Sandman Signature hotel: a weekend in dog-friendly Newcastle 

When you Google “dog-friendly Newcastle” you get a whole host of suggested pubs and B&Bs which is great but not really what we were after. I want boujee living, with my dog. And that’s exactly what we got at The Sandman Signature Hotel in Newcastle.

Anyone that regularly visits my blog will know that I love to take little Bear on as many trips as my purse will carry us on. And I am always on the hunt for new dog-friendly hotels and restaurants, with that little bit extra *breaks into the Halifax theme tune*. 

*[AD ~ Press Trip] We were invited to stay at The Sandman Signature Hotel Newcastle– where we were gifted a complimentary stay and breakfast in exchange for blog content.

Dog-friendly Newcastle 

This particular stay was a little different from our previous UK city escapes as it was Dem’s birthday he was adamant on not wanting an itinerary and this turned out to be his fave UK city break (don’t worry I’ve still thrown in a few recommendations for you guys.

The Hotel Stay: Sandman Signature Hotel

When you hear the words “dog-friendly hotel” your mind conjures up an idea of furry carpets, a doggy smell, and shabby furniture. Sorry but I am not here for any of that and the Sandman Signature hotel was anything but ruff (pun intended).

The hotel reception at The Sandman Signature is modern but cosy with a faux fire and hanging bubble chair which I thew myself immediately into for a photo. They have a gym which was located in close vicinity to our room – I noted as we left. Whoops!

They also have a huge horse statue/ornament in the reception which is really unusual, I’m just glad I didn’t get the urge to scale it post wine as I did with the BnB rocking horse in Cornwall a few years back. We won’t go there… 

The reception staff were so accommodating allowing us to store our luggage ahead of check-in and oh my goodness the fuss that little Bear caused. I actually felt bad removing her from the building when we headed off for lunch. 

Dog-friendly Newcastle: Lunch at Revolucion de Cuba

While we waited for check-in, we swung by Revolucion de Cuba for a total feast, Latin style. We were immediately made to feel completely at home, Bear was even given her own menu but let’s face it she was going to always opt for some chicken and a sizeable portion of side-eye. 

Thinking I should have renamed my “Dining with my dog series” “Picky bits with my Pomeranian” due to the amount of tapas I eat, but probs a bit niche!

I later found out that Revolucion de Cuba run special doggy discos and breed-specific pup up evenings (much like the Pom pop up we attended earlier this year) I’m not screaming you are. 

We had six dishes to share which were all delicious in their own way, highlights include the Jamón Croquettas (ham croquettes – banging) and the pork belly skewers (which disappeared about as quickly as they hit the table) I think I managed to smell one before Dem sunk the lot!

Tip for Revolucion de Cuba:

Your biggest problem here will be deciding which cocktail to try first as they have so many. But if you can’t make up your mind from the extensive menu my tip would be to ask your waitress for a surprise. They got our surprise drinks, spot on! 

Sandman Signature Hotel: The Room

After lunch, we headed back to check in to our room and it was like being on MTV cribs. We were given a beautiful exec King suite complete with kitchenette, two TVs, a sofa bed and a bottle of champagne, we even had our own balcony! Actual perfection. 

On our first morning at The Sandman, we opted for the cooked breakfast which was huge and definitely needed after our 1 am escapades – more on this later… 

Classic me managed to short circuit all of the lighting whilst styling my hair on our first morning and I had horrible visions of spending the entirety of the trip with birdnest hair and having to dress my dog in the dark (yes I’m that extra). But luckily maintenance man Joe was up and fixing our lights within 5 mins – which left only a small amount of embarrassment thinking of an excuse for why we were still living the “robe life” at 12 pm on Saturday… not that he cared in the slightest ha! 

We weren’t given a dog bed for Bear on this occasion but this didn’t matter as Bear doesn’t tend to use dog beds and usually opts for sleeping on anything that belongs to us. Anything from our clothing, suitcases, limbs – this dog does not give a flying fluff!

Tip for The Sandman:

Make sure to let the hotel know if you’re bringing a four-legged friend as they only have a number of pup-friendly rooms available. Four-legged companions are charged at £10 per night.  

Take in a comedy show: The Stand

This activity isn’t Bear friendly, but she’s more than used to kicking back and chilling out in a hotel of an evening, a girl after my own heart! But she really does enjoy the downtime, particularly when the bed is as comfy as it was at The Sandman! Reception staff offered to check in on her also which was so sweet – another big tick for dog-friendly Newcastle!

