Holiday Inn Portsmouth

The Holiday Inn on Pembroke Road sits on the edge of Old Portsmouth, a few minutes' walk from Southsea Common and the seafront, with the Historic Dockyard a short ride north. It is a large, slightly dated four-star with a pool and a bar, and for dog owners the interesting part is how far the hotel has thought the arrangement through rather than simply allowing it.

Dogs go in specially reserved rooms, so the room type has to be requested at the time of booking rather than mentioned on arrival. The charge is £15 per dog per night, and it is dogs only. Reception keeps food bowls and waste bags, and can point guests towards local walking routes. Most usefully, dogs are welcome in a designated part of the open lobby, which has table service, so an evening drink does not have to happen in the bedroom.

Guests travelling with dogs describe an accommodating welcome and staff who take it in their stride. The wider picture is more mixed and worth knowing before booking: the building is old, and comments about tired decor, patchy housekeeping and air conditioning that was not working recur often enough to be a pattern rather than bad luck. A room getting hot matters more with a dog in it, so temperature is a fair thing to ask about when you book. Parking is on site but charged, and it fills up.

Best suited to dog owners who want the seafront and the dockyard within reach, and who value being able to sit downstairs with the dog rather than being confined to the room. Anyone who would rather have a freshly refurbished room than dog-friendly public space may prefer to look elsewhere in the city.