Dog-Friendly Hotels Near Waterworld Stoke-on-Trent
The six hotels on this page around Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent all accept dogs, and none of them is at Festival Park itself: Hilton Garden Inn sits in Hanley, the town next to Etruria, while the other five are at Trentham, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Keele and junction 15 of the M6. Their average guest score is 8.3 from 6,121 reviews. Dogs cannot go into the aqua park, so the real question is who stays with the dog while the family swims. Check the calendar before anything else: on 15 October 2026 Waterworld announced that the aqua park will close temporarily this winter for renovations, after a Last Splash party on Sunday 1 November, with reopening expected in early 2027.
Stoke-on-Trent is six pottery towns joined into one city, and Festival Park sits in Etruria, on the canal where Josiah Wedgwood built his works. The pet-friendly hotels are spread out around Hanley, Trentham, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Keele, so nearly everyone travelling with a dog arrives by car.
Where to stay
Who looks after the dog while you swim
Waterworld is an indoor aqua park at Festival Park in Etruria, with 30 rides and attractions under one roof and a small outdoor pool that opens only on peak summer days. That makes it a rain-proof day in the Potteries, but it also means several hours when a dog cannot be with you. The six hotels on this page all accept dogs. Where you sleep decides three things: whether the dog may stay alone in the room, how far the best walks are, and how long the drive to Etruria takes.
Read the room rules before you plan a pool session. Holiday Inn Express Stoke on Trent and Holiday Inn Stoke on Trent M6 Jct 15 both state that pets cannot be left unattended, so the obvious plan of leaving the dog in the room while everyone heads to Etruria does not work there. Waterworld then adds its own maths: one adult for every baby, toddler or weak swimmer, and one adult for at most two swimming children under 11. With a dog and small children, I would travel with two adults and swap: one walks the canal while the other is in the water.
Hilton Garden Inn Stoke on Trent is my pick when the slides are the reason for the trip. It is in Hanley, about three minutes on foot from the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, and Festival Park lies in Etruria, the next district to the west, a short drive away. Listings give a weight limit of around 34 kg per pet and say food and water bowls are provided, and only dogs and cats are accepted. A large breed may simply not fit that rule. Its guest score is 8.8 from 721 reviews, second only to Courtyard Keele.
For walking, Trentham is the strongest base. Travelodge Stoke-on-Trent Trentham sits by the Trentham Estate, where dogs are welcome on a short lead in the gardens, with one off-lead area on the walk up towards North Park. Dogs stay out of the children's play area and the Barefoot Walk. The trap is next door: Trentham Monkey Forest refuses entry to anyone with a dog, because dogs are natural predators of the Barbary macaques, and even assistance dogs need to be arranged by phone in advance. From Trentham you also cross the whole city northwards to reach Festival Park.
Holiday Inn Express Stoke on Trent is on Stanley Matthews Way at Trentham Lakes, beside the bet365 Stadium and just off junction 15. Breakfast is included and it has the most reviews of the six, 1,631 for a score of 8.2, but only some rooms take pets and you request one from the hotel using the number on your confirmation. Check-in opens at 3 pm, the same time Waterworld closes on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, so on those days I would swim first and check in after. The same no-unattended-pets rule applies here, which makes it a better fit for a family with two adults.
The two motorway-side hotels suit families driving in from far away. Holiday Inn Stoke on Trent M6 Jct 15 is the only one of the six with its own indoor pool and hot tub, useful for an evening swim after Waterworld closes. It takes up to two dogs per room, in certain rooms only, and its score is the lowest here at 7.8. Courtyard by Marriott Keele Staffordshire has the best score of the six, 9.0 from 493 reviews, but from Keele you drive through Newcastle-under-Lyme to reach Etruria. Travelodge Newcastle Under Lyme, 8.0 from 882 reviews, cuts part of that drive.
A traveler's takeIf Waterworld is the point of the trip, I would only go by Sunday 1 November 2026 or wait for the confirmed reopening date in 2027. Before that, I would sleep at Hilton Garden Inn in Hanley for the shortest drive to Festival Park, as long as the dog is under its weight limit. With a big dog, or a family that wants long walks more than slides, I would choose Travelodge Trentham and treat Waterworld as one half-day. I would not book either Holiday Inn if the plan relies on leaving the dog alone in the room: both forbid it. This trip is not for a family travelling with one adult, two toddlers and a dog.
