The George In Rye

The George In Rye sits halfway up the cobbled High Street in the middle of Rye's old town, which makes it a genuinely easy base for a weekend with a dog. It is a coaching inn that has been smartened up rather than rebuilt, so the ground floor is a run of low-beamed rooms and a courtyard garden, and the town's walls, cobbles and marshland walks all start within a few minutes of the front door.

Dogs stay in the classic and luxury room categories only, and the property asks that you contact it before booking to check one is free. There is a charge of £50 per night for the dog, and it is worth budgeting for properly: guests travelling with dogs consistently flag it as steep, and as something that was not made obvious at the time of booking. One dog per room is the limit.

The part that works best is the restaurant. Dogs are allowed in a separate section of the dining area, so you can eat without leaving your dog upstairs, and dog owners rate the food highly. Staff take the arrangement in their stride. The rooms themselves are comfortable and the breakfast menu is generous, though the hotel is a rambling old building and some rooms involve a long walk from reception with no luggage service.

The public areas are showing their age in places, with the reception furnishings in particular looking tired. For a short break in a walkable, dog-tolerant town, though, The George In Rye works well, and it earns a 4.4/5 paw rating. It suits couples with one small or medium dog who want a proper town-centre inn and are comfortable with a premium nightly pet charge.