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Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Norfolk and Suffolk Coast, United Kingdom
Photo: Mark Turner
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Holkham, the Burnhams, Cromer and Holt down to Southwold, Aldeburgh and Orford

Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Norfolk and Suffolk Coast

United Kingdom

15 dog-friendly luxury hotels.

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Where can my dog actually go?

This is dog country. Pubs, cafés and most shops take dogs, the Holkham estate cafés do pupuccinos, and nearly every hotel on this coast takes a dog in some form. So the question for a weekend drive up isn't whether the dog can come. It's where the dog can eat, because the English habit is dogs in the bar and lounge, and the main dining room kept dog free. Fifteen hotels on our list take dogs, from inns on the North Norfolk marshes down to Southwold, Thorpeness and Orford.

Only a handful let the dog sit with you at dinner. The Victoria at Holkham takes dogs at breakfast, lunch and dinner in its restaurant, and in the bar and lounge, with a sausage for them at breakfast. The Red Lion in Cromer has dogs of all sizes in the restaurant, bar and lounge, plus a doggy bar with bottled dog beer. The Gin Trap Inn at Ringstead says dogs are welcome throughout the pub, milsoms Kesgrave Hall near Woodbridge lets you dine with your dog in the restaurant, and The Feathers in Holt has dogs in most of the pub and the restaurant. The Crown and Castle in Orford keeps a single doggie table in its restaurant, so book it when you book the room. The Hoste Arms has dog-friendly sections of its restaurant, and The King William IV and The Pheasant seat dogs everywhere except the main restaurant.

Then there's the clear no. The Swan in Southwold and the Maids Head in Norwich take dogs in their rooms but not in any public room, so dinner is without the dog. The White Horse at Brancaster Staithe keeps dog tables in the bar, not the restaurant. Worth knowing before you choose where to sleep.

Fees are modest. GBP 10 per pet per stay at The Gin Trap, which takes up to three dogs a room, and GBP 10 a night at The Dolphin Inn. GBP 15 per dog per night at The Victoria and The Crown and Castle, GBP 15 a room at The King William IV, GBP 20 at The Red Lion and The Pheasant, and GBP 25 per dog per night at The Hoste Arms. For a big dog, The Victoria publishes no weight limit and says most of its rooms suit dogs of all sizes, and The Red Lion welcomes dogs of all sizes. Nobody on the list publishes a weight cap.

In Southwold, The Crown and Sutherland House don't take dogs at all, and in Woodbridge The Crown doesn't either. The beaches are the other thing to plan for. Most of this coast is open to dogs all year, but in summer the promenade beaches at Southwold, Aldeburgh, Cromer and Sheringham close to dogs, so pick your base with that in mind between May and September.

Daisy's picks

Where Daisy would book

  1. 01
    The Victoria

    Dogs at breakfast, lunch and dinner in the restaurant, and in the bar and lounge, with a sausage at breakfast, a dog bed, towel and an outdoor dog wash. Lady Anne's Drive to Holkham Beach starts opposite. GBP 15 per dog per night, no weight limit, main-building rooms and shepherd huts only.

    GBP 15 · max no limit kg

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  2. 02
    The Red Lion Hotel

    Dogs of all sizes in the restaurant, bar and lounge, a doggy water bar with bottled dog beer, a bed, bowl and welcome pack, and a sausage at breakfast. Several sea-view rooms take dogs. GBP 20 a night, no weight limit.

    GBP 20 · max no limit kg

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  3. 03
    The Gin Trap Inn

    Dogs are welcome throughout the pub, restaurant included, and most rooms and the cottages take up to three dogs. GBP 10 per pet per stay, the cheapest on the coast and the pick for a multi-dog family. The Loft takes one dog and a few named rooms are dog free.

