The Royal Lion Hotel

The Royal Lion Hotel earns a 4.5 out of 5 paw rating from two confirmed dog-traveller reviews — both unequivocally positive — backed by a deep bench of 64 Agoda reviews averaging 9.0/10. Both pet reviews call out specifics: the hotel offers a dog-friendly room AND a dog-friendly pub on site, a combination that is rare on the Dorset coast and a particular reason to book.

The property occupies a Victorian building at the top of Broad Street, a short walk down to Lyme Regis seafront, the Cobb harbour, and the Jurassic Coast trail. Guests consistently flag the on-site parking as a major bonus — central Lyme parking is painful for non-residents, and having a space attached to the hotel means leaving the car and walking the dog along the front without hunting for kerb space. One pet-traveller, writing in Dutch, used the phrase "etappe hotel" (stage-stop hotel) for the South West Coast Path — implying the property works well as a base for sectional walkers covering the long-distance trail with a dog.

Practical points: the hotel has an indoor pool, sauna, and a bar/lounge serving Guinness on tap (dogs welcome in the pub). The reviewer base spans solo travellers, couples and families, so the hotel comfortably handles mixed groups; a few recent reviews note an in-progress refurbishment that has temporarily reduced parking spaces and means some rooms are smarter than others. Agoda does not surface a specific pet fee, breed restriction or designated pet-room flag at booking level, so confirm directly with the hotel when reserving that you want a dog-friendly room rather than relying on the standard inventory.

The Royal Lion is best suited to couples or small families with a calm, sociable dog who plan to walk the Jurassic Coast, eat in the on-site pub, and want a central base without the parking headache. Less ideal for dogs that struggle with stairs (the building is multi-storey Victorian) or those reactive to other guests in shared spaces — the pub and ground-floor areas get busy in peak season.