Croft Courtyard, Ambleside

Croft Courtyard is a small duplex-cottage apartment in Ambleside that has clearly been set up with dog owners in mind. The host, Emma, supplies the practical kit you usually have to bring yourself - dog bowls, a doggy towel, blankets and other pet essentials are all in the apartment when you arrive, alongside the standard tea, coffee and toiletries you'd expect.

The location is the other piece that consistently wins guests over. It's a 10-15 minute walk into central Ambleside and roughly the same to the lakefront, which is the right distance for a sensible morning walk with a dog before the day starts and a relaxed evening loop before bed. Free parking sits next to the apartment (one minor caveat: the courtyard is shared and there's no designated space, so it can be tight when other guests are around - though most visitors note they end up walking everywhere from here anyway).

There's a small private garden by the stream across the road, which is repeatedly singled out as a quiet end-of-day spot to sit outside with the dog. The apartment itself is on the smaller side and the cottage layout is best suited to small or medium dogs - guests travelling with larger or particularly active breeds may find the indoor space tighter than expected.

The hotel rates 8.7/10 across 35 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, and the pet-mention reviews skew unanimously positive (paw rating 4.7/5 from six reviewers who travelled with dogs). The pattern is clear: thoughtful host, well-stocked apartment, walkable location, and a small private garden - a strong pick for one or two dog owners doing a Lakes trip from a quiet base, less suited to families travelling with multiple larger dogs.