The Kings Arms Hotel

The Kings Arms Hotel is an old coaching inn right on Main Street in the middle of Keswick, and for dog owners it is one of the easiest bases in the northern Lakes. Hope Park and the Derwentwater shore are a few minutes' walk from the front door, and the paths up Latrigg and Skiddaw start on the edge of town, so the car can stay parked for most of the trip.

Dogs are taken in nine of the hotel's thirteen bedrooms, one dog per room, at £20 per dog per night. They are welcome in the bar and lounge all day, and the restaurant dining area is the one part of the building they cannot go into, so owners eating in are seated in the dog-friendly areas instead. Add the dog as an extra when you book so that a dog room is held for you.

What guests travelling with dogs mention most is the welcome. Bowls and a dog bed are often waiting in the room at check-in, towels for muddy paws are handed over on request, and staff get consistent praise for how they treat the dogs as well as the owners. Breakfast earns plenty of good notices too.

There are a few things to weigh up. The building is old, and reaching some rooms means walking through the busy pub and climbing steep staircases. Some dog rooms are on the top floor, which older or short-legged dogs can find hard going, so ask for a lower room if that matters. The pet charge is the most common grumble, and on a longer stay it adds up alongside a separate parking fee. Street noise late at night and early-morning deliveries to the pub also come up.

The Kings Arms earns a 4.6/5 paw rating. It suits a couple with one dog who want a lively, central Keswick base with walks from the door, and who are happy to pay a little extra for it.