Pet-Friendly Hotels
2007 Hotel Trends
by Chris Rubin
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Dogs need pampering, too! |
Pet travel is on the rise in the United States, according to experts in the field. “More and more people want to bring their dogs on vacation with them,” says Susan Hartzler, President of Alpha Dog PR, “instead of missing their beloved four-legged family member.”
“Pet-friendly” is the latest amenity at hotels across the country, but the term can mean different things in different places. It usually refers to dogs, but Hotel Allegra in Chicago and others do allow cats.
“The important thing,” says Hartzler, “is to call the property prior to the trip and find out their parameters, or book through a specialized travel agency which offers customized travel concepts incorporating the family pet.”
It's possible to bring pets along pretty much anywhere in the U.S., from boutiques to chains, from high end to low. Whole towns, including Carmel and Ventura on California’s coast, welcome pets in special parks and on designated beaches. But road trips with Fido usually don’t come cheap: expect to pay $25 or more per night per pet, with additional deposits or cleaning fees ranging up to several hundred dollars per animal.
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| Hotel Solamar |
At Hotel Solamar, a Kimpton property in San Diego’s trendy Gaslamp District, you’ll find one of the most reasonable policies around: all pets are accepted, and with no fee. The only thing the hotel requires is a cell phone number for the guest in case of a pet emergency while the owners are away from the property. Bay Area-based Personality Hotels only accepts dogs weighing 40 pounds or less, and does not take Pit Bulls, Rottweilers or any animals that appear aggressive. Guests pay a $75 cleaning fee and are also on the line for up to $250 in additional cleaning costs.
W Hotels has a Pets Are Welcome (PAW) policy. There’s a $25 increase in the room rate for a pet, plus a $100 cleaning fee, but also plenty of pampering, from chew toys and a special bed to monthly Lucky Dog animal fashion shows at the San Diego property.
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A Relaxed Canine at The Peninsula Beverly Hills |
At the very upper end, Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles allows small dogs and pampers them well, but charges a $500 cleaning fee as the room is taken out of circulation for a full day following checkout for deep cleaning. The three Peninsula properties in the US all welcome furry friends. At The Peninsula Beverly Hills, canine guests receive monogrammed paw print towels and sleep on a small Simmons Beautyrest Mattress with 300 thread count sheets, for which the hotel charges a $35 supplement. And all Peninsula hotels have ready access to emergency vet care 24 hours a day, which may be the most important pet amenity of all.
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