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10 Dog Friendly Places To Stay On The Isle of Wight - 2024
If the thought (or cost) of kennels is too much to bear then take a look at these places to stay on the Isle of Wight which all let you bring your dog. Doggy passports are not required and there are several dog friendly beaches, attractions and pubs to visit during the day.
As well as hotels, B&Bs and Isle of Wight holiday homes there are also several Isle of Wight holiday parks which are dog friendly.
As well as hotels, B&Bs and Isle of Wight holiday homes there are also several Isle of Wight holiday parks which are dog friendly.
1. Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park (caravans/lodges sleeping 4-8 people)
**Whitecliff Bay Discount Code: Save 10% via this link with code IOWGURU10 (expires 31/12/23) + discount Isle of Wight ferry travel **
Whitecliff Bay is a big and busy holiday park that welcomes dogs for £35-£55, depending on how long you stay. It has won a number of awards, including being named as the Best Holiday Park at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards in 2022. Guests also get a hefty discount on the Isle of Wight ferry. The price varies but I've seen the ferry at half the price of going via Wightlink or Red Funnel.
Dogs are allowed onto the lovely sandy beach at Whitecliff Bay and into the Nab Bar (the full list of where dogs can go on the park is published here). The beach is down a very steep slope but it's one of the Isle of Wight's prettiest beaches and looks genuinely foreign on a sunny day. (Ed: apart from the freezing cold seawater, obvs).
Other options are to head to one of the nearby dog friendly beaches, such as Bembridge.
The holiday park itself has lots to do, including an indoor swimming pool and evening entertainment. It scores 4/5 from reviewers and has a big choice of accommodation including cheap caravans, glamping and posher lodges. It starred in a Channel 5 TV series called 'Caravanning with Shane Richie' in 2019, just in case you're interested.
Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park don't allow dogs that are legally required to be muzzled.
Dogs are allowed onto the lovely sandy beach at Whitecliff Bay and into the Nab Bar (the full list of where dogs can go on the park is published here). The beach is down a very steep slope but it's one of the Isle of Wight's prettiest beaches and looks genuinely foreign on a sunny day. (Ed: apart from the freezing cold seawater, obvs).
Other options are to head to one of the nearby dog friendly beaches, such as Bembridge.
The holiday park itself has lots to do, including an indoor swimming pool and evening entertainment. It scores 4/5 from reviewers and has a big choice of accommodation including cheap caravans, glamping and posher lodges. It starred in a Channel 5 TV series called 'Caravanning with Shane Richie' in 2019, just in case you're interested.
Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park don't allow dogs that are legally required to be muzzled.
2. Nodes Point Holiday Park (caravans/lodges sleeping 4-8 people)
**Parkdean Resorts Black Friday: 1000s of holidays from £69 + up to 30% off 7 nights (expires 04/12/23)**
**Nodes Point Offer: 7 nights from £199 + discount Isle of Wight ferry travel**
There are four Parkdean Resorts Holiday Parks on the Isle of Wight, all of which are dog friendly (Nodes Point in St Helen's, Thorness Bay near(ish) Cowes, Landguard in Shanklin or Lower Hyde, also in Shanklin). They were previously Park Resorts caravan sites.
Nodes Point is my pick of the four, mainly due to its location only a few metres from the beach.
It's in the pretty village of St Helen's which is a bit less touristy than Shanklin. Dogs are allowed on the beach at St Helen's and there are other dog friendly beaches nearby, such as Bembridge.
Onsite there are plenty of facilities at Nodes Point, including an indoor swimming pool and a play area for children. You have to pay £49 extra to bring a dog, but they do sometimes do a pets go free deal. Parkdean Resorts also offer a good discount on the Isle of Wight ferry..
A quieter holiday park in the area which welcomes dogs is St Helen's Holiday Resort. It's not right by the sea but it does have plenty of modern lodges and caravans.
