Dog Friendly Spa Hotels UK: 7 Checked, and Where Dogs Can Go

We checked the dog policies of seven dog friendly spa hotels in the UK on their own websites on 6 November 2026, from the New Forest to the Lake District. The headline rule is the same everywhere: your dog can share your room and usually a lounge, but not the spa. What differs, and what the listing sites rarely tell you, is which rooms take dogs, whether your dog can eat dinner with you, and what happens to it while you are in the pool. If you are bringing children too, the spa age rules vary even more.

The seven at a glance

Every hotel on the list charges for dogs, mostly per dog per night, and most hold only a handful of dog rooms, so book by phone and confirm the dog is on the reservation.

Bovey Castle, Dartmoor

The most dog-inclusive of the seven. Bovey Castle says dogs are allowed in all of its bedrooms and lodges, not a few set-aside rooms, and are welcome in the Library, the seating area under the main staircase and on the South Terrace. They can also join you for dinner in Smith’s Brasserie when you are staying. The hotel hands out a dog walking booklet with routes from the door into Dartmoor National Park.

The spa, Elan Spa, has an indoor family leisure pool, whirlpool, sauna, steam room and gym, so it works for a family with a dog in a way an adults-only spa cannot. For a dog owner who wants the least compromise, start here.

Watergate Bay Hotel, Cornwall

Two miles of beach below the hotel and the coast path from the door. Watergate Bay has dog-friendly rooms throughout the hotel, with space for two dogs per room, and two of its three restaurants take dogs: The Living Space and The Beach Hut. Dogs are not allowed in Zacry’s because of its open kitchen, and the hotel points guests to a local dog-sitting service if they want to eat there.

Swim Club, the hotel’s spa space, has a 25-metre pool facing the Atlantic, a cliff-side hot tub and a sauna. The hotel is set up for families as well, with family suites and a Kids’ Zone. You need to bring your dog’s food; beds are available on request.

Budock Vean, Helford River

A golf and spa hotel in its own grounds on the Helford, with woodland running down to the river. Dogs stay in hotel rooms and cottages by prior arrangement, and are welcome in the lounges, conservatory, lobby and on the terrace, but not in the restaurant. On the hotel’s dog breaks, dinner is served with your dog in the Conservatory instead. Beds, bowls and furniture covers are available on request, and there is a self-service dog wash on site from 7am to 10pm.

For families, the hotel says the spa pool has set family-friendly times and separate adults-only times.

Cary Arms & Spa, Babbacombe

An inn on the beach at Babbacombe, near Torquay, with the South West Coast Path at the door. Some of its accommodation is dog-friendly, including suites and beach huts reached by external steps, and dogs get a bed, bowl and treats. Dogs are allowed in the main restaurant and the lounge, which few spa hotels allow. You must phone or email to book a dog-friendly room rather than booking online.

This is one for couples: Cary Arms says spa access and treatments are only for over-18s.

Lime Wood, New Forest

The New Forest is a dog walker’s paradise, and Lime Wood puts dogs in a selection of its rooms, lodges, cottages and cabins, plus the new Forest House, with a bed and bowls provided. The restriction is clear on its own site: dogs are not allowed in the Main House, the Herb House Spa or the restaurants. So a dog stay here means a dog room away from the main building, which suits some guests well.

Herb House is designed mainly for adults. Under-18s can swim in the lap pool at set times, but the indoor hydro pool, outdoor hot pool, sauna and steam room are for over-18s only.

Armathwaite Hall, Lake District

400 acres of woodland above Bassenthwaite Lake. Armathwaite’s dog rooms are on the ground floor and open straight onto the patio and garden, which is the most practical layout for late-night and early-morning trips out. Each takes a maximum of two dogs, and the room supplement includes a bed, cushion, treats and waste bags. Dogs can join you in the Hall Lounge between 10am and 7pm, and the hotel keeps a dog hairdryer for wet days. Dog rooms are limited and book up, so the hotel asks you to call.

The spa has a 16-metre infinity pool. You must be 18 or over to book a spa experience, children under 18 must be with an adult, and under-16s can use the spa only between 8am and 9.30am.

Seaham Hall, Durham coast

Seaham Hall takes dogs by prior arrangement, in its Coastal Lodges only, each with its own hot tub (your dog is not allowed in it). Dogs on a non-extendable lead are allowed in the lobby, gardens and The Lounge. Steps lead from the clifftop down to the beach.

The rules are the most detailed of the seven. Dogs must not sit on the furniture, and if you leave the lodge to eat in the Dining Room or Geko or to use the spa, your dog must be in a crate or carrier, which you bring yourself. Tell reception where you are. The hotel lists two local day-care services if you would rather not leave your dog alone.

What to check before you book

1. Is the dog on the booking? Every hotel here wants notice. Several have only a few dog rooms, and online booking often cannot select them.
2. Can the dog be left alone in the room? Seaham Hall requires a crate; others may expect you to stay with the dog. If your dog will not settle alone, ask about local sitters, as Watergate Bay and Seaham Hall both name one.
3. Where can you eat together? At Bovey Castle, Watergate Bay and Cary Arms you can have dinner with your dog. At Lime Wood, Armathwaite Hall and Seaham Hall you cannot.
4. Size and number limits. Watergate Bay and Armathwaite Hall cap it at two dogs a room. Ask about large breeds.
5. Children’s spa times. If the trip is a family one, the spa rules decide more than the dog rules do. Our guides to spa age limits in Surrey and Suffolk show how much they vary.

None of these hotels allows dogs in the spa itself. If you want a dog-free spa day nearby while someone else walks the dog, see our regional guides, including spa days in Dorset and our pick of the best spa hotels in England.

Lime Wood asks guests to follow the New Forest Code, the National Park Authority’s rules for visitors, which cover dogs around the free-roaming ponies and cattle.

Frequently asked questions

Can dogs go in the spa at a dog friendly spa hotel? No. None of the seven hotels we checked allows dogs in the spa, pool or treatment rooms. Dogs stay in designated rooms and, at most hotels, a lounge or terrace.

Which UK spa hotel lets my dog stay in any room? Bovey Castle on Dartmoor says dogs are allowed in all of its bedrooms and lodges. The other six limit dogs to a selection of rooms, or to lodges only in the case of Seaham Hall.

Can I eat dinner with my dog at a spa hotel? At some. Bovey Castle (Smith’s Brasserie), Watergate Bay (The Living Space and The Beach Hut) and Cary Arms (main restaurant) allow it. Lime Wood, Armathwaite Hall, Seaham Hall and Budock Vean’s restaurant do not.

Can I leave my dog in the room while I use the spa? It depends on the hotel. Seaham Hall allows it only if the dog is in a crate or carrier you bring, and asks you to tell reception where you are. Ask each hotel before you go.

Which dog friendly spa hotels suit families with children? Bovey Castle has a family leisure pool, Watergate Bay has family suites and a Kids’ Zone, and Budock Vean runs family swim times. Cary Arms is over-18s only in the spa, and Lime Wood and Armathwaite Hall restrict children to set pool times.

Do dog friendly spa hotels charge extra for dogs? All seven we checked charge for dogs, per night or per stay, which usually covers a bed and bowls. Check the current charge when you book.

Sources

Dog policy, spa and family pages on the websites of Bovey Castle, Watergate Bay Hotel, Budock Vean, Cary Arms & Spa, Lime Wood, Armathwaite Hall and Seaham Hall, read 6 November 2026.