If you own a dog and like to take it with you when you go away, you will doubtless have come across the difficulty of finding somewhere that is dog-friendly but also pleasant to spend some actual time in.
When my wife and I had to make the heart-breaking decision to have one of our dogs put to sleep recently, we decided that we needed to get away from our house and everything that reminded us of her.
The other dog is 14 now, so finding a spot to head to can be tricky, which is where the Hoseasons Lodges came in.
Dog-Friendly, Child-Tolerant
Easily one of the best things about Ho Seasons as a company is the fact that the lodges are dog-friendly without being swarmed by kids all of the time. That is because they are set up in such a way that there isn’t really anything for kids to do on site. There’s no playground, for example, or large area of space where they can play. There are, however, walks that you can head on with your dog to give them a chance to have a good sniff and stretch their legs, which is ideal.
The most recent one that my wife and I travelled to was the one in North Wales, just by the village of Caerwys, Plas Isaf Lodge Retreat. The area to walk your dog is massive, relatively speaking, stretching over a good few fields. Not only that, but Talacre Beach isn’t too far away, which is an ideal spot for anyone looking to give their dog some exercise whilst you yourself might have mobility issues. It is about 30 minutes away in the car, but it’s a lovely walk along the front and in the sand dunes, if that’s the sort of thing that takes your fancy.
The lodges are really nicely done, even if we do find the mattresses to be a little bit too soft. Regardless of where you go, you’ll find the lodges to be of pretty much the same spec, which we have found in North Wales, the Peak District and the Lakes. If you want to splash out, you can opt for one that’s got a hot tub, although that is a little bit more expensive, but there are decently sized lodges that will suit pretty much any party. Some of them also have bars/restaurants, at least part of which are dog-friendly.
The final thing worth mentioning that dog lovers will doubtless appreciate is the fact that they do not allow fireworks, even on Bonfire Night. Having watched our dog become absolutely petrified by the sound of fireworks exploding overhead, that is something that we appreciate more than we thought we would when we were younger!