Nodes Point is my pick of the four, mainly due to its location only a few metres from the beach.
It's in the pretty village of St Helen's which is a bit less touristy than Shanklin. Dogs are allowed on the beach at St Helen's and there are other dog friendly beaches nearby, such as Bembridge.
Onsite there are plenty of facilities at Nodes Point, including an indoor swimming pool and a play area for children. You have to pay £49 extra to bring a dog, but they do sometimes do a pets go free deal. Parkdean Resorts also offer a good discount on the Isle of Wight ferry..
A quieter holiday park in the area which welcomes dogs is St Helen's Holiday Resort. It's not right by the sea but it does have plenty of modern lodges and caravans.
3. The Island Riding Centre (self catering, sleeps 4-8)
The Island Riding Centre opened in 2017 with self-catering holiday accommodation as well as an equestrian school. Five of its holiday cottages are dog friendly including Gallops Retreat (sleeps 6) and Bay Cottage (sleeps 4). It also specialises in accessible accommodation (see our wheelchair friendly guide).
The properties are nicely done, and it is popular with customers, with an average of 4.6/5 from about 200 reviews on Google Reviews.
The Island Riding Centre is towards the middle of the Isle of Wight so it's well placed for exploring the whole Island in a week. The downside is that you're a whopping 10-15 minute drive from the nearest beach. Some Isle of Wight residents get a nosebleed if they're that far away from the coast but a resilient mainlander should be able to cope with it.
The properties are nicely done, and it is popular with customers, with an average of 4.6/5 from about 200 reviews on Google Reviews.
The Island Riding Centre is towards the middle of the Isle of Wight so it's well placed for exploring the whole Island in a week. The downside is that you're a whopping 10-15 minute drive from the nearest beach. Some Isle of Wight residents get a nosebleed if they're that far away from the coast but a resilient mainlander should be able to cope with it.
4. The Lakes Rookley (caravans, cottages and lakehouses with hot tubs)
**The Lakes Discount Code: Save 10% via this link with code IOWGURU10 (expires 31/12/23)**
The Lakes Rookley is a mid-sized resort that has plenty of dog friendly accommodation, including caravans, cottages and lakehouses. Some of the properties are also described as 'accessible'.
You will find The Lakes towards the middle of the Isle of Wight, so the nearest beach is about 15 minutes away by car. That makes it a good choice if you want to tick off a lot of the Isle of Wight's beaches and attractions in one week. It's less convenient if you dream of evening strolls to the beach after tea (you get that with Nodes Point and Whitecliff Bay).
It is run by Away Resorts and has an indoor swimming pool, as well as watersports on the lakes. There is somewhere to eat on site and a choice of cheaper and posher types of accommodation. Some of the dog friendly properties have hot tubs.
You can bring a maximum of two dogs to The Lakes, Rookley.
One big plus point of staying here is that they will book the Isle of Wight ferry for you at a significant discount. It can sometimes be as little as half price (Ed: or should that be 'as much as half price'?)
You will find The Lakes towards the middle of the Isle of Wight, so the nearest beach is about 15 minutes away by car. That makes it a good choice if you want to tick off a lot of the Isle of Wight's beaches and attractions in one week. It's less convenient if you dream of evening strolls to the beach after tea (you get that with Nodes Point and Whitecliff Bay).
It is run by Away Resorts and has an indoor swimming pool, as well as watersports on the lakes. There is somewhere to eat on site and a choice of cheaper and posher types of accommodation. Some of the dog friendly properties have hot tubs.
You can bring a maximum of two dogs to The Lakes, Rookley.
One big plus point of staying here is that they will book the Isle of Wight ferry for you at a significant discount. It can sometimes be as little as half price (Ed: or should that be 'as much as half price'?)
5. Burwyns (self catering, sleeps 16) and other large houses
If you're attempting a holiday with three aunties, a couple of grandparents and a couple of dogs then Burwyns near Ventnor is worth a look.
