Dragon Villas Luxury Apart Hotel

Dragon Villas is a set of serviced apartments on a residential street a short walk from central Harrogate, and the apartment format is what makes it work for dogs. Each unit has its own kitchen, so dog food and bowls have somewhere to live, and parking is on site and easy. Both of those get awkward fast at a conventional town-centre hotel. The Garden Suite has its own outdoor area, and guests with dogs single it out as the one to ask for.

The walk into town takes a few minutes and the surrounding streets are quiet, so the first and last walk of the day are straightforward. Check-in is by key collection rather than a manned desk, which suits arriving with a dog in tow, and guests rate the pre-arrival communication highly.

Be clear on cost before you book. Guests have reported an additional charge of around £25 for dogs that was made clear only after booking, alongside a holding deposit larger than the room rate and a lengthy pre-check-in process. Both are worth confirming directly with the property.

The honest caveat is sound. Noise carries between the apartments: guests report hearing people moving about overhead, and dogs specifically, with barking at night from a neighbouring room and dogs running on a hard floor upstairs early in the morning. If your dog reacts to noise, or is likely to make some, that cuts both ways. Cleanliness is the other recurring theme, with dust, marks on walls and stains on furniture coming up more than once.

Best suited to a dog owner who wants a self-contained base in Harrogate with parking and a kitchen, and who is relaxed about a degree of neighbour noise. Ask about the Garden Suite if outdoor space matters.