PetsWelcome
Dogs can be great hotel guests and can make the other guests and staff happy by offering a wagging tail, happy face, and a few kisses. They also don’t steal towels, take the little shampoo bottles, or try to steal the paintings off the walls. When traveling with your dog, plan ahead and make reservations and let them know you have a pup with you. When you get to your hotel room, don’t forget your manners.
Here are 7 etiquette tips when staying at a hotel with your dog:
1: Bring a crate or carrier – when you do need to leave your dog in the hotel room alone, crate him to keep him out of trouble. But don’t leave your dog alone for long periods of time. He’s in a strange place, new sounds, new smells, and new people. This could make him nervous. Some hotels ask that dogs not be left alone at all in the room. If that is the case, you may want to opt for finding a boarding facility nearby for him.
2: Make sure your dog has gone potty before settling in for the night – you don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night to a bad smell in the room and cleaning the stain could be gross for the staff. Plus, you’ll be charged on your credit card for it. Several potty breaks a day will help make sure your pup doesn’t get thrown off schedule and stays housebroken in a strange place.
3: Don’t forget to treat your dog for fleas and ticks – this isn’t just for when you are traveling but definitely make sure your dog doesn’t leave any guests behind or in your car, in your suitcase, or bring any home after the trip is over.
4: Check the hotel policies before staying there – if there is a pet fee, be aware of it before you stay so you’re not surprised when checking out and paying. It’ll save you and the staff surprises about extra fees or a higher bill than you expected.
5: Don’t wash your dog in the hotel tub – fur in the drain, dirt on the walls, and a soggy dog can create a mess for the staff to clean up. If your dog gets dirty on a hike through the local national park, look up a dog washing facility and take him there. Many of those places have a self-wash station and dryers so your pup is clean, dry, and returns to the hotel looking fabulous.
6: Bring your own dog supplies – don’t use the ice bucket as a water bowl, the towels as a pet bed, or the remote control as a chew toy. Bringing some items from home can help relieve any anxiety your dog may have being in a new place. Don’t forget the dog bowls, their bedding, toys, and treats.
7: Check with the hotel that they, in fact, do accept dogs – sneaking your dog into your hotel room can mean that you both get thrown out. Then what to do?!
I once wrote a letter to Holiday Inn Express when they changed their pet policy from no fee to $25. I told them that our little guy was quieter than 50% of the children that stay there, he wouldn’t pee in their pool and he wouldn’t leave crumbs all over the breakfast area. Got no response. I don’t consider a hotel “pet friendly” when they charge more than $10 extra for the dog.
I often travel with my 4 pound Maltese and are always charged a pet fee – sometimes as high as $100. I wouldn’t mind paying it so much if I felt confident that the hotel was really using it to provide some extra cleaning of the room. I’m not so sure that is the case. I would love to see an article in this newsletter regarding what hotels really do with that fee.
@ Barbara Thompson…i find it wrong how they charged you so much extra for your little buddy. I agree with your statement about paying extra for a pet if i’d be confident they actually use it for extra cleaning. I always travel with my cat and i often get charged an extra $25/night. How much of a mess a cat can make? My cat is exclusively an indoor cat and i always keep him extremely clean..he’s Persian and requires a lot of grooming. All he does is eat, sleep and uses his litter box. Besides, i’m the type that travels with own bedsheets, pillow cases, towels and disinfecting products for the bathroom because i don’t trust their cleaning service(my sister used to work as a maid during college and she informed me how they “clean” rooms…simply Gross!!!!)
More than that, i am always assigned a “pet friendly” room which i find very discriminating. If they’re charging me extra for my cat ,that’s a lot cleaner than their rooms, then i shouldn’t be put in a “pet friendly” room. I often have to give him another bath when we get home because his coat smells funny after we stay in a hotel.
Once i traveled to San Simeon, Ca and i had to keep my cat an extra hour or so in his carrier because i had to leave the door and windows wide open so the gross smells would go away. I know, i should’ve asked for a different room but i wanted to save myself the headache after a long road trip. The Only pet friendly hotel i’ve stayed in and felt confident to use their bedsheets and towels is Sheraton in Phoenix, Az. Yes, I was charged extra for my cat but the room was extremely clean, everything smelled so nice and fresh and i made sure i left the room clean, very close to how i found it upon checking in. I always clean anyway, whatever it is to be cleaned before checking out but with this one i felt i wanted to really leave it as clean as possible, even though all i need to do is clean my cat’s hair,when the case.
As Bonnie Gill also says, our pets are a lot quieter than the 50% of the kids staying there..and i want to add, our pets are a lot cleaner. Guaranteed!
We have traveled all over the US with our 6pound Chinese crested. We only stay at Laquinta hotels. They don’t charge extra, no weight limit no limit to the number of dogs and don’t have a crate requirement. They are extremely pet friendly and accommodating. We do travel with a crate and always leave a phone number at the front desk when we leave in case Pearl is making a fuss…which she never does, but I would hate to have her bother other guests.