Visualisation: a walker and a labrador on a hill above a city

Our Story

Most of us have stood at a hotel desk with a wet dog and been told he'll have to stay in the car, or that he can come in but can't go anywhere except the room.

The places that do welcome dogs tend to be in the country. That's lovely, but it isn't much help if you want a weekend in a city with the dog. You end up either leaving them behind or spending the whole trip working out where they're allowed.

Wagstaff is our answer to that. We want city hotels that are as good as any for people, with good beds, good food and a bar worth staying in, and that are planned around dogs from the start. The dog's bed is designed into each room, the kitchen cooks for dogs, and while you're out they spend the day in a garden with people who know what they're doing.

We're at the beginning. We're choosing the first city, looking at buildings and working out the details, from how wide a boot room needs to be to what goes on the dog's breakfast menu. The founding list is how we'll keep in touch, and the city people choose will help us decide where to start.

The Wagstaff team

Visualisation: a border collie shaking off water in a boot room

The details

Designed from the dog's height

Every room starts with where the dog will sleep, where the bowls go and where the lead hangs. The floors are chosen to survive paws, the walls to keep the barking in, and the furniture to be sat on by everyone.

Visualisation: a red setter lying at its owner's feet on a train

Getting there

Close to the station

We're only looking at buildings within easy reach of a mainline station, because a train journey with a dog asleep at your feet is the best way to start a city weekend.

The founding list

Be first through the door

Founding members will get first choice of dates when the first hotel opens, a founding rate on their first stay, and their dog's profile on file before they arrive. Tell us which city you'd visit first and it helps us decide where to open.