The Panama Hotel and Restaurant sits in downtown San Rafael, positioned conveniently between San Francisco and Napa Valley wine country. If you’re passing through Marin County with your dog and need a place to stay, this historic inn offers four ground floor rooms that welcome dogs: Mimi’s Bungalow, Maria’s Pueblo, Garden Room, and Lady Bracknell’s Boudoir. Each has either tile or hardwood floors and comes stocked with dog bowls, towels, and a small canister with liners for waste disposal.

The rooms are straightforward and practical. You’ll get everything you need to keep your dog comfortable, and the ground floor access makes it easy to get outside. The hotel does have clear expectations about how dogs should be treated during your stay. Your dog needs to stay with you and under your control at all times—never left unattended in the room. They ask that you keep your dog off furniture, including beds and couches, and that you wipe them down with the provided towels if they come in wet or dirty. Waste goes in the canister outside your door, not in indoor trash or toilets. Dogs also need to be on leash whenever outside the room.

If you want to eat at the restaurant while traveling with your dog, you have options. The front porch and wisteria patio have seating available for guests dining with their dogs, with patio access through a side gate. This is actually a nice setup if you want to enjoy a meal without being completely isolated. Just be mindful of other diners around you. Service dogs are allowed in the main dining room, but pets cannot enter the dining room itself—a Health Department requirement the restaurant follows.

The Panama Hotel works well if you need a comfortable overnight stop in San Rafael and want your dog with you throughout your trip. Everything here is fairly no-nonsense, which makes it straightforward to know what to expect.