Owner Rachel Walton lives at Cowden Burn Farm, near Birtley and built the Northumberland Dog Hotel on its land.
She wanted to offer a unique business that is, she believes, more suited to ‘today’s modern dog’.
The Northumberland Dog Hotel has gone ‘above and beyond’, Rachel said (Image: Scott & Ross Breen/Skyimage Photography) The hotel has 10 rooms which can accommodate pets from different families.
Rachel and her husband, Nick, own the farm and its land, and live there with their two children, Hollie and Grace.
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The Northumberland Dog Hotel has 10 rooms (Image: Scott & Ross Breen/Skyimage Photography) Rachel wanted to open a dog hotel since she was a child but waited for the right time in her family’s life to do it.
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They have six-foot deer fenced one of the fields to create five acres of secure land to exercise the dogs.
The Northumberland Dog Hotel has 15 security cameras on site which stream live on a 42 inch television in reception (Image: Scott & Ross Breen/Skyimage Photography) “We offer luxury dog boarding, where the dogs have their own rooms like you’d get in a house. They’re not like traditional kennels. All rooms have underfloor heating, televisions and security cameras. It helps dogs to settle better because it’s more of a home-from-home environment,” Rachel said.
Rachel built a new dog grooming salon in the hotel (Image: Scott & Ross Breen/Skyimage Photography) “We’re intentionally different, we’ve gone above and beyond for everything because we want to do everything right for the dogs.”
Luxury brands for bedding, including Tuffies and HiK9, were chosen for their long-lasting quality.
Rooms at the dog hotel (Image: Scott & Ross Breen/Skyimage Photography) The hotel was built after planning permission was granted in December 2023 and it officially opened on December 27 2024.
Rachel has groomed dogs since 2007 and incorporated a new dog salon into the hotel, ensuring the business can offer everything under one roof.
Reception (Image: Scott & Ross Breen/Skyimage Photography) As a groomer, she specialises in nervous and reactive dogs and advanced techniques such as hand-stripping.
She previously owned What a Clip Dog Grooming in Prudhoe and Prudhoe Pet Centre, but sold them when she had children in 2015.
All rooms have security features and a television (Image: Scott & Ross Breen/Skyimage Photography) She also breeds show dogs, meaning she has established a reputation in the professional dog world.
Rachel and her family own 11 dogs, including a working Labrador and Cairn terriers, which help nervous dogs acclimatise to the new environment of the hotel.
Luxury bedding brands were chosen and various sizes are available (Image: Scott & Ross Breen/Skyimage Photography) “We’ve tried to do everything right from the start and what we think is best for the dogs. It already is very busy, we’ve had 270 bookings now. People want better for their dogs and the majority of average pets don’t cope well in a traditional kennel environment.”
Dogs can either be kept separate from others during their stay at the hotel or socialise with other dogs in group play sessions.
Rachel and Raleigh, the first dog groomed at the hotel (Image: Northumberland Dog Hotel) Rachel’s customers have travelled from Newcastle, Sunderland and even as far as Orkney.
“After Covid, a lot more dogs were sold and more people became dog owners. In general, more people want better for their dogs and they’re willing to travel for it. I would say the majority of my bookings are travelling 45 minutes or more to get here. If you build the right thing, people will travel for it,” she said.
This summer season, from May to October, is already 75 per cent booked, she said.
The new dog grooming salon (Image: Scott & Ross Breen/Skyimage Photography) Rachel is looking for an experienced dog groomer and will need more seasonal staff from April.
The reception area at the dog hotel (Image: Scott & Ross Breen/Skyimage Photography) “Everyone loves it, I’ve had no complaints, they’ve been blown away. I wanted people to walk in and go ‘wow’, that’s what everyone has done. It’s overwhelming how much support we’ve had and how many bookings we’ve had and how fast they’ve come.
“Whatever dog we get, we will always do our best for them, honesty is my policy and if I don’t think this is the right environment for you or your dog, I will tell you,” she added.
For more information or to book, go to Northumberland Dog Hotel on Facebook.