Lakeside Inn

Lakeside Inn is a budget motel and cabin park on the eastern shore of Lake Illawarra in Windang, with a handful of rooms and cabins set aside for guests travelling with dogs. It is a casual, affordable property rather than a polished resort, which suits an overnight stop or a low-cost base for the Illawarra beaches.

Dogs at the Lakeside Inn

Dogs are welcome only in designated pet-friendly rooms, a mix of cabins and motel-style Queen and Single rooms, so book the pet-friendly category directly rather than assuming any room will do. Expect a fee of around $30 per stay plus a possible one-off $30 cleaning charge. Weight or size limits are not clearly published, so confirm with the property when you book. Kitchenette options feature in some rooms, lake views come standard on the eastern shore side, and free self-parking sits on site.

Pepsi: book the pet room by phone, not the website form. This is a smaller, informally run property and the pet categories are easy to get wrong online.

Worth knowing

Reviews are mixed, so go in expecting simple rather than fancy. What you are paying for is the position: walking tracks along Lake Illawarra start outside the door and Windang's off-leash beach zone is a short drive away, which is a rare combination at this price.

Getting there and parking

The property sits directly off Windang Road on the spit between Lake Illawarra and the ocean, about 20 minutes south of Wollongong. Parking is free and on site.

Close by with the dogs

Windang Dog Beach is the obvious morning run, and Warilla Fenced Dog Park adds a secure option across the lake. For coffee, The Rosy Lea Cafe in Primbee and The Happy Fox in Warilla are both close.

More options are on the New South Wales pet friendly stays guide and the Windang destination page.