Frequently Asked Questions

We’re in the village of Glemsford, near Long Melford and Lavenham, the heart of Lovejoy country. We’re in a corner of West Suffolk that is close to the Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire borders, and accessible from the M11 or A14. It’s very rural, we can get to countryside walks from our doorstep, with just one road to cross. We will supply our address and what3words details when we confirm your booking.

We specialise in greyhounds because that’s the breed we know and love and understand - but we will be happy to discuss bookings for lurchers and galgos.

Yes, we are licensed by Babergh District Council (No: LN/000001074 ) and insured by PetPlan Sanctuary

If you’re checking-in a first-time guest, then please bring their vaccination card. 

Enough food for their holiday, special treats, any medicine, collar and lead/harness, coat/pyjamas (depending on season) and muzzle (just in case) should all be packed into the houndie suitcase. 

If your grey needs their crate or a special bed or toy to be settled, then please don’t feel that you can’t bring them - we would only counsel caution here if your dog is a bit possessive as we can’t guarantee that Zak or Reg won’t toss Mr Fluffy over the back of the sofa!

Each guest gets their own Grey Hotel ID tag for the duration of their stay.

We've experienced all of these ourselves and you don't need to worry. For walks, we just need to cross one road and then we're into fields where we rarely meet off-lead dogs. We are also very well versed in avoidance strategies! Our home and our neighbours are remarkably quiet, which is why we love it so much. The birds can be a bit noisy in the summer - nature's alarm call! - but we are not troubled by cats, foxes or squirrels in the garden. As for thunder, we've had several brontophobe hounds so we've got coping mechanisms - and, of course, we will always be happy to deploy your own strategies.

Please don't let worries like this spoil your holiday! We don't typically book guests in back-to-back so we're not sending off one hound via the front door and welcoming in another via the back at the same time. Just let us know if you need to come earlier, later, even the next day - it's not really going to present a major problem, though a small late-check out fee or additional night's boarding fee will be charged.

We fully accept that sometimes owners might change their minds after the familiarisation session - there’s no judgment, no quibbling,  it could be for a whole host of reasons. We get it, so don’t worry, we’ll just refund your deposit in full and release the booked dates.

If you do decide not to proceed with a booking after the familiarisation session, then we will need confirmation of the cancellation via email. We will acknowledge receipt and refund your  deposit in full within 48 hours.

We will happily arrange a freedom field session for your hound(s). We will ask you to sign a permissions form at check-in and will pass on the charges at cost - £5 for 30 minutes at current rates, with exclusive use.

We hope there never is one but we always have to be ready for the unexpected and as such, we have a documented emergency plan.

If it’s a medical issue and we deem that time is absolutely of the essence, we will contact our 24/7 vet and get treatment as a priority; we will contact you or your emergency contact as soon as practicable. If time is not super critical, then we would contact you or your emergency contact and take instruction.

We really have dealt with most things over the past twenty years: not a lot fazes us and we’re certainly not going to worry about a stray wee or midnight bark. The only time we would ‘raise the alarm’ is if we felt that a dog was dangerously aggressive or tremendously upset over a sustained period - neither of which we’ve ever experienced. If we did need to intercede in any way, then we would discuss the best course of action with you or your emergency contact.

Whether it’s the odd photo or daily bulletins we’ll happily keep you in touch with your hound. We always do this privately via text or WhatsApp as we don’t want to inadvertently advertise the fact that you’re away. Any photos we do publish on our social media are only done so a) with your express consent and b) when you’re safely back home. We do routinely publish photos that are anonymous/non-attributable as well - please let us know if you would rather your hounds didn't feature in our general social feed.

This isn't a service that we advertise and the 'Roach Coach' is not an official dog taxi. But we like to help and if transport would help get you out of a fix, then please talk to us.

Yes, The Grey is a bits-free zone! But don't worry if the neutering/spaying has been recent, we're quite used to the transitional phase!