The Borrowdale Hotel

Paw rating: 4.5/5 — based on 14 confirmed pet-mention reviews. The Borrowdale Hotel is one of the Lake District's most dog-attentive traditional hotels, with practical infrastructure for walkers and a relaxed attitude that runs from reception to the bar.

Dog owners staying here can expect dogs to be welcome throughout the public areas, with the one consistent exception: meals are served to guests with pets in the conservatory rather than the main dining room. That trade-off comes up in nearly every pet-mention review — the conservatory is comfortable and the food the same, but the room is set slightly apart from the formal dining floor, which sometimes shows up as slower service at busy breakfast sittings. Worth knowing in advance rather than learning at 9am with a hungry table.

What makes the property stand out for dog-friendly stays is the surrounding setup. There is a dedicated dog exercise field directly across from the hotel — handy for first-thing and last-thing walks without committing to a longer route — and a first-floor drying room that earns frequent praise for sorting out wet coats and lead-tangled humans after a day on the fells. Staff hand new arrivals a map of suggested local dog walks, which signals the level of thought that has gone into accommodating walkers and their dogs rather than merely tolerating them. Treats at the bar, a recognised welcome on repeat visits and a "no fuss" attitude to muddy paws come up across multiple reviews.

The hotel sits in the Borrowdale valley a few miles south of Keswick, with the Catbells ridge and Scafell Pike approaches within easy reach — making it a strong base for higher-mileage walking with a fit dog. Best suited to dog owners who want a traditional country hotel with serious walking on the doorstep and don't mind the conservatory-dining arrangement. Less ideal if you need a quick, formal restaurant turnaround or want your dog welcomed in the main dining room itself.