Kotel Windermere

Kotel Windermere is a serviced-apartment property on Lake Road, on the main run between Windermere village and Bowness, and its format is the reason to consider it with a dog. Each unit has its own entrance and a kitchenette, so there is no lobby or shared corridor to cross with a wet dog after a day on the fells, and no fixed breakfast time to work around.

The pet terms are specific and worth checking before you book. Dogs are charged 30 pounds per dog for the whole stay rather than per night, which is good value on a longer break, and a welcome gift is left for them. The limit that catches people out is size: the property takes dogs up to 12 kg, so a spaniel or a terrier is fine but a labrador or anything larger is not. Dogs must be on a lead everywhere outside the apartment and cannot be left alone inside it.

The location does a lot of the work. The village shops, restaurants and the bus down to Bowness are a few minutes' walk, the lakeshore is a comfortable walk in the other direction, and the path up Orrest Head starts close by for an easy first morning. Guests travelling with dogs pick out the position and the fuss-free arrival as the reasons they would come back.

One honest note on housekeeping. Because dogs stay here routinely, guests have found dog hair left over from previous stays, and towels and linen have drawn occasional criticism on the same grounds. It is worth asking for a freshly deep-cleaned unit when you book, and it makes the property a poor choice for anyone in the party with a fur allergy, even when the dog is your own.

Best suited to a couple with one small or medium dog under 12 kg who want a self-contained central Windermere base and would rather let themselves in than check in. It earns a 4.6 out of 5 paw rating.