Hotels Aren't Just Dog-Friendly Anymore. They're Dog-Obsessed
Some hotels are going to extreme lengths to lure pet owners.
At the Kimpton La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood, there are 26 elegant portraits displayed on a wall in a hallway. Each one is sized eight inches by eight inches and hand-drawn, with graphite carefully defining every strand of hair. Some of the subjects look hopeful. Some inquisitive. Some… hungry. This portrait wall, you see, is filled with dogs.
“Those are our frequent dog guests,” explains Evan Thomas, general manager of the hotel. A mixture of visitors and neighborhood dogs, they have names written under them like Ozen, Chilli Dog, and Mr. Biggie Small.
Those dogs were invited by the hotel to bless the space with their furry countenances. But even if you’re not one of the regulars with four legs, you’re still treated like a VIP. All pets get a welcome treat when they check in—for dogs it’s a La Peer-branded peanut butter and blueberry dog bone. Bags of those treats are also for sale as part of the in-room mini bars, but pups in the know can snag a few at the hotel’s free nightly cocktail hour.
Notably, there is not a wall of portraits for frequent human guests. But if you want a portrait of your pet, that could be arranged. Works are done by local artist David Wayne Heise. “He does an amazing job, and now we have that connection with our favorite dogs,” says Thomas. If, when commissioning a pet portrait you tell them La Peer sent you, 10% of the $450 price tag goes to Paws L.A. charity. And if you want your dog up on that hotel wall and are willing to foot the bill (you wouldn’t be the first) give Thomas a call. There’s room for about four more portraits. After that, “We might have to start a second wall.”
It was ordained from its opening in 2018 that La Peer would be pet-friendly. That’s the deal with all Kimptons. Pet-friendly accommodations are nothing new, but the brand was at the forefront of the trend. Since they launched in 1981, Kimpton Hotels have embraced furry friends; founder Bill Kimpton was known to bring his own pup, Chianti, to work.
And today, they continue to lead the pack, so to speak. While the fine print on most pet-friendly hotels usually specifies that either dogs or cats (heavy on the dogs) are welcomed, Kimpton invites the “furry, feathery, or scaly” gratis. “The rule is, if it fits to the door, there's no pet fee,” says Thomas. If you happen to forget anything—or just don’t want to travel with bowls, collars, and pet beds—as part of the Forgot It? We've Got It! Program you can borrow a host of pet amenities. The brand has partnered with WAG!, which connects pet parents with professional caregivers. And some Kimptons even have honorary canine employees they deem “Directors of Pet Relations.” The rigorous job entails greeting guests, testing out pet-centric offerings, and bringing joy to those attending nightly Kimpton Socials. The payment? Plenty of treats and belly rubs.
“The rule is, if it fits to the door, there's no pet fee”
Today Kimpton’s pet-loving fur-ocity is less an anomaly and more an acknowledgement of where the industry is headed. Even pre-pandemic, in 2019, 67% of households in the US owned pets, and according to the ASPCA, another 23 million households—one in five—adopted pets during the pandemic, including outspoken stars like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez. It was a veritable pet explosion.
And with pet owners spending all day at home pampering and bonding with their new furry friends, it only made sense to bring them along when they were able to travel again. For many, leaving pets with a sitter or at a boarding facility was simply not an option. Not to mention, some pandemic puppies often haven’t had the chance to be fully socialized. “I have a year-and-a-half-old Golden Retriever that I have to travel with some of the time because he's not the most well behaved to bring to people’s houses,” says Brittany Grammer, the former director of sales and marketing for Canopy by Hilton Boston Downtown.
According to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, a resounding 70% of US households own a pet. Of the 90.5 million homes with furry friends, approximately 78% of these American pet owners travel with their companions each year. Ready or not, the pets are coming. Now the ball’s in your court, hotels.
It’s a dog’s life
Kimpton is not the only national brand welcoming pets without charging a separate fee. Pets also stay free at all Red Roof Inns and Motel 6s. But while in the past pets were usually relegated to hotels at lower price points, something to check off a list when it came to extra fees, what’s significantly different in today’s pet-pawsitive world is that more hotels—luxury and all—are following Kimpton’s lead. Pets aren’t just accommodated, but actively being courted. And it’s a win-win for all involved.
“Many brands are actually seeing an increased occupancy due to being pet-friendly,” explains Grammer, referencing a growing list that includes her former employer. “Canopy is not just pet-friendly, they encourage the pet’s stay.”
The standard in-room dog bed and Purina biscuit have been replaced with custom amenities, like La Peer’s peanut butter dog cookies, and the organic treats and custom chew toy offered at Arrive Hotel in Palm Springs and Key Largo’s Playa Largo Resort & Spa.
