Lake District Castle Inn Hotel & Spa

The Lake District Castle Inn sits in its own grounds above Bassenthwaite Lake, a four-star spa hotel about eight minutes' drive north of Keswick and within easy reach of Binsey and the quieter northern fells. For anyone building a walking break around a dog it works as a proper base rather than just a bed for the night: open countryside on the doorstep, and a pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi to come back to after a wet day out.

Dogs stay in a set of ground-floor Executive Double and Executive Twin rooms that have to be arranged with the property in advance, and a charge applies. The listing gives it as 20 pounds for the first night and 15 pounds per night after that, though a higher per-night figure appears elsewhere on the same page, so it is worth confirming before you book. Up to two dogs are accepted per booking, dog biscuits are put out for arrivals, and dogs can join you at every meal, including in the tavern bar.

Several of those ground-floor rooms open through French doors straight onto the back car park, which guests travelling with dogs single out repeatedly: you can let the dog out first thing, or load a muddy spaniel back into the car after a hike, without crossing the lobby or shared corridors. There is a separate area in the grounds set aside for dog walks. Staff come across as the strongest part of the offer, with guests who booked the wrong room type by mistake describing the front desk fixing it quickly, and some being offered food for their dog at no extra cost.

Two complaints recur among dog-owning guests and both trace back to the ground-floor rooms. Hard flooring means footsteps and floorboard noise carry between rooms, and neighbouring dogs moving about at night have kept people awake; a few arrivals also noticed a lingering dog smell in the room. Guests without dogs have grumbled about dogs in the dining room too, so this is a busy, genuinely dog-populated hotel rather than a quiet one. It suits steady, well-socialised dogs whose owners want a full spa stay with easy outdoor access, more than nervous or noise-sensitive dogs who would settle better somewhere quieter.