It gets very positive reviews and is in a quiet spot in the South Wight. The southern end of the Isle of Wight feels very distant from the (*ahem*) metropolitan feel of Newport, so it's a great choice if you a) don't mind driving a bit and b) want to feel like you are miles from home.
There are six bedrooms, including one with a balcony. No fighting over that one please.
It gets very positive reviews and is in a quiet spot in the South Wight. The southern end of the Isle of Wight feels very distant from the (*ahem*) metropolitan feel of Newport, so it's a great choice if you a) don't mind driving a bit and b) want to feel like you are miles from home.
There are six bedrooms, including one with a balcony. No fighting over that one please.
There are plenty of other large properties for groups that are dog friendly.
In the South Wight, you'll find The Hermitage which sleeps 20 people. It's a grand old manor house but is reasonably priced if you can fill it up with 19 others. My friend stayed here for a work thing and said it was an impressive building.
You can bring up to five dogs, so you won't have to disagree about which auntie has to put their dog in a kennel.
In the South Wight, you'll find The Hermitage which sleeps 20 people. It's a grand old manor house but is reasonably priced if you can fill it up with 19 others. My friend stayed here for a work thing and said it was an impressive building.
You can bring up to five dogs, so you won't have to disagree about which auntie has to put their dog in a kennel.
In the posh East Wight village of Seaview you'll find The House On The Beach. As you'll gather from the photo, the location is pretty decent. It allows you to bring two dogs.
6. Best Western New Holmwood (Hotel)
Dogs aren't allowed at a lot of hotels on the Isle of Wight but there are some gems if you do a bit of digging.
The Isle of Wight's only Best Western hotel is in a prime position on the seafront at Cowes, with views of huge great container ships and yachts in the Solent. It gets excellent reviews (4.5/5 when I checked), and it welcomes pets for £15.
They also offer evening meals, or you can wander along to the town centre in Cowes where there is a good choice of restaurants and pubs.
The Isle of Wight's only Best Western hotel is in a prime position on the seafront at Cowes, with views of huge great container ships and yachts in the Solent. It gets excellent reviews (4.5/5 when I checked), and it welcomes pets for £15.
They also offer evening meals, or you can wander along to the town centre in Cowes where there is a good choice of restaurants and pubs.
Luccombe Manor Country House Hotel is one of the best dog friendly hotels in the Shanklin area. It scores 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor.
Shanklin is an excellent choice if you want a classic seaside holiday on the Isle of Wight. It has an old village with thatched cottages selling cream teas and a seafront with deckchairs sold by people wearing bumbags.
They have double rooms and family rooms and some of them have sea views.
Shanklin is an excellent choice if you want a classic seaside holiday on the Isle of Wight. It has an old village with thatched cottages selling cream teas and a seafront with deckchairs sold by people wearing bumbags.
They have double rooms and family rooms and some of them have sea views.
The Brunswick is another popular dog friendly hotel on the cliffs overlooking Shanklin. It's usually a little bit cheaper than Luccombe Manor Country House Hotel. It's got an outdoor swimming pool and good sea views from a lot of the rooms. It scores 4/5 on TripAdvisor.
7. The Bay, Colwell (cottages with hot tubs)
The Bay, Colwell is a good choice for a dog friendly holiday. There is one section of the local beach that doesn't allow dogs in summer, but there's also a section that is dog friendly all year round (to the right of the slipway as you face the sea).
The resort itself has a good range of dog friendly cottages. Some have hot tubs. It also has an indoor swimming pool, soft play and an onsite coffee lounge.
You can bring up to two dogs to The Bay, Colwell. It is another holiday resort that can blag you a big discount on the Isle of Wight ferry. The discount varies but I've done some test searches and found it to be about 50% off on occasion.
