Dogs belong in the cabin, not the hold. Read the guide →
Crazy Daisy TravelsLUXURY DOG TRAVEL. VERIFIED.
Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Sussex and Kent, United Kingdom
Photo: Gerry Chow
← All cities

Brighton, the South Downs, Rye and Camber, Eastbourne, Margate and the Kent Downs

Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Sussex and Kent

United Kingdom

20 dog-friendly luxury hotels.

Search with dates and filters →

Where can my dog actually go?

Start with dinner, because only two hotels here let dogs into the main restaurant. The Bell in Ticehurst welcomes dogs throughout, the main restaurant included at breakfast and dinner. The Woolpack Inn at Chilham, near Canterbury, allows dogs in the bar and the restaurant. No. 124 on Brighton's seafront and No. 42 in Margate let you pre-book a dog-friendly table in the restaurant. The Spread Eagle in Midhurst serves breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner with your dog in the bar and conservatory, Bailiffscourt at Climping does breakfast in the lounges and outdoor dining areas, and The Grand Brighton serves its all-day menu by the fireplace in the Victoria Lounge and Bar.

Everywhere else follows the UK pattern: dogs in the bedroom, the bar, the lounge and the terrace, and not in the main restaurant. Twenty-one hotels on our list take dogs across the two counties, and the difference between them is how much of the house the dog gets. Horsted Place near Uckfield lets dogs into every area except the restaurant and will set up somewhere for you to eat together. The Hydro in Eastbourne lets dogs on a lead go anywhere but the Crystal Restaurant and the outdoor pool. The Gallivant at Camber puts dogs in the Sitting Room, the Bar, the Terrace and the coastal gardens, with Camber Sands over the road. The Grand Brighton takes dogs in every room type, not just a few designated rooms.

Fees run from GBP 12.50 per dog per night at the Hydro to GBP 50 a night at The Grand Brighton and The George in Rye. Buxted Park and Chilston Park charge GBP 20 for the first dog and GBP 10 for a second, for up to three nights only. The Gallivant is GBP 25 a day, Hotel du Vin and Malmaison GBP 25 for one dog and GBP 40 for two, The Langham in Eastbourne GBP 25 per dog per night, and Horsted Place and The Alfriston GBP 30. For a big dog, The Gallivant is the one that says so, taking dogs up to the size of a Labrador. Hotel du Vin and Malmaison take small to medium dogs only, Fort Road in Margate takes small dogs only, and The George takes one dog per room.

Some well-known names are a no. Gravetye Manor doesn't take dogs, and Amberley Castle keeps dogs out of its public areas and restaurant and doesn't publish dog rooms. We don't have a hotel to recommend yet in Whitstable, Deal, Folkestone or Tunbridge Wells.

The beaches are less restrictive than people fear. Summer bans attach to named stretches, usually 1 May to 30 September, and in every district we looked at most of the coast stays open to dogs all year.

Daisy's picks

Where Daisy would book

  1. 01
    The Bell in Ticehurst

    Dogs are welcome throughout, including the main restaurant at breakfast and dinner, the bar and the garden, and the lodges have enclosed patios. The best dining access in the region. Fee and weight limit not published, so ask when you book.

    Unknown · max Unknown kg

    View the hotel →
  2. 02
    Horsted Place Hotel

    Dogs go everywhere except the restaurant, and the team will arrange somewhere for you to eat together if you ask ahead. A welcome treat, a bed and a bowl in the room. GBP 30 per dog per night, weight limit not published.

    GBP 30 · max Unknown kg

    View the hotel →
  3. 03
    The Gallivant

    Camber Sands over the road, and dogs in the Sitting Room, the Bar, the Terrace and the coastal gardens, though not in Harry's restaurant or at bar dining tables during dinner. A bed and bowl in the room. GBP 25 a day, dogs up to Labrador size.

