Pamper your pooch at a pet friendly hotel

With the first buds of spring just round the corner and the much loved Crufts Dog Show starting on 10th March, what better time to book a hotel break that also welcomes the four-legged members of the family.

Fine Individual Hotels (fihotels.com), is a collection of 60 of the very best privately owned and operated luxury hotels in the UK. Many of the properties welcome dogs and are situated in areas of outstanding beauty with varied landscapes making them the perfect retreat for a walk with the dog. From the moorland and stunning coastline of Devon to the Lake District Fells, the varied terrain of Lancashire or the stunning Cheviots of Northumberland and the National Parks of the Peak District, with all this to explore it would not be the same without your faithful friend.

Here is their pick of the best in show:

Combe House Devon, near Exeter, a Grade 1 Elizabethan Manor house is offering guests a free stay for their dog when booking a dinner B&B stay up until the end of March 2011. Dogs are allowed to curl up in front of the crackling log fire in the Great Hall and go into the elegant cocktail bar and sitting room. Complimentary ‘doggie room packs’ are provided to ensure the ultimate creature comforts are available with water and food bowls, a chewy bone with a box of tasty treats and a map of the best local footpaths. In case guests have forgotten any bare necessities of doggie life, a ‘Canine Survival Box’ is available on special request. Prices start from £199 B&B for two sharing a double/twin room per night and a three course candlelit dinner with canapés is £49 per person.

Linthwaite House is an elegant Edwardian house situated in over 14 acres of wooded hilltop gardens overlooking Lake Windermere. The Lake District is the perfect place to explore on two or four legs and with this is mind the hotel offers two of its ground floor rooms for canine guests with direct access to the gardens and grounds. Water bowls, dog blankets, spare leads, and a list of dog friendly pubs and walks is all at hand for guests to head off and explore with their dog. Prices start from £165 B&B for two sharing a double/twin room per night and £9 per night, per dog.

Headlam Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf, near Darlington in picturesque County Durham is set within four acres of gardens and grounds with a number of footpaths close by making it ideal for dog walking. For longer walks beyond the hotel take to the North Pennines Dale and the meandering upper reaches of the River Tees, with its numerous characterful villages such as Middleton-in-Teesdale, Cotherstone and Romaldkirk. The hotel welcomes guests with dogs in their mews bedrooms without extra charge. These offer direct access to the grounds and to the village green which is just yards away. Prices start from £120 B&B for two sharing a double/ twin room per night.

The Royal Castle Hotel in Dartmouth is the ideal haven for guests to enjoy a short coastal break with their dogs. The award winning 17th Century hotel is perfectly located in the heart of Dartmouth overlooking the spectacular inner harbour and Dart estuary. With its mild climate, salt air and rich bird-life, it is a great base in which to enjoy walks that explore the surrounding marshlands and natural beauty. Information is provided by the hotel on local walks that are for all levels of fitness and suitable with dogs. After an invigorating walk, guests can look forward to relaxing with a West Country beer at the hotel and for a small supplement of £15, rooms can be equipped with dog beds and treats. Prices start from £140 B&B for two sharing a double/twin room per night.

The Gibbon Bridge Hotel is located in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire, the heart of a special part of England, known for the Pendle Witches Trail. Designated an area of outstanding beauty, with its rolling pastures, working farmland and dense forestry, there is a plethora of dog friendly walks to enjoy that go through the Ribble Valley, as well as charming villages and mystical landscapes that inspired Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’. With all of this on its doorstep, this is a great area to enjoy a dog walking break, whilst discovering more about this historical area. Dogs are welcome in designated rooms and suites in the hotel with an additional charge of £30. Prices start from £140 B&B for two sharing a double/ twin room per night.

For further information on Fine Individual Hotels go to: fihotels.com