Waterhead Hotel, Ambleside

Waterhead sits right on the lake at the Ambleside end of Windermere, a few steps from the pier and the start of the shore path, and the position is most of the reason to bring a dog. You can be walking at the water's edge within a minute of leaving the door, and the boat landings, the meadows behind Ambleside and the woods climbing away from the shore are all reachable on foot rather than by car.

Up to two dogs can stay, added as an option when you book, for £15 per night. Dogs are allowed in the breakfast room as well as the bar, which is a real convenience if you would rather not eat in shifts, and the bar sells dog treats over the counter. Guests travelling with dogs are consistent about the welcome: staff are relaxed and genuinely pleased to see them, and the dog-friendly billing is not just a line on the booking page.

Two practical wrinkles come up repeatedly. Check-in for guests arriving with a dog happens in the same space as the bar and restaurant, so at busy times you can find yourself waiting with a tired dog while staff serve drinkers and diners. And the rooms are spread across more than one building, some at restaurant level beside the car park and others on the second floor of the main house, so if you need a ground-floor room or want your party kept together, say so when you book rather than on arrival.

Housekeeping and maintenance draw the occasional complaint - a bulb out, a fire that would not light, a room not quite ready - though staff are described as quick to put things right once told. Waterhead earns a 4.6/5 paw rating. It suits couples and families who want a lakeside hotel with a bar and a proper breakfast that the dog can come to as well, and who would rather walk out of the door onto the shore than drive to it.