And sometimes pet guests are subject to more pampering than their parents. At W Punta de Mita, dogs have a curated menu and can try doggie surfing, and at Rosewood’s Las Ventanas al Paraíso in Los Cabos, there are “doga” (AKA dog yoga) classes, portable pet cabanas for the beach or the pool, chef-made dishes, and dog massages on offer. San Diego’s Kona Kai Resort kicks it up a notch with a whole pet spa menu, including a free bottle of lavender oil for Fido with their “pawroma therapy.” The property also hosts “pupnics.” Those are picnics, for dogs.
There are doggie butler services like the “Pet Adventures and Wellness Specialist” at Hôtel Swexan, engraved leashes, signature bowls, “barkuterie boards,” personalized dog beds, and dog room-service menus (at The Mark in New York, the in-room “Spoiled Dog’s Menu” is designed by none other than celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten). The Metropolitan 9 in Cleveland has its own 24-hour indoor dog park—the only one in the US—while the Tradewinds Resort in St. Petersburg offers doggie water fountains and fire hydrants in its off-leash area as well as pet-sized beach hammocks. There are adventure boxes in the Berkshires for outdoorsy pups, stocked with treats, toys, paw and nose balm, and flea and tick spray, and pet-friendly beaches and turndown treat service in Maine.
Heck, the whole country of Aruba has declared its loyalty to globetrotting pooches, provided they have the proper dog-umentation.
And if you’re willing to pay a whopping $895 a night (starting price), pets at the Mandarin Oriental in Boston are not only showered with gifts, but also can be dressed to the nines with a shopping consultation and a fitting with a Fish & Bone canine concierge.
Man's best bleisure buddies
It’s not just that more people are vacationing with pets. Today’s remote work reality means that an extended business trip is much more within the realm of possibility. According to a McKinsey survey, hybrid work is here to stay, and office attendance remains roughly 30% lower than it was before the pandemic. And hotels make excellent makeshift offices. “There are quite a few ways business travel has changed since Covid,” says Thomas. “We're seeing a longer length of stays, and it’s a mix of business and leisure.”
Just as hotels are catering to remote workers—and neighborhood locals—by nixing tucked-away workstations in favor of shared spaces with more outlets and pleasant nooks and crannies for communal working, they’re doing the same for pets. La Peer has plenty of indoor-outdoor space in the lobby for pups to enjoy. If a pet owner has a meeting in one of its co-working spaces, The Shay in Culver City offers a dog bed so their pet pal can nap alongside them. (If the meeting happens to be by the rooftop pool, they get their very own chaise lounge.)
For The Shay’s part there are other considerations aimed to assist both pet owners and guests who would rather not be around four-legged friends. Things like the ability to check-in via an app, so anxious animals spend as little time as possible at the busy front desk. HEPA vacuums are on hand for extra cleaning needs. Some hotels even establish separate sections for the pet-averse. “There’s an alcove to another set of guestrooms that we keep completely pet-free, so if someone has allergies, they’re not going to encounter a vacuum that has cleaned a room with dogs,” says Ryan Parker, a former general manager at The Shay. “It’s completely allergen-free, and completely pet-free. You will not hear a dog on that floor.”
How to take advantage of all the off-furs
If you’re planning on bringing your pet to a hotel, there are a few items to keep in mind to ensure a pleasant experience. Keep their medical records with you for any emergencies, and make sure they’re sporting a tag clearly displaying your name and contact info. (In an ideal scenario, they’d also be microchipped.) In case the hotel doesn’t offer pet beds or dog bowls, invest in the packable versions. And be sure you’re aware of how in control they are of their bodily functions. “My best advice for prepping the pooch for an overnight stay is to make sure they have a favorite toy and blanket or towel from home for comfort, and request a room near the stairs since elevators and escalators can sometimes spook a newbie,” says Grammer. “And make sure they are potty trained!”
Do your own research or ask at the front desk where the best outdoor spaces and dog-walking areas are. Dog-friendly parks, off-leash parks, dog-friendly beaches, and grooming spots are always good to find in advance. With some hotels, you can find suggestions online.
Pup-friendly experience can also extend to dining—even if there’s no explicit pet-focused room-service or restaurant menu. Don’t be shy about asking your server at a dog-friendly restaurant if there are any off-menu pup offerings. Your pooch may be able to partake in some tableside VIP tastes too. For example, have a meal at Ladyhawk restaurant or any of the other venues at the Kimpton La Peer and beginning this August your dog can gnaw away at their own Mediterranean pet skewer: a dog bone topped with ground chicken and seasonal vegetables, with a portion of the proceeds going to local pet adoption charity The Rescue Train.
Not asking? That would definitely be a faux-paw.