Ok, so The Stand – hilarious. We’d never see a comedy show together and my only instructions were to sit at the back to avoid being picked on. But of course we got picked on and no amount of wriggling down in my seat helped, let’s face it I’m 5’7 and not exactly easy to hide. The food wasn’t great but we weren’t expecting Michelin star quality and it didn’t matter because the entire night was hilarious.

We were so spurred on from the comedy eve that we decided to head onto multiple different bars and a great deal of regret the next morning. Including Dem trying to order a bottle of vodka at 1 am, give me strength!  

Tip for The Stand: 

Eat before you come and get ready to laugh A LOT.  The Stand is so reasonably priced, we went on a Friday night and it cost us £12 per ticket for two hours of comedy, would thoroughly recommend!

Dog-friendly Newcastle: Christmas market 

As soon as we arrived at The Christmas market (located from Blackett Street all the way to Northumberland Street) we had to buy a scarf for our bedraggled Bear dog. She is a tad rain adverse and was looking a little soggy, so Dem stood in line in the rain to purchase a pashmina for our Pomeranian pup. So much alliteration there I’m going to explode! 

There were over 70 stalls featuring handmade gifts, food, and drinks, sweets, toys but where was busiest? The Après Ski bar. Of course. Come rain or shine there is nothing that would keep a Brit away from an overpriced cup of spiced wine or cider. We thoroughly enjoyed our stroll through the Christmas market and the smell from all the food stalls really was something else! 

Top tip for the Christmas market:

Free samples of mulled wine are given away as you wander the market – you heard it here first! 

Grab a bite to eat: The Botanist

Brunch/Lunch/Dinner – they’ve got you covered for just about everything here and the food is top-notch. I was going to opt for a classic burger or salad but I’m so glad I didn’t! I’m not normally a kebab kinda gal but the “hanging kebabs” here aren’t your standard 3 am post-night out job. We’re talking fall off the skewered meat, and more chips than you can shake a stick at! 

Another thing, the decor here is just stunning. There’s a big old tree in the centre of the bar and the staff bloody love doggo’s. Special shout out to Jo who kept Bear topped up with water and belly rubs throughout our trip! Honestly, think we must have had about 5 people stop us to stroke Bear and I couldn’t help but laugh when someone accidentally walked into a passer-by as they spotted Bear in her camo get up. Would definitely return here – would make for a fab girls brunch location!  

Tip for The Botanist:

Order one of their signature hanging kebabs, you will not regret it! 

Dog-friendly Newcastle: The Quayside

En route to The Quayside, we wandered past Stack. A cute outdoor food and drinks area which is a little like Boxpark for all you London folk. Although we didn’t stop off it looked pretty busy in the afternoon and well worth a visit.

I had high hopes of strolling along The Quayside, arm in arm with Dem stopping for photos on The Tyne Bridge. Three words: Not going to happen. Ok that’s four words but you get what I mean – the weather put a sharp halt to my plans but we still managed to take in the twinkly fairy lights adorning the many bars and restaurants as we walked Bear along the promenade giving us full festive feels, so all was not lost!

Tip for the Quayside:

If you’re heading there in Autumn/Winter bring a damn raincoat, scarf, umbrella, etc your outfit might be cute but goosebumps defo aren’t this season’s must-have. Wrap up!

Shark Club: A sports bar I would actually chews… 

The next day, check out of the Sandman wasn’t until 12 pm (I live for late check-outs) if I can’t lounge in my robe for a few hours in the morning then I’m not coming. So we tucked into another delicious brekkie, this time at Shark Club, an adjoining sports bar which I’d normally be dead set against. That many screens and not one showing Keeping Up with The Kardashians? Scandalous.

But I can honestly say this particular bar was a nice one, very clean, allowed little Bear to breakfast with us, had a cute neon sign and the staff were great with answering any questions we had. Plus no drunk people, always a plus, particularly at breakfast time! All too soon it was time to pack up our stuff ready to head back to London. 

Dog-friendly Newcastle: An itinerary 

Day 1

• Check-in at The Sandman Signature Hotel 
• Late lunch/early dinner at Revolucion de Cuba
• Shopping and explore the town Centre
• Comedy at The Stand

Day 2

• Brekkie at The Sandman Signature Hotel 
• Christmas market 
• Drinks at Stack
• Visit The Quayside 
• Dinner at The Botanist

*[AD ~ Press Trip] We were invited to stay at The Sandman Signature Newcastle – where we were gifted a complimentary stay and breakfast in exchange for blog content. All meals were also gifted but all opinions are my own.