If you and your family have pets, leaving them at home during a vacation can be difficult. Putting your animals in a kennel can be expensive, but it can be difficult to find someone to pet sit from your home. Fortunately, there is a solution. Pet friendly hotels are becoming more and more popular in many cities.
Pet friendly hotels allow travelers to bring their animal friends with them instead of boarding them in a kennel or hiring a caretaker to stay with them during the trip. These places are dedicated to making animals feel comfortable while also giving owners the peace of mind knowing that their animals are safe and well nourished.
Some luxury establishments even treat animals as miniature VIPs, catering to their every whim and pampering them. For example, they may have a special room service menu for animals, leave toys in all the rooms, and provide special doggy and kitty beds that will give animals a good night’s sleep. A hotel in Seattle even has animal psychiatrists, acupuncturists, and massage therapists on staff to truly pamper the pets that come to stay there.
An establishment in California has a “Yappy Hour” where dog owners can bring their dogs to a special area for a play session. These events are a great way for dogs to run around and tire themselves out while their owners socialize. Some places have even hired “Directors of Animal Relations” that plan special events and figure out new services and offerings that will make animals feel at home.
Some pet friendly hotels have also started to provide replacement animals for those travelers who were forced to leave their four-legged friends at home. For example, the Burnham in Chicago has started providing goldfish for guests, as does the SoHo Grand in New York. Some establishments have even started to provide cats or dogs to guests who would like the company of an animal during their stay. The goal is to make guests feel more at home and work towards alleviating the pain that comes with leaving a beloved animal friend at home.
These pet friendly hotels are able to accommodate devoted animal lovers by asking for a nonrefundable deposit from any guests that are bringing animals with them. This allows them to provide extra services and also repair any damage that animals may cause, such as chewing on furniture, scratching the carpets, or urinating inside the room.