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Best dog-friendly hotels in Cornwall 2023: Where to stay for beach strolls and family fun

Travelling with pets doesn’t need to be stressful when you find a hotel that will treat your four-legged friend like royalty

Tuesday 07 March 2023 15:54 GMT

These are the best places to take your pup (The Nare Hotel)

Cornwall is a dream destination for dogs and dog-owners alike. The rugged coastal scenery and soft, sandy beaches lend themselves to adventures with your pet, and with a healthy population of resident pups, Cornwall is well set up for holidays with your dogs in tow.

Attractions such as the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project allow dogs to roam on the lead, while indoor fun can be had at the Shipwreck Museum in Charlestown. Then there’s the Isles of Scilly, a stunning collection of low-lying islands that’s part of the Duchy ofCornwall, and can easily be reached by boat or dog-friendly plane. Once there, endless walks and fish suppers will have you scrolling through Rightmove and planning your retirement.

Whether you want a seaside retreat in England for a short break this summer or are looking for a luxury bolthole overlooking the beach, there’s a dog-friendly hotel for all budgets in Cornwall.

The best dog-friendly hotels in Cornwall are:

Best for luxury: The Nare
Best for serenity: The Scarlet
Best for sea views: The Headland Hotel and Spa
Best for families: Fowey Hall Hotel
Best for beating the crowds: Talland Bay Hotel
Best for island life: Karma St Martin’s
Best for beaches: Watergate Bay Hotel
Best for style: Artist Residence

Best for luxury: The Nare

Location: Roseland Peninsula

When you’re greeted with a dog statue, you know it’s going to be good (The Nare)

Luxury comes in many guises at The Nare: the daily afternoon teas (included in your room rate) served on the terrace and in the lounge; the pre-dinner drinks sipped in the bar while the sun sets over the ocean; and chef’s special dinner made just for the dog. But most luxurious is that view – sitting right above Carne Beach, a dog-friendly stretch of sand year-round, you get endless ocean views from sea-facing bedrooms.

Price: Doubles from £396

Best for serenity: The Scarlet

Location: Mawgan Porth

The perfect spot to kick back with your pup and a good book (The Scarlet)

With the rugged, craggy Cornish coast spreading out in both directions either side of The Scarlet, this hotel is the place to go for brilliant, blustery walks and serene sea views. Dog-friendly rooms here have their own enclosed gardens, meaning your pet can roam freely outside your bedroom, and dog beds are provided to keep them comfy overnight. There are dog-friendly lounge and restaurant areas, plus an outdoor terrace, and Mawgan Porth beach is dog-friendly year-round, too.

Price: Doubles from £260, B&B

Best for sea views: The Headland

Location: Fistral Beach, Newquay

Plenty of space to roam (The Headland)

Fistral is another of Cornwall’s year-round dog-friendly beaches and The Headland Hotel enjoys prime position just north of the sand. The dog can’t join you in the restaurant, sadly, but there’s room service offered for those who don’t want to leave pups alone in the room. Walks around this part of the north Cornwall coast are spectacular, and countless little coves and bays offer sheltered spots for swimming and sunbathing when the weather’s on your side.

Read our full review of The Headland Hotel and Spa

Price: Doubles from £195

Best for families: Fowey Hall Hotel

Location: Fowey

Relax in the reading room at Fowey Hall Hotel (Fowley Hall)

Set on a hilltop above the pretty town of Fowey, this handsome manor-house hotel has glorious views out over the Fowey estuary. The family-friendly property has a kids’ club, and dogs are welcome throughout the lounges and outdoor areas. There are lawns for late-night loo trips for the dogs, and the staff in the office will gladly look after pups while you soak up the views in the outdoor, sea-view hot tub.

Best for beating the crowds: Talland Bay Hotel

Location: Looe/Polperro

Talland Bay doesn’t just welcome your dog with open arms, it’s extremely trendy too (Talland Bay Hotel)

If it’s seclusion you’re after, Talland Bay Hotel is the perfect escape. Tucked away down a single-lane track between Polperro and Looe, this small but stylish hotel has lots to get excited about. Vast lawns with loungers and parasols look out towards the ocean in the distance, and a cosy little bar is a welcoming spot for post-walk gins. The restaurant is the real highlight, though: beautifully presented, award-winning Cornish cuisine is served up in the dining room (the dog needs to stay put in the room while you eat). Dogs get a sausage for breakfast and poached chicken for dinner, and at the bottom of the steep hill that slopes away from the hotel, you’ll find the delightful Talland Bay beach.

Best for island life: Karma St Martin’s

Location: St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly

Stay here for breathtaking views (Karma St Martins)

Few places in Cornwall are as dog-friendly as the Isles of Scilly, as your pet can join you at almost every bar, restaurant and beach on these islands. Come to Karma St Martin’s without a dog and you’ll probably feel out of place, as this hotel welcomes furry guests with gusto. They can join you in the restaurant where local fish is always the highlight, and you can settle into the sofas with a glass of wine from the automatic sommelier machine. The beach out front is dog-friendly, and the small ferries that run between the islands dock right outside. Walks are, unsurprisingly, sublime.

Best for beaches: Watergate Bay Hotel

Location: Newquay

You can request a dog bed as a delightful addition to this beachside room (Watergate Bay)

With two dog-friendly restaurants and Joules dog beds provided on request, dog-friendly holidays come easy at Watergate Bay Hotel. Bedrooms are contemporary with quirky artworks and colourful furnishings, but the best part of this cliff top bolthole is the enormous sandy beach that spreads out beneath it. At low tide, you can almost lose sight of the sea entirely from the back of the beach, which is dog-friendly year-round.

Price: Doubles from £213

Best for style: Artist Residence

Location: Penzance

Walks among the former mining area of St Just and games of fetch on beaches such as Pedn Vounder and Gwenver will have both dogs and humans entertained when you’re not hunkered down in the delightful Artist Residence. Dogs get a bed, bowls and Lily’s Kitchen dog treats in the room, and they can join you for meals in the Clubhouse restaurant. Rooms are furnished with unique, bespoke pieces of furniture and limited edition artworks, and organic Bramble toiletries add a touch of luxury.

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