Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Wales

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Ferries from Ireland

Stena Line sails Rosslare to Fishguard and Dublin to Holyhead, and Irish Ferries sails Rosslare to Pembroke Dock and Dublin to Holyhead. On Stena your dog can stay in the car free on every route, and kennels are free to pre-book on Holyhead and Fishguard sailings. Irish Ferries has Pet Dens on Ulysses, James Joyce and Isle of Innisfree, pet cabins on James Joyce only, and car-deck kennels on some ships, so check which ship runs your sailing. Foot passengers must book a kennel or pet space on both lines, and pet travel rules change, so check the current requirements before you sail.

Coming home to Ireland

Dogs going into Ireland need a tapeworm treatment given 24 to 120 hours before arrival, so plan a vet visit near the end of your trip. Stena won't carry breeds banned in the EU or UK, which includes XL Bullies. On board, dogs need a collar and a non-retractable lead no longer than 1.2 metres.

Dogs at dinner

Only Twr y Felin lets resident dogs into its main restaurant. Penally Abbey, Penmaenuchaf, St Brides, Llangoed Hall, the Grove and Craig-y-Dderwen all have a separate room where you eat with the dog, and the Castle Hotel Conwy sets pet-friendly tables if you ask when booking. Trefeddian, Palé Hall and Lamphey Court keep dogs out of the dining room at breakfast too, and Sandy Mount House keeps them out of the restaurant.

Beaches

Most Welsh beaches take dogs all year. The restrictions attach to named beaches or sections, usually from 1 May to 30 September. Around St Davids, three of sixteen beaches are affected: Whitesands Bay from 10am to 5pm, the central stretch of Newgale, and the north end of Broad Haven. Caerfai, Porthselau, Porthmelgan, Nolton Haven and Little Haven have no seasonal ban, and Newport Sands is dog-friendly all year.

Seals

Keep dogs well away from seals during pupping season, typically August to November, especially at Abereiddy and Traeth Llyfn. Leads go on near livestock and nesting seabirds along the coast path.

Leaving the dog

Craig-y-Dderwen lets you leave the dog in the room with the Do Not Disturb card, and the Grove allows short periods. Penally Abbey, St Brides and Trefeddian allow it only while you're dining, and St Brides asks for a crate. The Pontcanna Inn and The Paddock never allow it.

Getting there by road

South Wales is on the M4 and north Wales on the A55 from England. You'll need a car, as the hotels here are spread from Pembrokeshire to Anglesey and several sit on their own estates.

Vets

Vets Now Newport at Langstone (01633 547379) is open 24 hours and is the nearest for Cardiff and the Wye valley. Vets Now Swansea at Llansamlet (01792 930669) and Vets Now Colwyn Bay (01492 471556) cover out of hours. There's no Vets Now in Pembrokeshire, Gwynedd or Anglesey, so find a local practice before you go.

Best walks

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path past St Davids, Penally and Saundersfoot, with Caerfai Bay and Newport Sands open to dogs all year. The Mawddach Trail, a flat old railway line along the estuary from Penmaenpool to Barmouth and Dolgellau. The Gwydyr Forest trails climbing out of Betws-y-Coed. Aberdyfi's long beach and dunes in front of Trefeddian. Conwy's town walls and quay, the Bodysgallen parkland up to the obelisk, the lakeside path at Llyn Tegid in Bala, the River Wye below Llangoed Hall, and Bute Park and the Taff Trail in Cardiff.

When to go

October to April gives you every beach, since the seasonal restrictions around St Davids run from 1 May to 30 September. Summer still works if you pick the beaches that stay open all year, and the restricted ones are only a section or set hours. Seal pupping runs roughly August to November, so keep dogs clear of the pupping coves. Dog rooms are few at most of these hotels and some book up early, so ring well ahead for summer and school holidays.