Ramada by Wyndham Bristol West

The Ramada by Wyndham Bristol West is one of the most useful dog-friendly hotels in the Bristol area for anyone breaking up a long drive. Sitting right beside the Gordano services at Junction 19 of the M5, it is built for exactly the kind of overnight stop where you pull off the motorway, walk the dog and get a good night's sleep before carrying on, and dogs are a genuinely welcome part of that.

Dogs stay for a small pet fee, and the welcome is relaxed and practical rather than fussy. Owners travelling with pets regularly describe the staff as easy to deal with and happy to help. One common thread is how readily the team accommodates sensible requests, such as putting guests with a nervous or barky dog in a quieter room at the end of a corridor. Several regulars use it year after year as their standard stopover on the way to and from Cornwall and the South West.

Practically, the location is the whole point. There is space to stretch a dog's legs around the site and nearby lanes before settling in for the night, and the M5 puts Bristol, the coast and the wider South West all within easy reach the next morning. Rooms are straightforward and comfortable, with the kind of easy-clean setup that suits travelling dogs.

A few things to keep in mind: this is a functional motorway hotel rather than a destination in its own right, so expect convenience over character, and some road noise given how close the M5 runs. There is also a parking charge on top of the room rate. But for a dependable, dog-friendly overnight stop that takes the stress out of a long journey, the Ramada Bristol West does the job well, and it earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.