The Lodge at East Ruston Cottages
- Scotty
- Jun 9
- 5 min read
Have you ever been on holiday with your dog(s) and think that you’ve booked somewhere dog friendly, only to arrive and find a long list of rules that are completely impractical and unwelcoming? ...Happily, booking with East Ruston Cottages couldn’t be further from that experience.
"They never charge extra for dogs..."
East Ruston Cottages (ERC), founded by Sue Allen in 2008, is a collection of holiday homes in Norfolk, UK, that go the extra mile to welcome dogs and their owners to their properties. They never charge extra for dogs, and they are winners of Best Cottages and Self Catering at the Dog-Friendly Magazine Awards for a record SIX years running, as well as having won other awards for their amazing holiday properties.
"I was excited at her passion for solving the frustrations for dog owners"
When Sue first commissioned me to draw a cartoon for ERC a couple of years ago, I was blown away by their approach to welcoming dogs on holidays. Having experienced some of the limitations myself over the years, I soon realised that ERC had addressed every single one of those issues. I found it one of the easiest commissions I’ve ever drawn, as I knew first hand the message that she wanted to portray in her visual story, and I was excited at her passion for solving the frustrations for dog owners.
I experienced my first ERC holiday recently, and I wasn’t disappointed!
The Browsing Stage:
When you look at ERC’s website, they give you all the information you could possibly need for finding the right property for your holiday, including:
How many dogs are permitted (a few of them even state “unlimited”!)
Clear photos
Floor plan
Check in and check out times
Rules, if any
Exactly what the perimeter consists of, including height and materials, so you can make an informed decision in advance, on whether it’s safe if you have a little Houdini!
What is provided for humans
What is provided for dogs
What is nearby to enjoy
Some properties on the website also detail doorways and other elements to make informed decisions about disability needs
"The digital guide book blew me away before even going on holiday!"
The Booking Stage
We chose The Lodge for our stay. Booking was a breeze, and a deposit was taken, with a deposit receipt arriving in my inbox immediately afterwards.
Six weeks before our holiday, we were then asked for the remainder of the money due, and as soon as that was paid we received an amazing ‘digital guide book.’ This blew me away before even going on holiday!
"It was so dog friendly that when Sadie saw it, she thought she'd booked the holiday!"
The digital guide book is something that we’ve never had before, and now that we have, we can’t understand why no one else does it! It’s a fantastic source of information and so much research must have gone into it, it really was invaluable. Even the guide book was so dog friendly that when Sadie saw it, she thought she’d booked the holiday!
The digital guide book includes:
Full address and details including map, of your holiday cottage
What you don’t need to take with you, as it’s already provided
Arrival information
About the accommodation, including WIFI code and appliance instructions
Information about your dogs, including what is provided for them, details of local private fields, shops and dog sitting recommendations.
Safety information and rules
Discounts that you can get with ERC
Details about local restaurants, beaches, days out, local walks, etc
Useful contact numbers including emergency vets, so you can pop that in your phone before you even get there!
The Holiday!
"This place was so dog friendly, we were the guests and Sadie was the VIP!"
Ever been on holiday only to discover you have to do a meet and greet with the owners before you can settle in after your journey? The last thing any one wants to do after a sometimes difficult journey, whilst wearing your comfy but crease-ridden travelling attire, whilst desperately needing a wee, whilst trying to calm an unsettled dog,… is to then meet new people and put on your best face. You just want to get in and relax! This wasn’t an issue with our holiday, as we had great instructions on how to reach the cottage, which had a key safe that we simply put a code into, retrieved the key, and we were in!
As soon as we opened the door, the lodge said “We’re dog friendly! Welcome!” OK, not literally, but it was apparent as we entered the clean, comfortable lodge, and saw everything that had been provided, it was clear that this was a place that our WHOLE family was welcome, not just the humans. This place was so dog friendly, we were the guests and Sadie was the VIP!
The lodge smelt fresh and looked spotlessly clean. The floors were beautifully tiled and non slip. The Lodge is also accessible for some disabilities too, with wide door ways, a ramp, a wet room with optional shower stool, and rounded corners to some of the kitchen units.
Just some of the things that were provided for dogs were:
A big selection of dog bowls
Two beautiful big dog beds
Luxurious sofa throws so that you can snuggle with your dog on the sofa
Two dog crates
Not just a few dog treats,- Sadie had access to a whole fab jar of them!
A few dog towels
Sadie was also even allowed on the beds, so long as we brought our own duvet covers and sheets to go on it. We were more than happy with that arrangement!
A few dog toys
A dog lead
Access everywhere!
Even their own little doggy shower outside, and a Mud Daddy too!
"This place was furnished by people who love dogs"
We were also welcomed with a human welcome pack, including fresh eggs, milk, bread, butter, scones, marmalade and apple juice!
Little sweet touches around the lodge also let us know that this place was furnished by people who love dogs. From the lap trays and the tea mugs to the peg bag, tasteful images of dogs appeared here and there. A large stack of ‘Edition Dog’ magazines were also there for the humans.
ERC and the owners of The Lodge really rolled out the red carpet for us and our dog Sadie. ERC don’t just ALLOW dogs, - they actively celebrate them!
Click to visit:
Having stayed at over half of the ERC properties in the last 12 years, I wouldn't go anywhere else. The Lodge is one of our favourites when we're not with family.
I really enjoyed reading Scotty’s blog. Since finding ERC, I only go to Norfolk now for holidays. With 6 rescue dogs, the secure gardens are top of my priority list but ERC put a priority on anything to make the dog happy which makes me happy. We always have a great holiday- whatever time of year.
I had the pleasure of staying at Seaview Cottage with ERC and can agree that it couldn't be more dog friendly with throws provided and beds and bowls, I stayed with 2 other friends and 5 dogs between us and had a wonderful stay. Everyone we met in Norfolk (especially the owner of Seaview Cottage) were so helpful and friendly. We will be going back again