Dog-Friendly Hotels in Tynemouth, North and South Shields
Wet N Wild in North Shields is gone: the indoor water park at Royal Quays closed in 2019 and demolition began on 8 November 2024, so no hotel here can sell you a waterpark trip. What the area still offers dog owners is the North Sea coast on both banks. Nine hotels on our list around Tynemouth, North Shields and South Shields accept pets, with an average guest score of 8.6 across about 5,400 reviews. The useful choice is which bank of the Tyne to sleep on, because the summer beach rules for dogs differ between Tynemouth and South Shields, and the Shields Ferry links the two in a few minutes, dog included.
North Shields and South Shields face each other across the mouth of the Tyne, with Tynemouth's priory and castle on the north headland. Royal Quays, where Wet N Wild stood, is a retail and marina area on the North Shields side. The coast, not the old water park, is now the reason to stay with a dog.
Where to stay
Which bank of the Tyne suits a dog
When it opened on 19 July 1993, Wet N Wild at Royal Quays was described as the largest indoor water park in the United Kingdom. Serco Leisure closed it in 2019 after visitor numbers fell and upkeep costs rose, and it never reopened. This page now answers the question people actually search for: where to stay with a dog around North Shields, Tynemouth and South Shields, and which beaches the dog can use in which months.
Tynemouth is the better base if the dog needs a beach every morning in summer. North Tyneside Council bans dogs from King Edward's Bay and Cullercoats Bay from 1 May to 30 September, but on Tynemouth Longsands only the southern end is closed to dogs in that period, and the northern end stays open all year. The Tynemouth Castle Inn, which describes itself as a dog-friendly pub with dog-friendly rooms, puts you in Tynemouth itself, scored 8.0 from 690 reviews. The same summer order covers Whitley Bay beach from Panama Gardens southwards, so a long coastal walk north also needs planning.
South Shields works differently. South Tyneside Council excludes dogs from Sandhaven Beach between 8am and 6pm from 1 May to 30 September, the main beach of the South Shields seafront. Littlehaven Beach, right next to it at the mouth of the Tyne, and Marsden Beach further south stay open to dogs all year. If you book The Sea Hotel in South Shields, which a local tourism listing says accepts dogs by arrangement, plan the morning walk on Littlehaven rather than on the sand in front of the hotel. Local reporting places the exclusion zone between South Shields pier and Trow Point, the southern end of the beach.
The Shields Ferry is the trick that lets you use both coasts from one hotel. Run by Nexus, it crosses the Tyne between North Shields and South Shields with a regular service every 30 minutes from both sides, and dogs travel on it on a lead and under control. Tickets are paid by bank card only, with no cash accepted. From a South Shields hotel you can cross in the morning for the Longsands north end, then come back for the year-round Littlehaven beach in the evening. Dogs at the landings are a normal sight: the Nexus guide for nervous travellers warns that people with bicycles or dogs may be waiting to board.
No water park replaces Wet N Wild nearby, and I would not pretend otherwise. For a pool with a dog-friendly room, the only option on this list is Holiday Inn Newcastle South, which has an indoor pool and hot tub and scores 9.4, but from only 31 reviews, so the score is still fragile. Two Travelodges, at Cobalt Business Park and Whitemare Pool, take pets and suit a drive-in stopover with parking rather than a seaside stay. Dorset Arms Hotel scores 9.2 from 268 reviews. Little Haven Hotel, also among the nine, has the largest review count of the group, 1,823, with a score of 8.6.
A traveler's takeI would stop looking for Wet N Wild: it closed in 2019 and the site has been under demolition since November 2024. With a dog in summer, I would sleep in Tynemouth, at the Tynemouth Castle Inn, and walk the north end of Longsands, which stays open to dogs all year. I would only choose a South Shields seafront hotel between October and April, when Sandhaven is open to dogs, or if I were happy to walk to Littlehaven every morning. For an indoor pool on a wet day, I would take Holiday Inn Newcastle South, knowing its score rests on few reviews.
Pet-FriendlyHoliday Inn Newcastle South by IHG
Check availabilityWhy guests love itWe picked this Holiday Inn for the indoor pool and spa combination, and it turned a Wet N Wild trip into something closer to a full mini-break. The kids enjoyed a second, calmer swim each evening, while the hot tub became our own wind-down after a day spent watching them on slides. Bringing the dog was no issue given the pet-friendly rooms. It sits inland rather than on the coast, roughly half an hour from the airport, which suited our flight home well.
