise more than any other, and it is worth knowing before booking. The outdoor area around the lodge is not enclosed, so there is no straightforward way to let a dog out unsupervised, or to keep one safely contained while you are using the hot tub. Guests have resorted to bringing their own screen to close the gap. The lodge also sits first on the left by the site entrance road, so there is passing foot traffic and a certain amount of being looked at, which matters if your dog frets at being left indoors alone.

None of that stops it working well. It simply means it suits a dog that will settle beside you rather than one that needs a secure garden. The booking listing states neither a pet fee nor a maximum number of dogs, so confirm both directly. For a couple with one steady dog wanting a hot tub, the canal and a walkable Welsh town, Berwyn Lodge earns a 4.4/5 paw rating.