The Riverside, Kendal

The Riverside sits right on the River Kent in the middle of Kendal, and it takes dogs seriously rather than simply tolerating them: 51 of its rooms are dog-friendly, at £10 per pet per night, with no size limit stated.

The detail that comes up again and again from guests travelling with dogs is the flexibility. Dogs are welcome in the downstairs pub restaurant, and owners have reported being able to leave their dog settled in the room while they use the restaurant or the leisure club, which makes an unhurried dinner or a swim workable on a break with the dog along. Staff get consistently warm write-ups from dog owners, who describe a welcome that extends to the dog as much as to them.

The location does a lot of the work too. It is a flat, easy walk into Kendal's high street, cafes and pubs, the train station is close by, and there is free on-site parking, although the spaces are on the narrow side. Riverside paths start more or less at the door, and the hotel makes a practical base for days out in the southern Lake District.

A couple of things to plan around. The main dining room used for breakfast is not open to dogs, so if eating together in the morning matters to you, ask reception about the alternatives when you check in. This is a comfortable three-star hotel rather than a boutique one, and some of the rooms are compact, so it is worth asking about size at the time of booking. The £10 nightly fee is modest, but it does add up across a longer stay.

Best suited to couples and solo travellers who want a walkable Kendal base with a pool and gym attached and a dog along for the trip. On the strength of consistently positive feedback from guests with dogs, The Riverside earns a 4.6/5 paw rating.