Pet-FriendlyCourtyard by Marriott Keele Staffordshire
Check availabilityWhy guests love itI would choose Courtyard by Marriott Keele Staffordshire for a family that wants a calm, well-rated hotel and does not mind being out toward Keele. This 4-star hotel has understated, business-style rooms, a restaurant, a coffee shop and a fitness centre, and pets are welcome. Breakfast and parking cost extra, so I would plan for both. The Brampton Museum is nearby. With 493 reviews and a 9 rating, it is a strong option.
Pet-FriendlyHilton Garden Inn Stoke on Trent
Check availabilityWhy guests love itWe travelled with our dog and this was one of the few properties nearby with a proper pet policy rather than a vague one. The room was comfortable and the fitness room came in handy on the evening we didn't fancy going out again after a full day of flumes. Breakfast being extra was a bit of an annoyance, but the location made up for it.
Pet-FriendlyHoliday Inn Express Stoke on Trent by IHG
Check availabilityWhy guests love itWe liked not having to think about breakfast each morning of our Water World trip, it was just there. The room itself was nothing special, modern and clean but basic, which was fine for what we needed. Paying for parking on top stung a little, but the overall value with breakfast included balanced that out. Small things, but they added up over the weekend.
Pet-FriendlyTravelodge Stoke-on-Trent Trentham
Check availabilityWhy guests love itI would choose Travelodge Stoke-on-Trent Trentham for a family that wants to pair Water World with a Trentham day out, since Trentham Monkey Forest is nearby. This 3-star hotel has straightforward, relaxed rooms, free parking and pet-friendly rooms. Wi-Fi costs extra, which is worth knowing if the children rely on tablets. With 800 reviews and an 8.2 rating, it is a simple, practical option for a car-based trip.
Pet-FriendlyTravelodge Newcastle Under Lyme
Check availabilityWhy guests love itThis did exactly what a budget Travelodge should: simple, clean, free parking, and we brought the dog without any issue. Having a Morrisons nearby meant we could grab breakfast supplies cheaply rather than paying hotel prices, which kept the whole trip affordable. Exactly what we needed for the price we paid. Nothing fancy, but everything we actually needed was there.
Pet-FriendlyHoliday Inn Stoke on Trent M6, JCT.15 by IHG
Check availabilityWhy guests love itI would choose Holiday Inn Stoke on Trent M6, Junction 15 for a family driving in from further afield, since it sits right off the motorway with free parking. This 4-star hotel has its own indoor pool, a hot tub and a spa, which keeps the swimming going after Water World, plus a lounge bar and a bright restaurant. Pet-friendly rooms are available. With 1,594 reviews and a 7.8 rating, it is solid rather than standout.
Local tips
- 1Start a dog walk at Etruria Junction, where the Caldon Canal meets the Trent & Mersey: the Canal & River Trust route to Harecastle Tunnel is 6 km, takes 1¾ to 2 hours and passes Festival Park and Westport Lake.
- 2Leave the picnic and dog treats in the car: Waterworld does not allow outside food or drink and checks bags at busy times, and anything found goes back to your vehicle or into storage.
- 3Never plan a combined Trentham Gardens and Monkey Forest day with the dog: the gardens take dogs on a short lead, but the Monkey Forest turns away any visitor arriving with an animal.
- 4On peak days, when the Waterworld car park is full, overflow parking opens at the DoubleTree by Hilton next door, which is not one of the pet-friendly hotels.
- 5Plan around the standard week: Waterworld opens Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, so a midweek arrival is a dog-walking day, not a slide day.
- 6Pack swim nappies for any child who is not potty-trained: they are compulsory in the pools, and the Waterworld Swim Shop sells them if you forget.
- 7Return the locker band on time: the deposit is refunded only if the band comes back within 30 minutes of your session ending, which matters when someone is waiting with the dog in the car park.
- 8Ask for a pet-friendly room by name when you book at either Holiday Inn: both keep pets to certain rooms only, and the request goes through the hotel, not the booking site.