The resort is in the West Wight, which has a reputation for being a little sleepy. However, it also has many of the best walks on the Isle of Wight and some really good restaurants. Colwell itself it home to The Hut - a trendy seafood restaurant that often appears in the Instagram accounts of celebrities and influencers. That will either impress you, or prompt you to steer well clear.
The resort itself has a good range of dog friendly cottages. Some have hot tubs. It also has an indoor swimming pool, soft play and an onsite coffee lounge.
You can bring up to two dogs to The Bay, Colwell. It is another holiday resort that can blag you a big discount on the Isle of Wight ferry. The discount varies but I've done some test searches and found it to be about 50% off on occasion.
The resort is in the West Wight, which has a reputation for being a little sleepy. However, it also has many of the best walks on the Isle of Wight and some really good restaurants. Colwell itself it home to The Hut - a trendy seafood restaurant that often appears in the Instagram accounts of celebrities and influencers. That will either impress you, or prompt you to steer well clear.
8. Rossiter's VIneyard Barns (self catering, sleeps 4-6)
Rossiter's Vineyard Barns is a small selection of five self-catering properties that all allow pets. They're all different sizes and some of them have hot tubs. It doesn't specify whether dogs can use the hot tubs, but my hunch is that it isn't allowed...
The properties are named after wines (don't be too impressed, I had to Google it), including Orion, which sleeps six people or Rondo and Dornfelder, which sleep four people.
They're in Wellow, which is sleepy, even by usual Isle of Wight standards of sleepiness.While you're in Wellow make sure you visit the local attractions including a lamp-post and a bus stop. I'm exaggerating slightly, but the West Wight is quiet. It's also my favourite part of the Isle of Wight, and it's a good choice if you want to find dog friendly beaches for walkies. The coast is about 10 minutes in the car.
The properties are named after wines (don't be too impressed, I had to Google it), including Orion, which sleeps six people or Rondo and Dornfelder, which sleep four people.
They're in Wellow, which is sleepy, even by usual Isle of Wight standards of sleepiness.While you're in Wellow make sure you visit the local attractions including a lamp-post and a bus stop. I'm exaggerating slightly, but the West Wight is quiet. It's also my favourite part of the Isle of Wight, and it's a good choice if you want to find dog friendly beaches for walkies. The coast is about 10 minutes in the car.
9. Westgate Cottage (Self catering, sleeps 8)
Pretty Westgate Cottage is in St Lawrence on the southern end of the Isle of Wight. It's a 35 minute drive from the ferry but the area has a wonderfully relaxed feel to it. The attractive cottage has four bedrooms with historic character on the outside and the usual modern conveniences on the inside. It's only a short walk from the sea and you can bring up to three dogs.
We've picked out this one because it allows three dogs rather than the usual one or two, but there are loads of other dog friendly self catering cottages in the South Wight (HolidayCottages.co.uk had about 40 when I checked).
You might like to start by reading our guide to 'which Isle of Wight town should I stay in', which will help you narrow down the options.
We've picked out this one because it allows three dogs rather than the usual one or two, but there are loads of other dog friendly self catering cottages in the South Wight (HolidayCottages.co.uk had about 40 when I checked).
You might like to start by reading our guide to 'which Isle of Wight town should I stay in', which will help you narrow down the options.
10. The Orchards Holiday Park (Caravans sleeping 6 people)
The Orchards Holiday Park is an independent holiday park in the quiet West Wight which gets very good reviews (4.5/5 on TripAdvisor). It's a much quieter option than some of the Isle of Wight's bigger caravan holiday parks but it does have indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
It is well placed for exploring the West Wight coastline which has dog friendly beaches such as Brook Chine and Chilton Chine (about 10 minutes' drive away).
They welcome dogs in a couple of their grades of caravan, with a small added charge.
It is well placed for exploring the West Wight coastline which has dog friendly beaches such as Brook Chine and Chilton Chine (about 10 minutes' drive away).
They welcome dogs in a couple of their grades of caravan, with a small added charge.