Lake District Kendal
The Old Garage Apartments
Independent pet-friendly review by Four Legged Guests · updated July 2026 · paw rating built from 5 verified guest reviews mentioning pets
Bring your dog if
- You want a whole-property rental - no shared lobbies or corridors to navigate with your dog
- You're basing yourself in Kendal / the Lake District and want a pet-friendly anchor for day trips
- The wider guest experience is strong - guests rate this 9.3/10 overall on booking platforms
Worth knowing
- Pet fee and any size restrictions aren't published - confirm directly with the property before booking
How this review was built Evidence, sources, refresh cadence
- Evidence: 5 pet-mention guest reviews sourced from major booking platforms - guests who explicitly mentioned travelling with a dog. Each review is screened for pet-relevance, then judged for sentiment to compute the paw rating.
- Not a personal visit. We don't stay at every hotel we cover - we summarise patterns from real guest reviews, paraphrased and never quoted verbatim. Full standard on our editorial policy page.
- Wider context: The property has 44 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, averaging 9.3/10 - the paw rating reflects only the pet-mentioning subset.
- Last refreshed: July 2026. Policies and pricing drift; we re-check on a rolling basis. Confirm specifics with the property at the moment you book.
- How the paw rating works: Full detail on the methodology page, including the three verification gates and known limitations.
Pet-friendly summary
The Old Garage Apartments make an easy, comfortable base for exploring the Lake District with a dog. This is self-catering done well: bright, spotlessly clean apartments with a proper kitchen, a washing machine and private parking, set on the edge of Kendal where the southern fells and Windermere are both within easy reach.
Dogs are genuinely part of the welcome here rather than merely tolerated. Guests travelling with pets regularly mention thoughtful touches on arrival, including a welcome tray, fresh milk and treats left out for the dog, alongside a secure outdoor area where dogs can spend time off the lead. For anyone who wants a clean, well-equipped flat they can settle into with a four-legged companion, it ticks the important boxes.
The apartments earn consistent praise for space, comfort and cleanliness, and the surrounding scenery does plenty of the work too, with stunning views and quick access to classic Lakeland walks. Kendal itself is a handy spot for stocking up before heading deeper into the national park, and the on-site parking takes the stress out of arriving with a car full of gear and a dog.
There is one honest caveat worth knowing before you book. The property sits on a main road, and the footpath alongside it is narrow, so the first stretch of any walk straight from the door can feel a little exposed with an excitable or nervous dog. It is easily managed - most guests simply drive a couple of minutes to quieter footpaths and open fell - but owners of dogs that pull or startle at traffic should plan their walks accordingly rather than relying on the doorstep.
For dog owners who want a clean, self-contained Lake District base with secure outdoor space and a genuinely pet-aware welcome, and who don't mind a short hop to the best walking, The Old Garage Apartments earn a solid 4.4 out of 5 paw rating.
Highlights from pet-mentioning reviews
What reviewers travelling with dogs consistently noted about staying here.
- Welcome treats laid out for dogs
- Secure outdoor area for dogs
- Spotlessly clean, well-equipped flats
- Main road makes doorstep walks tricky
- Handy Kendal base for the Lakes
About this hotel
The Old Garage Apartments are a collection of clean, well-equipped self-catering flats on the edge of Kendal, a handy gateway town for the southern Lake District. Rated 3.5 stars, they offer private parking, full kitchens and quick access to Windermere and the surrounding fells, making a practical base for a self-catering Lakeland break.
Hotel facts
Photos
Location
Windy Ridge Selside, Kendal, LA8 9LE