    GBP 10 · max Unknown kg

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Before you go

What happens when you get there

Dogs at dinner
The default here is dogs in the bar, not the restaurant. The Victoria, The Red Lion, The Gin Trap, milsoms Kesgrave Hall and The Feathers seat dogs in the restaurant. The Crown and Castle has one doggie table. The King William IV and The Pheasant ask you to choose pet-friendly dining when you book a table, and The White Horse books its dog tables in the bar by phone.
Dogs at breakfast
Yes at The Victoria and The Red Lion, both with a sausage for the dog. The King William IV serves breakfast in its dog-friendly middle restaurant, and The Pheasant lets you have breakfast in the bar with the dog. The Swan and the Maids Head keep dogs out of the public rooms, breakfast included.
Beaches in summer
Most of this coast is open to dogs all year. From 1 May to 30 September, named sections of nine North Norfolk town beaches close to dogs or need a lead, including Cromer, Sheringham, Overstrand and Mundesley. Southwold's promenade beach is closed to dogs from 1 April to 30 September, and central Aldeburgh from 1 May. Holkham, Wells, Brancaster, Blakeney and Cley aren't on the North Norfolk list, and The Denes at Southwold and Thorpeness stay open.
Nesting birds
From 1 April to 31 August, Holkham Beach has lead-only zones and roped cordons for terns and ringed plover, but over 70 per cent of the beach stays open for off-lead walking under close control. Covehithe has fenced nesting areas from March to August. Keep dogs out of the marshes and lagoons all year.
Book the dog room
Almost every hotel here has a set of dog rooms rather than taking dogs anywhere. The Swan and The Crown and Castle use their garden rooms, the Maids Head has three Executive Dog Rooms, and The King William IV and The Pheasant book dog rooms by phone. Vine House, The Hoste's sister building, is adults only and dog free.
Book direct
Some third-party booking sites show The Victoria, The Crown and Castle, The Swan and the Maids Head as no pets. All four take dogs on their own terms, so book direct and name the dog.
Trains
Greater Anglia runs London Liverpool Street to Norwich, the Bittern Line on to Cromer and Sheringham, and the East Suffolk Line through Woodbridge, Saxmundham and Darsham, the station for Southwold. Up to two dogs per passenger travel free, on a lead or in a closed carrier and never on the seats. The Wells Beach Bus carries dogs from Easter to October, but most hotels here assume you've driven.
Vets
On the Suffolk side, Aldeburgh Vets on Saxmundham Road (01728 598111), The Woodbridge Vets at Riduna Park (01394 802803) and Leiston Veterinary Clinic (01728 833566). We haven't confirmed an out-of-hours vet for the Norfolk side, so look one up before you travel.
Best walks
Lady Anne's Drive through the pinewoods to Holkham Beach, about 30 minutes to the shoreline, and the pines on west to Wells Beach and its huts. Holkham Park on a short lead among the fallow deer. The Norfolk Coast Path from Burnham Overy Staithe along the creek to Gun Hill, and past the bottom of The White Horse's garden at Brancaster Staithe. The clifftop path east from Cromer towards Overstrand, Kelling Heath and Holt Country Park, and the Peddars Way through Ringstead. In Suffolk, The Denes at Southwold, the shingle from Thorpeness to Aldeburgh along Crag Path, and the river walls along the Ore from Orford Quay.
When to go
Winter is the best dog season here. Every beach is open, the villages are quiet and the fires are lit. Heat is rarely the problem, wind and mud are, so pack a towel. From April the nesting-bird leads start at Holkham and on the Suffolk reserves, and from May to September the town promenade beaches at Cromer, Sheringham, Southwold and Aldeburgh close to dogs, so in summer base yourself at Holkham, Wells, the Burnhams or Thorpeness where the sand stays open.

Dog-friendly hotels in Norfolk and Suffolk Coast

Questions we get asked

Dogs in Norfolk and Suffolk Coast

Is the Norfolk and Suffolk coast dog friendly?+

Very. Pubs, cafés and most shops take dogs, fifteen hotels on our list take them, and most of the beaches are open all year. The thing to check is whether the dog can eat with you, because most hotels keep dogs in the bar rather than the restaurant.

Which Norfolk hotels let dogs in the restaurant?+

The Victoria at Holkham takes dogs at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Red Lion in Cromer has dogs of all sizes in the restaurant, The Gin Trap at Ringstead welcomes dogs throughout the pub, and The Feathers in Holt takes dogs in most of the pub and the restaurant. The Hoste Arms has dog-friendly sections of its restaurant.

Can I take my dog to dinner at The Crown and Castle in Orford?+

Yes, at one table. The restaurant keeps a single doggie table, and if it's taken you may be offered the private dining room. Dogs are also welcome in the bar. Book the table when you book one of the five garden rooms.

How much do Norfolk and Suffolk hotels charge for dogs?+

GBP 10 per pet per stay at The Gin Trap and GBP 10 a night at The Dolphin Inn. GBP 15 per dog per night at The Victoria and The Crown and Castle, GBP 15 a room at The King William IV, GBP 20 at The Red Lion and The Pheasant, GBP 25 per dog per night at The Hoste Arms, and a GBP 25 charge at The Feathers. The Maids Head charges GBP 20 per dog per stay.

Where should I stay on the Norfolk coast with a big dog?+

The Victoria at Holkham publishes no weight limit and says most rooms suit dogs of all sizes, though its attic rooms have steep stairs and Room 3 is small. The Red Lion in Cromer welcomes dogs of all sizes in its restaurant, bar and lounge.

Which hotels take three dogs?+

The Gin Trap Inn at Ringstead takes up to three pets in most rooms and cottages, for GBP 10 per pet per stay. Most other hotels here cap at two.

Can dogs go on the beach at Southwold and Aldeburgh?+

Southwold's promenade beach is closed to dogs from 1 April to 30 September, but The Denes south of the promenade is open off the lead all year. In Aldeburgh the beach from the Coastguard Lookout north to Market Cross Place is closed from 1 May to 30 September, while Crag Path stays open and the beach north towards Thorpeness is open.

Which Southwold hotels allow dogs?+

The Swan, in its garden rooms only, and dogs don't go into the main building, so no bar or restaurant. The Crown and Sutherland House don't take dogs. Further down the coast, The Dolphin Inn at Thorpeness has dogs in the bar and snug.

Can dogs go to Holkham Hall?+

Holkham Park is free and dogs are welcome on a short lead because of the deer. Only assistance dogs go inside the Hall, dogs aren't allowed in the lake, and the Walled Garden takes dogs on leads. The Courtyard, Lookout and Wells Beach cafés all take dogs.

Research updated 2026-09-27. Policies change, always confirm with the hotel.