Lyndhurst
Forest Lodge Hotel, BW Signature Collection
Independent pet-friendly review by Four Legged Guests · updated October 2026 · paw rating built from 7 verified guest reviews mentioning pets
Bring your dog if
- You're happy with a standard hotel-room stay where the property explicitly welcomes dogs
- You're basing yourself in Lyndhurst and want a pet-friendly anchor for day trips
Worth knowing
- Pet fee: £15 - the amount is published but not what it covers, so confirm the terms when you book
- Shared corridors and common areas mean nervous or vocal dogs may find it harder to settle
How this review was built Evidence, sources, refresh cadence
- Evidence: 7 pet-mention guest reviews sourced from major booking platforms - guests who explicitly mentioned travelling with a dog. Each review is screened for pet-relevance, then judged for sentiment to compute the paw rating.
- Not a personal visit. We don't stay at every hotel we cover - we summarise patterns from real guest reviews, paraphrased and never quoted verbatim. Full standard on our editorial policy page.
- Wider context: The property has 721 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, averaging 8.0/10 - the paw rating reflects only the pet-mentioning subset.
- Last refreshed: October 2026. Policies and pricing drift; we re-check on a rolling basis. Confirm specifics with the property at the moment you book.
- How the paw rating works: Full detail on the methodology page, including the three verification gates and known limitations.
Pet policy at a glance
- We are pet friendly and charge £15.00 per night for up to two dogs, which includes a doggy welcome pack upon arrival.
Pet-friendly summary
Forest Lodge Hotel sits on Pikes Hill on the edge of Lyndhurst, right in the New Forest, and it is a relaxed, traditional country hotel where dogs are part of the everyday guest mix. Dogs can stay for £15 per night, which covers up to two dogs and includes a doggy welcome pack on arrival, and the hotel earns a 4.2/5 paw rating from guests who brought their dogs.
The staff are the reason most dog owners leave happy. Guests travelling with dogs regularly describe the welcome as warm and attentive, with reception and breakfast staff going out of their way to make families with children and a dog feel at ease. Dog owners often single out how accommodating the team is, and visiting families from abroad have found it an easy, comfortable stop with a dog in tow.
The location does a lot of the work. Lyndhurst's high street and its pubs are around a ten-minute walk away, there is a pub a couple of hundred metres from the door, and forest walking trails start almost on the doorstep, so morning and evening walks are easy. Parking is free and plentiful, which helps if you are arriving with a car full of dog kit.
It is not a flawless stay. The building has a slightly old-fashioned feel, and some guests with dogs found rooms tired, showers unreliable and the continental breakfast underwhelming for the price, particularly on a one-night stay. A few felt the dog-friendly label promised more than they experienced.
For a New Forest base with walks on the doorstep and staff who are genuinely glad to see dogs, Forest Lodge is a solid choice, as long as you are coming for the setting and the welcome rather than polished modern rooms.
Highlights from pet-mentioning reviews
What reviewers travelling with dogs consistently noted about staying here.
- Warm, attentive staff who welcome dogs
- £15 per night covers up to two dogs
- Forest walking trails close to the door
- Short walk to Lyndhurst pubs
- Some rooms feel dated and tired
- Free on-site parking for guests
About this hotel
Forest Lodge Hotel is a four-star hotel on Pikes Hill in Lyndhurst, at the heart of the New Forest in Hampshire. It has a swimming pool, comfortable lounges, a bar with an outside terrace and free on-site parking, and the village centre is about a ten-minute walk away.
Hotel facts
Photos
Location
Pikes Hill, Lyndhurst, SO43 7AS