Several hotels across Bristol genuinely welcome dogs, not just a token "pets considered" line. The Bristol Hotel on Harbourside takes small dogs for a one-off £20 fee, both Hotel du Vin locations (Clifton and the Old City) charge £25 a night per dog, Hort's Townhouse in the city centre charges a flat £25 a night and throws in a dog bed and treats, and ibis Bristol Centre takes dogs of any size for £10 a night. Premier Inn, by contrast, doesn't allow dogs at all, assistance dogs aside, so cross that one off your list straight away.
Harbourside: boutique comfort and a budget option side by side
The Bristol Hotel (Prince Street, part of the Doyle Collection) sits right on the harbour and takes small dogs up to 15kg (33lb), one per room, for a £20 non-refundable pet fee covering the whole stay. Dogs need to stay on a lead in public areas and can't be left alone in the room, and they're not allowed in the food and beverage areas, though you can still eat on the terrace tables at Rick's Bar or order room service. Book direct by phone or email and flag that you're bringing a dog.
ibis Bristol Centre, overlooking Millennium Square, is the no-fuss budget alternative. It's listed on Accor's own pet-friendly Bristol page, and takes dogs of any size for a reported £10 per pet per night, with a small deposit at booking. It won't win any style awards, but it's a five-minute walk from the Hippodrome and right by We The Curious and the aquarium.
Clifton: walks on the Downs right outside the door
Hotel du Vin Bristol Avon Gorge, perched above the gorge in Clifton, lets dogs onto the White Lion Bar terrace so they can take in one of the best views in the city while you have a drink. The hotel asks you to flag your dog when booking and provides a bed and bowl. The fee is £25 a night for one dog or £40 for two, dogs need to be at least a year old, and only assistance dogs are allowed inside the restaurant itself. The Downs are a short walk away, and Leigh Woods and Ashton Court are both visible across the gorge, making this one of the better bases if dog walks are the whole point of the trip. If you're weighing up Clifton against other parts of the city for your stay, the Clifton guide and the Clifton Suspension Bridge guide are worth a read.
Old City and city centre: the most options
Hotel du Vin & Bistro, housed in a converted 18th-century sugar warehouse in the Old City, runs the same pricing as its sister hotel in Clifton: £25 a night for one dog or £40 for two, with dogs required to be over a year old and kept out of the lounge and bistro.
Hort's Townhouse on Broad Street is a 19-room boutique spot with a flat £25-a-night charge covering up to two dogs in one of its dog-friendly rooms. Every stay comes with a doggy hamper of treats, plus a bed or blanket and a water bowl, though you're welcome to bring your own bedding if your dog prefers it. Dogs need to stay on a lead in shared areas.
Delta Hotels by Marriott Bristol City Centre (formerly Bristol Marriott City Centre, in Old Market) allows up to two pets per room with a non-refundable pet fee starting at £30 for one dog; the fee is higher for two, so confirm the exact amount when you book.
Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel on College Green, a 150-year-old building a short walk from the Cathedral and Harbourside, allows dogs of any size for a pet fee of around £30 per stay, with service animals exempt.
Not every boutique hotel plays along: Number 38 Clifton, for instance, explicitly states on its own site that it doesn't accommodate dogs or other pets, despite turning up on some third-party pet-friendly listings, so it's always worth checking a hotel's own policy page rather than relying purely on aggregator sites.
Comparison: dog-friendly hotels in Bristol
| Hotel | Area | Dog fee | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bristol Hotel | Harbourside | £20 one-off (per stay) | Dogs up to 15kg, 1 per room |
| ibis Bristol Centre | Harbourside | ~£10 per night | Any size (reported policy; confirm at booking) |
| Hotel du Vin Bristol Avon Gorge | Clifton | £25/night (1 dog), £40/night (2) | Dogs must be 1 year or older |
| Hotel du Vin & Bistro | Old City | £25/night (1 dog), £40/night (2) | Dogs must be 1 year or older |
| Hort's Townhouse | Old City / city centre | £25/night flat | Up to 2 dogs per room |
| Delta Hotels by Marriott | City centre (Old Market) | From £30 (1 dog) | Max 2 pets per room |
| Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel | City centre (College Green) | ~£30 per stay | Any size |
| Premier Inn (all Bristol sites) | Various | Not allowed | Assistance dogs only |
Looking for the pub and park side of a dog-friendly trip rather than where to sleep? The dog-friendly Bristol pubs guide covers that ground, and it's worth checking the Bristol parking guide and neighbourhoods guide too if you're still deciding which part of the city to base yourself in.
Booking tips
Always tell the hotel you're bringing a dog when you book, ideally by phone or email rather than through a third-party booking site, since pet-friendly rooms are often limited and allocated separately from the general room stock. Ask about the exact fee, whether it's per night or a flat charge for the stay, and whether there's a weight or size limit before you commit. Most hotels that allow dogs still ban them from restaurants and bars inside the building (assistance dogs aside), so check what the arrangement is for breakfast or dinner if you don't want to be juggling room service with a dog in tow.