The Bay Tree Hotel

The Bay Tree Hotel is a charming 4-star inn on Sheep Street in the heart of Burford, one of the Cotswolds' prettiest market towns. It sets aside a number of its rooms for dogs, and the welcome owners describe is a sincere one rather than mere tolerance.

Dogs stay for £20 per night, with a further £10 per night for each additional dog, and the hotel asks you to say at the time of booking that a dog is coming so a dog-friendly room can be held. Those rooms come set up for them: dog beds and water bowls are provided, and a sausage at breakfast is part of the arrangement.

What comes through most in guest feedback is the arrival itself. Owners travelling with dogs describe an easy, unfussed check-in and a hotel team that works well together, with staff going out of their way rather than treating a dog as an administrative problem. The property is full of period character, and its position in the centre of Burford means the town's shops, the walks along the River Windrush and the wider Cotswolds countryside are all within a few minutes on foot.

One thing to plan for, because it is the recurring sore point: dogs are welcome in the bar and the garden but not in the main restaurant, so meals with a dog in tow happen in the bar. Owners who were not told this before arriving found it a real disappointment, particularly as there is a single set menu across both rooms that some found limiting or pricey. Burford has other dog-friendly places to eat if you want a change. A few visitors also mentioned housekeeping niggles such as cobwebs, and not every bathroom has a walk-in shower, which is worth checking if step-in access matters.

With warm, capable staff, a proper dog set-up in the room and a walk-everywhere Cotswolds setting, The Bay Tree suits dog owners who want a characterful town-centre inn and are happy to eat in the bar. Its 4.0/5 paw rating reflects a small pool of pet-owner feedback in which the dining arrangement, not the welcome, was the sticking point.