Hilton Cobham

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

Read our comprehensive review of this listing printed in our bi-monthly magazine.

Name: Hilton Cobham
Reviewer: James and Nicola Waters

The Hilton Cobham is a low-rise relaxed hotel, nestled in 27 acres of Surrey woodland, less than two miles from historic Cobham village. Nature trails, Silvermere Golf & Leisure, and RHS Garden Wisley are all within four miles. Stanley was very excited to make his way into the foyer at Hilton Cobham. 

Some other guests waiting to check-in were a little surprised to see a little Border Terrier making his entrance. One guest commented: “Oh a little dog is coming to stay.” The response from her friend was: “Yes, my friend often brings her dog with her here.”

At the Hilton Cobham they are used to dog visitors and we saw several other furry friends during our stay. It’s a particularly convenient location to stop near the Surrey section of the M25, but also close to lots of great woodland walks such as Oxshott and Wisley Common which is a short distance from the hotel.

The receptionist advised that Stanley was allowed all around the hotel, the Terrace bar and also the restaurant while we were eating, but they would check for a quiet spot and make sure other guests were comfortable with a dog nearby. We really liked this touch that the restaurant was welcoming to dogs, as long as other guests did not mind.  The TV screen behind the reception also advertised a doggy menu so this was a great start to our visit and it seemed there was a lot on offer for Stanley.

We were not disappointed by the room either. A downstairs room with patio doors out to the large lawn area (great for late night toilet breaks). Stanley had a comfy bed, his own bowls and a welcome pack full of lovely treats and toys. He must have thought it was Christmas again.

We had a short coffee break before we took Stanley out around the grounds where there is plenty of grass and a wooded area for a bit of a roam and a sniff. As the Hilton Cobham is in a semi-rural location it is particularly suited to guests that need a dog walking area and there are a few established trails around the hotel. 

We also then went for a walk at Wisley Common, which is a short five minute drive away and has acres of beautiful woodland forest to discover. Wisley and Ockham Common boasts 733 acres of dog walking area and is a nationally important site for dragonflies and damselflies, with 20 species recorded. It also attracts many rare birds. There is also a bit of naval history here. Within Ockham Common, on Chatley Heath, is the Semaphore Tower. It was once part of a chain which was used to pass messages between the Admiralty in Whitehall and the Royal Naval Dockyard in Portsmouth. It was built in 1822 and is now the only restored surviving tower in a line of signalling stations that covered the entire route.

Fresh from our walk we decided to enjoy the bar and restaurant in the hotel with Stanley. There was plenty of space to find a quiet enough spot to have a drink and it was time for Stanley to choose his dinner from the Bone Apetit, pet friendly menu. The choices were: Beef Doguignon or Mutt Roast. The sound of the slow-cooked beef of the Doguignon perked his attention and we ordered it for him as a special treat. There are also doggy drinks available, for thirsty pups including Early Greyhound (doggy tea) and Tailwagger Creek (doggy herbal wine).

Once Stanley was fed and happy we could turn our attention to our own meal. The Mediterranean Grill Restaurant has a really good variety of options for a hotel restaurant for both meat eaters and vegetarians – for starters and also mains. Gochujang Cauliflower wings was a perfect complement to the Tangy BBQ wings for our starters. I enjoyed the pan-fried sea bass for my main, while Nicola enjoyed the Peri-Peri chicken. After our meal in the restaurant area, we moved back to the bar for a last drink before we made our way to our room and a good night’s sleep.

The next day, before we left the hotel, we went to the Mediterranean Grill area again for our breakfast. The self-service food buffet was extremely well stocked with cooked breakfast and cereal items. I was particularly taken by the automated pancake maker, where you can watch the mix plopping on to the conveyer belt and popping out ready for your syrup or chocolate sauce additions. Of course, Stanley was not to be left out. He was quickly fussed over by a waitress and offered a special sausage breakfast. Stanley has a habit of barking at strangers who approach him, but the staff were calm and relaxed so he quickly became less fearful.

We left the Hilton feeling extremely positive about the dog friendly hotel experience and went to have our day out at the nearby landscaped gardens at Painshill Park in Cobham. Painshill was created in the 18th century by Charles Hamilton intended to be a living painting. It invites you to walk around this natural work of art and discover dramatic follies, calming waters and stunning views. 

It is regarded as one of the finest examples of the English landscape movement and, importantly, they allow dogs to walk the grounds (on a lead). They also have a covered outdoor seating area at the coffee shop where you can sit with your pup.

The park is around 158 acres and to do the full walk around can take over two hours. There are shorter walk options, but you won’t see all the features which include many elevated places to take in the landscape views such as The Gothic Temple, The Temple of Bacchus and The Turkish Tent. These are all small open buildings celebrating cultures and architecture from the past and provide a real sense of beauty and inspiration. There is also the Crystal Grotto cave with man-made stalactites crafted from thousands and thousands of small crystals. With the fortune of a sunny day we had a lovely afternoon wandering round and relaxing in the tranquility of this special place.

After our visit we made our way to a recommended dog friendly pub in Cobham town centre. The Bear in the high street has been dog friendly for some time and offers excellent gourmet pub grub and great service. Dogs are regular visitors here and Stanley got to meet a couple of other Labrador doggy guests on the table next to us, who showed him a great example of how to behave in public company.

We thoroughly enjoyed the bear burger and steak and onion pie. Once we finished our lunch it was time to head home. We had a very relaxing little break for our overnight stay and would highly recommend this Hilton Hotel and area if you need a stop-over or fancy a night away with the dog with good access to countryside and walks.

Hilton Cobham, review by James and Nicola Waters and appears in DogFriendly magazine issue 76.  For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine