For the last two years we’ve been able to go away with friends and their cockapoo pooch. Last year we stayed in the Lake District in a yurt and this year we decided to treat ourselves a little more and go with a hotel. I was set on the destination of the Cotswolds as it was the same drive for each couple and somewhere new to three of us. We booked our stay through Pets Pyjamas to ensure we were able to have dog friendly rooms and the bonus is that they ensure you don’t pay more for dogs staying. Sidenote: We will definitely be using the website and the hotels on there again.

We chose to stay at The Bear of Rodborough and I was very happy with the decision. The hotel looked lovely in the pictures and was in a great location for us. On arrival to our room we saw the hotel had provided a dog bed, blanket and water bowl, it was a good size with a bigger bed than we have at home and had all the facilities you could need in a hotel room. As we waited for our friends to arrive we decided to head down to the bar for a drink and bite to eat. The bar area we had been told was dog friendly so took Mia with us as she is pretty happy in public spaces, especially if there are treats involved. We found a table and our waiter made a great fuss of Mia which she thoroughly enjoyed and brought some treats over for her. (More than pictured, she’d already had some!)

We ordered food shortly after to which my husband went for pizza and I had the vegetable lasagna which was so nice I recommended it for my bestie to have when she arrived. This was the start of something as the food was continually amazing throughout our stay and I would go back to The Bear of Rodborough just to sit in the bar, chat and eat.

Our package included breakfast so in the knowledge the dogs were content we went to breakfast and enjoyed three courses. A big selection on the continental breakfast, followed by porridge and a cooked option. I didn’t choose to have porridge on the first morning but after everyone else reordered in on the second day I decided to try it too. Both mornings also included Eggs Royale for myself and a full cooked for the hubby.

The next day we spent on a walk near to the National Trust Roman Villa and in Cirencester and I would visit both places again. We stopped in the dog friendly pub The Crown and again had a tasty lunch before going back to the hotel, picking up some Christmas gifts in Cirencester town centre on the way.

Back at the hotel we showered, changed from our walking clothes and watched a film before going back to the bar to get together. We hadn’t originally planned on eating at the hotel both nights but they were dog friendly, served amazing food and there was no pressure to move all evening so it seemed like a great idea to stay instead of getting back in the car to find another destination.

There is no doubt I would stay at The Bear of Rodborough Hotel again as they were a fantastic dog friendly option for us and as you can tell above served amazing food over the weekend.

Have you got any dog friendly recommendations in the Cotswolds?

Until next time,

L x