Ramada Hotel and Suites by Wyndham Coventry

Ramada Hotel and Suites by Wyndham Coventry does something most four-star hotels of its size will not: it lets dogs into the bar. For anyone who has spent an evening eating upstairs because the dog was not allowed down, that alone changes the shape of a trip.

Dogs are welcome in the rooms for a £15 nightly charge, which the hotel notes is non refundable - on a longer stay it adds up, and the charge is the complaint dog owners raise most often. Dogs are the only pets accepted here, so cats and other pets will need a different stop. Pets cannot be left unattended in the room, which rules out leaving a dog behind while you go out for the evening. Guide dogs stay free of charge.

Beyond the policy, the hotel gets steady marks for the basics. Rooms are reported clean and comfortable, and the restaurant and bar on the ground floor are a real asset for a dog owner - being able to sit down for a meal or a drink with the dog beside you is the difference between a workable stay and an awkward one. Staff are described as friendly towards dogs on arrival rather than merely tolerant.

The hotel sits on The Butts, just inside the ring road and a short walk from Coventry city centre, with the A45 close by. That position makes it a practical base for the NEC, including the dog shows held there. Parking is the catch: it is in the paid multi-storey next door, at roughly £8, which surprises people who assume it is included.

Best suited to dog owners visiting Coventry or the NEC who want somewhere they can eat and drink with the dog rather than retreat upstairs. It earns a 4.3/5 paw rating.