Pet-FriendlyThe Clifton
Check availabilityWhy guests love itWe picked The Clifton mainly for the free breakfast and it delivered, a proper cooked spread that got everyone fuelled before a full Wet N Wild day rather than the usual rushed toast. The lounge with its fireplace became our unofficial evening spot, kids worn out from the slides and happy to just sit. Being two minutes from Ocean Road meant one evening out for food without needing the car, and the dog was welcome throughout, which made the whole trip feel less like a compromise.
Pet-FriendlyDorset Arms Hotel
Check availabilityWhy guests love itThe beer garden ended up being the nicest surprise of the stay, a proper spot to sit outside after a hot day at Wet N Wild while the kids wound down. The room itself was modern and comfortable without being flashy. We didn't need the airport shuttle since we drove up, but it would have been a useful option. The dog was welcome throughout, and the 9.2 rating we'd seen beforehand felt well earned by the end of the trip.
Pet-FriendlyTravelodge Newcastle Cobalt Business Park
Check availabilityWhy guests love itWe treated this purely as a place to sleep before and after a single Wet N Wild day, and it did exactly that job. The room was basic but the air conditioning was appreciated after a warm day at the water park, and free parking meant we didn't think twice about the car. We brought the dog along without issue. It's not a stay you'd choose for the room itself, but for a tight-budget one-day trip it made complete sense.
Pet-FriendlySandhaven Beach Chalets
Check availabilityWhy guests love itWe chose Sandhaven Beach Chalets mainly for the direct beach access with our dog, and the mornings there became a genuine highlight of the trip, walking the sand before the drive to Wet N Wild. Having a kitchen meant we cooked most nights rather than hunting for pet-friendly restaurants. It's a simpler stay than a hotel, no restaurant or bar on site, but for a family wanting the beach right there it was exactly right.
Pet-FriendlyLittle Haven Hotel
Check availabilityWhy guests love itLittle Haven Hotel felt like a proper beachfront stay rather than just a convenient base, with the waterside restaurant giving us one memorable dinner during the trip. Free breakfast meant mornings before Wet N Wild ran smoothly, and booking a suite gave the four of us noticeably more space than a standard room would have. The dog came along without any issue. Out of everywhere we considered on this coast, this was the one that felt most like an actual holiday hotel.
Pet-FriendlyThe Tynemouth Castle Inn
Check availabilityWhy guests love itThe beach access sold us on this one, four minutes to Long Sands meant a proper morning walk before heading to Wet N Wild became part of the daily routine rather than a special trip. Free breakfast got everyone fed without a rushed café stop, and the dog was welcome throughout, which mattered since we hadn't wanted to board her for the trip. The on-site bar covered a couple of easy evenings when nobody wanted to go far after the slides.
Pet-FriendlyThe Sea Hotel
Check availabilityWhy guests love itWe picked The Sea Hotel for the beach access more than anything, and being a minute from Pier Head meant our dog got a proper walk before breakfast most days. The rooms were plain but comfortable, nothing to complain about after a tiring day at Wet N Wild. Having two bars on site meant we never had to plan an evening out, just wandered down after the kids were settled. It's not a fancy stay, but it did everything we needed.
Pet-FriendlyTravelodge Newcastle Whitemare Pool
Check availabilityWhy guests love itThis branch was purely about the price for us, a place to sleep between a drive up and a Wet N Wild day without spending much on the room itself. It delivered on that basic promise, nothing more. We drove to The Lakeside Inn for dinner since there's no restaurant on site, which was a small extra step but manageable. Bringing the dog along was straightforward given the pet-friendly policy, and free parking meant no added cost there either.
Local tips
- 1Walk the dog at the north end of Tynemouth Longsands in summer: only the southern end is closed to dogs from 1 May to 30 September, and the north end is open all year.
- 2Avoid King Edward's Bay and Cullercoats Bay with a dog between May and September: both are covered by the North Tyneside summer dog ban along their whole length.
- 3In South Shields, use Littlehaven Beach by the river mouth or Marsden Beach: both stay open to dogs all year, unlike Sandhaven next door.
- 4Sandhaven's dog exclusion only runs from 8am to 6pm, so an early-morning or evening walk on that beach remains possible even in summer.
- 5Keep the dog on a lead on the Shields Ferry and carry a bank card: tickets cannot be paid in cash.
- 6In South Marine Park in South Shields, the council requires dogs on a lead of no more than 1.5 metres, so do not plan off-lead play there.
- 7Ask The Sea Hotel about the dog when you book: its tourism listing says dogs are accepted by arrangement, not automatically.