One of the things I love about traveling to a new place is the fact that I’ll see or do something I don’t get to do at home like ordering food in my rusty French or waking up in a hotel room that is completely different than any I’ve ever stayed in before. I’ve stayed in hostels and hotels that had some fun decorations, quirky staff, and themes and it adds to the vacation.

When you plan your next trip, finding a hotel based on budget is important but it is also great if you can find one that is fun! I hunted around and found some that appeal to the pet lover in me and hopefully to you too.

5 Unique Hotels for Pet Lovers

La Villa Hamster – Ever wondered what your hamster felt like jogging in that wheel? Or what it is like to drink from a water bottle with a tube? Well, now you can! In Nantes, France a very bizarre but cool hotel has rooms that resemble hamster cages. Sleep on haystacks, run in a big metal wheel, and suck water through a tube to a water bottle. It’s all very funky. Take pictures. Your friends won’t believe you.
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Dog Bark Park Inn is located in Cottonwood, Idaho and is one of the more bizarre hotels that exist. The inn is shaped like a Beagle. In fact, it is the World’s Biggest Beagle. Guests enter from a two story deck and inside there are many wood-carved pieces from local artists. The head of the beagle is another sleeping area for your kids or you and, of course, the Dog Bark Park Inn is pet-friendly.

The Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge located in Eureka Springs, AR is a refuge for abandoned, abused, and neglected Big Cats. There are tours everyday except Christmas and you can stay there! Yup, the refuge has lodging in cabins that are all very “wild” in their look and feel. Bamboo woodworking, wildlife art, and great views of the grounds make the trip to the refuge unforgettable. Not to mention meeting some beautiful big cats like lions, tigers, cougars, and cheetahs up close. This would be a great family vacation!

Going to Key Largo, Fl? Then think about staying at the Jules’ Undersea Lodge. Jules’ Undersea Lodge is the only underwater hotel in the United States. It is 30 feet deep on the ocean floor and guests have to scuba dive to get to their rooms. How awesome and weird is that?!

The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN is your normal looking, everyday, beautiful hotel. It doesn’t have hamster wheels, scuba diving hallways, or a wagging tail but it does have a red carpet for the ducks. Yes, the ducks. Not the people. Well, mallards to be exact. Five mallards waddle from the hotel’s fountain to its elevator and then back, across their very own red carpet twice a day. The ducks march through crowds…yes…crowds of onlookers to the tune of John Phillip Sousa’s King Cotton March.

No matter where you stay, remember to call and check the rates as they change depending on the season. Also, if you are going to travel with your pet, ask them what their policy is and what is allowed and not allowed.

Happy travels!