Wales Malpas
The Lion at Malpas
Independent pet-friendly review by Four Legged Guests · updated October 2026 · paw rating built from 2 verified guest reviews mentioning pets
Bring your dog if
- You're happy with a standard hotel-room stay where the property explicitly welcomes dogs
- You're basing yourself in Malpas / the Wales and want a pet-friendly anchor for day trips
- The wider guest experience is strong - guests rate this 9.5/10 overall on booking platforms
Worth knowing
- Paw rating is based on 2 reviews - limited sample, treat as directional
- Pet fee: £20 per pet (max 2 pets) - check whether that is per night, per stay or per week when you book
- Shared corridors and common areas mean nervous or vocal dogs may find it harder to settle
How this review was built Evidence, sources, refresh cadence
- Evidence: 2 pet-mention guest reviews sourced from major booking platforms - guests who explicitly mentioned travelling with a dog. Each review is screened for pet-relevance, then judged for sentiment to compute the paw rating.
- Not a personal visit. We don't stay at every hotel we cover - we summarise patterns from real guest reviews, paraphrased and never quoted verbatim. Full standard on our editorial policy page.
- Wider context: The property has 1,119 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, averaging 9.5/10 - the paw rating reflects only the pet-mentioning subset.
- Last refreshed: October 2026. Policies and pricing drift; we re-check on a rolling basis. Confirm specifics with the property at the moment you book.
- How the paw rating works: Full detail on the methodology page, including the three verification gates and known limitations.
Pet policy at a glance
- Pet fee: £20 per dog
- Up to 2 dogs per booking
- Dogs are welcome in the pub and in the beer garden as well as in the dog-friendly bedrooms.
- Ask for a dog-friendly room when you book, as only a selected number of the bedrooms take dogs.
- Bring your dog’s own bed, as bedding for dogs is not provided.
Pet-friendly summary
The Lion at Malpas is a pub with rooms in the middle of a Cheshire market town, and the thing that comes through most strongly from guests travelling with dogs is that staff treat a dog as part of the party rather than a complication. Dogs are welcome in the bar and restaurant as well as the rooms, and staff have moved guests with a nervous dog to a quieter table when asked.
Rooms are modern and comfortable, and the kitchen is the main draw for most visitors. The pub serves food through the evening and there is live music on some nights, which is worth knowing if your dog is unsettled by noise; guests wanting a quiet evening tend to be happier eating early.
Malpas itself is a good base for a dog. It is a small hilltop town on the Cheshire and Shropshire border with lanes and field paths leading out in most directions, and the Sandstone Trail and the Welsh Marches are a short drive away for longer walks.
The terms are now clear enough to plan around. The hotel's own booking conditions set a charge of £20 per dog, and up to two dogs can come on one booking, so a pair adds £40 to the bill. Only a selected number of the bedrooms take dogs, so ask for one when you book rather than on arrival. Bedding for dogs is not provided, so bring your own. No weight limit or breed restriction has been published, so raise a very large dog directly if that matters.
Best suited to couples and pairs who want a proper dinner and a comfortable room in a small town, with a dog that is happy to settle under a pub table for the evening.
Highlights from pet-mentioning reviews
What reviewers travelling with dogs consistently noted about staying here.
- Dogs welcome in the bar and restaurant
- Staff accommodate nervous or reactive dogs
- Village and field walks from the door
- £20 per dog, up to two per booking
- Only selected bedrooms take dogs
- Comfortable modern rooms above a working pub
About this hotel
The Lion at Malpas is a four-star pub with rooms in the centre of Malpas, a small market town on the Cheshire and Shropshire border. It offers modern en-suite rooms above a bar and restaurant that serves food through the evening, with live music on some nights. Guests rate it highly for food, comfort and service.
Hotel facts
Photos
Location
1 Old Hall Street MALPAS, Malpas, SY14 8NE