The Social Stays (Dehradun)

The Social Stays Dehradun is a backpacker hostel on Canal Road in the Jakhan neighbourhood , one of Dehradun's more pleasant residential pockets, close to Rajpur Road and Pacific Mall. Formerly known as ArtBuzz Dehradun, it has reinvented itself as a social-first stay with a rooftop café, co-working setup, and a genuinely pet-friendly private room policy that charges absolutely nothing extra for your dog or cat. For budget travellers who refuse to leave their pets behind, this is a rare find in the Uttarakhand hills.

The Property and Its Vibe

Spread across the 2nd and 3rd floors of a building on Canal Road, The Social Stays Dehradun runs a tight, well-curated setup: 12 dormitory beds and 6 private rooms, with a rooftop common area that serves food and frames panoramic views of the Mussoorie hills and city lights below. The foosball table in the common hangout area, the warm lighting, and the traveller-meeting-traveller energy make it feel more like a community than a corridor of beds. Amenities across the property include free Wi-Fi (listed as high-speed), power backup, an elevator, luggage storage, linen, in-room coffee and tea, and free on-site parking , a genuine rarity for a hostel at this price point.

Rates start from roughly ₹669 to ₹954+ per night depending on room type and booking platform, making it one of the more affordable pet-friendly stays in Dehradun that doesn't add a surcharge for your animal. The hostel also doubles as a co-working space with dedicated workstation setups , useful if you're doing a workation with your dog and need a few hours at a proper desk while they nap.

Pet Policy , What You Actually Need to Know

The pet policy here is clear-cut and worth reading carefully before you book. Dogs and cats are allowed in private rooms only , no exceptions for dorms, regardless of the size of your pet. There is no pet fee, which is a genuine advantage over most pet-friendly hostels and even many hotels in the Uttarakhand region. However, the property places full responsibility on guests for their pets' behaviour and any damage caused during the stay. That means if your dog chews a pillow or your cat scratches the upholstery, you cover it. Standard and fair, but worth knowing in advance.

Both dogs and cats are listed as accepted species, confirmed via Agoda and corroborated by the property's own amenity listing under the "Pet & Family" category. The hostel lists 32 amenities in total, with pet and family provisions counted among them , a sign that the pet welcome here is an intentional policy, not an afterthought.

Location, Nearby Access, and Travelling With Pets

Jakhan is a quieter residential area by Dehradun standards , not the chaotic city centre, but close enough to everything useful. Rajpur Road is within easy reach, and the area offers morning walkable streets for a dog stretch before breakfast. Dehradun as a base city also gives you access to road trips toward Mussoorie, Chakrata, and the Tons Valley , all of which are realistic day or weekend excursions for pet parents travelling through Uttarakhand. The free parking on-site means you can drive in, unload your gear and your dog, and head out again without worrying about your car.

For travellers using this as a staging point before heading deeper into the hills, the hostel's central location on Canal Road keeps you close to Dehradun's main services. Travelling with a dog through Uttarakhand often means a lot of driving, and having a clean, social, no-pet-fee base in the city is genuinely useful.

What We Haven't Confirmed Yet

A few details worth verifying directly with the property before you book: whether there is a weight or size limit for dogs in private rooms, whether the rooftop café area is accessible to pets, and whether there is a specific check-in procedure for guests arriving with animals. None of these are deal-breakers, but they're the kind of specifics that make the difference between a smooth arrival and an awkward one. Call them on +91 9319276826 or email reservation@thesocialstays.com before your trip.