Links House Hotel

Links House Hotel is Bowral's boutique address, a character property on Links Road with gardens, fireplaces and old world charm, a stroll from the town's bookshops, galleries and the Bradman story.

It draws couples for Southern Highlands weekends, food travellers booked into its ethos restaurant, and Sydney escapees who want a hotel with staff who remember them. The 17 ensuite rooms carry the cosy, warm feel the Highlands do well, and winter stays revolve around the fire and the restaurant.

Dogs at Links House Hotel

Per the hotel's own pet friendly accommodation page, two designated pet friendly rooms sit among the 17 ensuite rooms, and pets must be disclosed before arrival so a pet room can be allocated.

A pet surcharge applies, with the amount confirmed at booking, and some cottages carry an AU$100 pet surcharge. Cats are considered on request for some cottages, which is rare at this end of the market.

The practical takeaway: ring ahead rather than booking online, because the two pet rooms go quickly on Highlands weekends and undisclosed pets put the booking at risk.

What regulars rate is the welcome itself: staff treat the dog as a guest rather than an exception, which is rarer than it should be at this tier of the market. The quiet guesthouse format has a trade side though, since the shared rooms and gardens expect calm manners from every animal on the property.

The gardens are shared rather than fenced, so a dog that needs secure off lead time will not get it here. Keep the lead on in the grounds and plan real exercise away from the property.

One local trick: the Bowral Golf Club sits right beside the hotel, and the quiet paths along its perimeter make an easy early morning leg stretch before the golfers arrive.

Worth knowing

Bowral's calendar drives everything: tulip time in spring, the winter weekends and the Christmas trade fill the town, so book the pet room well ahead in those windows. The hotel's gardens give the dog a supervised leg stretch, and the surrounding streets are pleasant for on leash morning walks.

Weather matters in the cooler months, since a wet Highlands day shrinks the outdoor space a dog can use to the shared verandahs and the room.

Pair it with

A few minutes south, the village of Exeter carries solid published dog friendly listings: Reedy Creek Cottage and Woodland Studio Exeter for self contained alternatives, Dawning Day Winery and Distillery for a tasting afternoon, plus local cafe stops. The NSW dog friendly stay guide rounds out the region.