    GBP 25 · max Up to Labrador size kg

    View the hotel →

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Dogs at dinner
The Bell in Ticehurst and The Woolpack Inn at Chilham let dogs into the main restaurant. No. 124 Brighton and No. 42 Margate take dogs at pre-booked tables. The Spread Eagle, Bailiffscourt, The Alfriston and The Grand Brighton feed you in the bar or lounge. Horsted Place, Hotel du Vin and Malmaison will try to arrange another room if you ask ahead.
Beaches
At Camber Sands only the central stretch in front of the village is dog-free from 1 May to 30 September, and the western dunes end and Broomhill Sands stay open. West Wittering closes only the main swimming beach, groynes 14a to 18, from May to 14 September. In Thanet, Margate Main Sands, Viking Bay and the harbour end of Ramsgate Main Sands are dog-free in summer, while Fulsom Rock, Palm Bay, Kingsgate Bay and Dumpton Gap are open all year. Brighton and Eastbourne both restrict parts of the main beach in summer, so check the signs.
Whitstable and Herne Bay
The Canterbury district keeps 98% of its coast open to dogs all year. The only summer bans, 1 May to 30 September, are central Herne Bay and a stretch of Tankerton. Folkestone and Hythe close some stretches in summer, shown on the council's map.
Crossing to France
LeShuttle from Folkestone to Calais takes 35 minutes with the dog in the car beside you. Every pet checks in at the Pet Reception, open 24 hours, and you should arrive at least 90 minutes before departure. Coming back, dogs need a microchip, rabies vaccination, an Animal Health Certificate or pet passport, and a tapeworm treatment 1 to 5 days before travel. Chilston Park and The Woolpack at Chilham make easy overnight stops on the way.
Getting here from Ireland
Dogs can't fly into the UK in the cabin on commercial flights, so come by ferry and drive. Check the current pet travel rules before you sail.
Trains
Southern, which serves Brighton, Eastbourne, Chichester and Arundel, allows up to two pets per passenger. Dogs go on the floor, not the seats, and a dog off the lead must be in a basket no bigger than 85 x 60 x 60 cm.
The South Downs
Keep dogs on a lead near sheep and cattle, and stick to the paths between 1 March and 15 September for ground-nesting birds. Spring lambing is the most sensitive time. The National Park also asks you to keep dogs out of ponds and rivers.
Vets
Vets Now runs out-of-hours clinics, nights, weekends and bank holidays, at Eastbourne (01323 913431), Worthing (01903 954329), Tunbridge Wells (01892 458154) and Ashford (01233 877636), with more at Herne Bay and Gillingham. They're not daytime clinics, so note a local vet near your hotel too.
Best walks
The South Downs Way through Alfriston, over Ditchling Beacon and Devil's Dyke, and on to Beachy Head from the Hydro in Eastbourne. The Cuckmere river path down to Cuckmere Haven and the Seven Sisters. Brighton's Undercliff Walk east from the Marina to Rottingdean, and the seafront from Brighton to Hove Lawns. Camber Sands' dunes and Broomhill ends, Climping beach below Bailiffscourt, Cowdray Park at Midhurst, Petworth Park, Ashdown Forest's heath, the paths round Bewl Water near Ticehurst, and the North Downs Way through Chilham and past Lenham.
When to go
October to April every beach is open to dogs, since the summer bans run from 1 May to 30 September almost everywhere and West Wittering reopens on 14 September. Spring is lambing season on the Downs and ground-nesting birds run from 1 March to 15 September, so leads stay on. Summer works well if you base yourself near the open stretches, Camber's two ends, Fulsom Rock in Margate or the Royal Parade shingle in Eastbourne. The Langham in Eastbourne is waiving its dog fee for October 2026 stays.

Dog-friendly hotels in Sussex and Kent

Questions we get asked

Dogs in Sussex and Kent

Is Sussex dog friendly?+

Yes. Twenty-one hotels across Sussex and Kent on our list take dogs, the South Downs Way runs the length of Sussex, and most of the coast stays open to dogs all year. The thing to check by name is the restaurant, because most hotels here keep dogs to the bar and lounge.

Which hotels in Sussex and Kent let dogs in the restaurant?+

The Bell in Ticehurst allows dogs in the main restaurant at breakfast and dinner, and The Woolpack Inn at Chilham allows them in the bar and restaurant. No. 124 Brighton and No. 42 Margate let you pre-book a dog-friendly table. The Spread Eagle in Midhurst serves breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner with dogs in the bar and conservatory.

How much do Sussex and Kent hotels charge for dogs?+

GBP 12.50 per dog per night at the Hydro in Eastbourne. GBP 20 at Buxted Park and Chilston Park, GBP 10 for a second dog, for up to three nights. GBP 25 at The Gallivant, The Langham, Hotel du Vin and Malmaison, GBP 30 at Horsted Place and The Alfriston, and GBP 50 a night at The Grand Brighton and The George in Rye.

Where should I stay with a big dog in Sussex?+

The Gallivant at Camber takes dogs up to the size of a Labrador and has the beach over the road. Most other hotels don't publish a limit, so ring ahead. Avoid Hotel du Vin and Malmaison in Brighton, which take small to medium dogs only, and Fort Road in Margate, which takes small dogs only.

What's the best dog-friendly hotel in Brighton?+

The Grand Brighton takes dogs in every room type and in the Victoria Lounge and Bar for GBP 50 a night with a dog package. No. 124 lets you pre-book a dog-friendly table in the restaurant. Hotel du Vin in the Lanes and Malmaison at the Marina charge GBP 25 for one small to medium dog and GBP 40 for two.

Are dogs allowed on Camber Sands?+

Yes, apart from one zoned central stretch in front of the village between 1 May and 30 September. The western dunes end and the eastern Broomhill Sands end are open to dogs all year. The Gallivant is right across the road.

Can I leave my dog in the hotel room?+

At No. 124 Brighton and No. 42 Margate you can, if you tell reception and leave a contact number. Hotel du Vin, Malmaison and Fort Road never allow it. Most others don't publish a rule, so ask when you book.

Where should I stop with a dog before the Channel Tunnel?+

Chilston Park at Lenham and The Woolpack Inn at Chilham are both an easy drive from Folkestone. LeShuttle asks you to arrive at least 90 minutes before departure to check the dog in at the Pet Reception.

Which Sussex hotels don't allow dogs?+

Gravetye Manor doesn't take dogs. Amberley Castle keeps dogs out of its public areas and restaurant and doesn't publish dog rooms. Several well-known Brighton and Whitstable hotels don't take dogs either, so check before you book anything not on our list.

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