The Barn Hotel, Meriden

The Barn Hotel sits in open countryside at Meriden, between Coventry and Solihull, and it is a converted farm complex rather than a roadside hotel: a bakery and cafe on site, a bar under a tipi, grassed seating outside and sheep pasture beyond. Walking a dog starts the moment you leave the door, and that is the best thing about it for dog owners - the fields are right there, with no drive to a park first.

The in-room welcome is well judged. Dogs are met with a bowl, poo bags and treats, staff get uniformly warm notices for how they are with them, and bookings with several dogs have been handled without difficulty; a party arriving with three had no trouble at all.

Where expectations come unstuck is mealtimes and money, and both are worth settling before you book. Dogs are not allowed in the main restaurant. Eating with your dog means the bar and tipi area or the on-site cafe, and the cafe does not open first thing, so a leisurely early breakfast with the dog beside you is not straightforward and the alternative offered is leaving the dog in the room. Guests have also been told at check-in that the charge is around 25 pounds per dog, which is not published as an amount on the booking listing; parties staying more than one night have asked for a reduction on later nights, so confirm the current figure and how it is applied when you book rather than at the desk.

Everything else lands well: large modern rooms, very comfortable beds, air conditioning that copes in real heat, breakfast cooked to order and a genuinely good bakery a few steps away. The feel is closer to a business hotel than a country inn, and rooms face the car park or a screened neighbouring wall rather than the countryside around them.

Best for dog owners who want good rooms and open walking near the NEC, and who are content to eat outside or in the bar with their dog.