Arden House

I had a comfortable couple of nights, with helpful, friendly staff and excellent breakfasts. I’d stay here again. Dinner at the main hotel, though, was a letdown: the food was indifferent, the prices extortionate and the service hideously incompetent. For something delicious and beautifully served, cross the road to the theatre’s rooftop restaurant. It costs less, too.

Arden House is a stylish, exceptionally clean boutique hotel with 10 bedrooms and a great location for people visiting with dogs. There’s a nice park directly opposite, and local amenities are all within walking distance. Staff were helpful from the start, carrying our bags upstairs when we arrived, and the cleaners who reset the rooms each day were friendly. Check-in is at 2pm and checkout at 11am. There’s a small car park, though guests are encouraged to walk, cycle or take the train to reduce emissions. Our dogs had their own clean bed, food and water bowls, feeding mat and a toy. That was a lovely and unexpected touch. Breakfast was fantastic, and I enjoyed the eggs benedict. We were disappointed, though, that dogs weren’t allowed anywhere in the dining room, since we booked because the hotel was described as dog friendly. Dogs could go in the lounge, but there were only coffee tables there, which made it hard to have breakfast with them. We were advised to leave the dogs in our rooms while we ate, which didn’t work for us, and hotels usually don’t allow dogs to be left alone in rooms. Thankfully, a table was set up for us in the lounge temporarily. The hotel has only been dog friendly for a short time, but it should provide a permanent place for guests with dogs to eat, or reconsider calling itself dog friendly. With the current rules, tea and coffee facilities in each room would also help people travelling with dogs. We thoroughly enjoyed Stratford, with walks along the river Avon, historic points of interest, relaxed browsing in the shops, and food and drink at dog-friendly pubs and bistros. I can recommend The Garrick, The Woodsman, The Dirty Duck, The Vintner, The White Swan and The Encore. A list of dog-friendly places to eat would also be useful for hotel guests.

Breakfast was delicious, and the hotel felt very clean and quite sumptuous. The rooms are comfortable and finished to a high standard. Arden House Hotel is a fabulous little place near Stratford town centre, though “small” really does mean small. Our only gripe was the very narrow en-suite.

The free snacks and coffee machine were a lovely touch, and at 5pm there’s even a complimentary “Gin O' clock.” Our double room was gorgeous and the breakfast was exceptional. Right in the heart of Statford, it’s an outstanding place to stay. Loved it.