The Pines Hotel

We stayed at The Pines Hotel for a long weekend with our small dog. The views are simply breathtaking, and we were lucky enough to have a sea-view room with a balcony — waking up to that coastline was truly special. The staff were exceptionally warm, friendly and helpful throughout our stay, and the food in the restaurant was outstanding — genuinely some of the best we’ve had. In terms of service, cuisine and room standard, this hotel easily feels more like a 5-star experience than a 3-star one. We chose the hotel primarily because it is advertised as dog friendly. We appreciated the dog towel and treats in our room — a thoughtful touch. However, we were disappointed to discover on arrival that dogs are not permitted anywhere in the hotel apart from the bedroom. We never leave our dog alone in unfamiliar hotel rooms. She travels everywhere with us in her handbag-style carrier, which tucks neatly and discreetly under a table. The hotel kindly offered us a store room/function room where we could dine with her, but it felt isolated, overlooked the car park and smoking area, and lacked the glorious coastal views of the main restaurant and bar — which meant we missed out on much of the atmosphere that makes the hotel so special. We also noticed other guests leaving their dogs in rooms (with some barking and sounding distressed) or in their cars while they ate, which we found upsetting and not particularly in the spirit of being dog friendly. We have stayed in many beautiful 4- and 5-star hotels across the UK and Europe where keeping our small dog with us in dining areas has never been an issue. It feels such a shame that this hotel — which excels in so many ways — couldn’t take that small additional step to make both owners and their well-behaved dogs feel fully included. That said, the staff, food and location are truly exceptional. With a slightly more inclusive dog policy, this would be close to perfect.

Absolutely lovely hotel. Our room was gorgeous with stunning views. The staff are super, very caring and helpful and the food delicious. Highly recommended x

I stayed here for 2 nights. 10/10 for cleanliness and room was massive. Heating is on all the time but fan sorted it out. Staff are very pleasant and helpful. All in all a very quiet and impressive place. Thank you and Merry Christmas and all the best for the new year. Sharon room 3