So you’ve found a pet-friendly hotel to take your pet with you on vacation, but… how pet-friendly a hotel is depends on the chain, location, and type of guests you’re sharing a wall with. You don’t want to run into a situation where the hotel suddenly can’t accommodate your pet.
Preparing your dog to be a good hotel guest is a combination of:
- Over-communicating with hotel staff
- Anticipating guest etiquette
- Being prepared with your dog’s toys, bowls, food, and bed
- Crate training your dog
- Giving your dog time to adjust
Having stayed in numerous hotels with one senior dog and a puppy with separation anxiety, both in a last-minute and pre-planned capacity, the above list has made me feel more comfortable with every hotel stay. Another reader wrote in, noting that you should take a pictures of the hotel room, especially if there are existing stains and damage, to make sure you aren’t charged erroneously.
Read on for our top travel tips for staying in a hotel with your dog.
1. Confirm the Hotel’s Pet Policies
If you’ve booked through a third-party site for budget reasons, there’s a chance you’re reading old information. Call or email the hotel to confirm that you have pets—and that they allow your type of pet. Some hotels have pet weight or breed restrictions that may surprise you.
Note: Most hotels have designated or limited pet rooms. Calling ahead ensures you reserve the right room. If you can request a specific room location, you may want the ground floor or the room closest to the elevator or stairs.
The ground floor is especially helpful for older dogs with mobility issues or puppies. Trekking down four flights of stairs at 2 a.m. so your puppy can pee in the snow isn’t fun cardio.
2. Ask About Nightly Pet Fees
Not all hotels will charge a pet fee but many do have a nightly charge to cover the upkeep of the room. Pet dander and fluff, as you probably know, is work to clean and remove. Overnight pet fees range from $20 to $100 per night. Some hotels may charge a flat fee for your stay, which could go up to $500.
Pro-tip: When booking a pet-friendly hotel, make sure you leave enough time to cancel and find a new accommodation. Some hotels change their rules around fees and don’t update third-party sites. You may also discover that pet fees for one hotel will exceed your budget while another won’t.
3. Read Up on Hotel Rules
Every hotel is different, but keep surprises out of the way by expecting some variation of these rules:
- Declare your pet at check-in (calling ahead doesn’t count)
- A Pet Policy Agreement that you review and sign upon checking in
- No more than 1-2 pets per room
- Pets mustn’t be left alone or free-roaming unattended in the room
- No pets on furniture
- Pets must always be accompanied and on a leash or in a carrier
- Pets aren’t allowed in amenity rooms such as the spa, pool, or dining room
- Doggy damage to the room will incur additional fees.
Hotel management has discretion to deem a dog disruptive if enough guests complain. If this happens while you’re away, they have the right to call animal control for removal. To avoid this, make sure your dog isn’t left alone—and if they need to be, ask your hotel if they know of dog sitting services or if they will allow a pet sitter to stay in your room.
4. Pack Your Dog’s Daily Supplies
Although some high-end hotels may have dog bowls and beds, most hotels don’t. But you also don’t want to change your dog’s food or environment too much. This means bringing their stuff from home to the hotel so they can still be surrounded by familiar scents and objects, like their:
- Food, treats, and special chews
- Crate and bed or blanket
- Water and food bowls
- Puzzle and snuggle toys
- White noise machine
- Pee pads and towels, if bringing a puppy
- Pet cam, to monitor your pet, if needed
Goal: By bringing more than the essentials, you’re making the hotel room feel as close to home as possible. Familiarity can help your dog feel more comfortable in the room.
fotostorm/iStock
5. Hang Up the Do Not Disturb Sign
The Do Not Disturb sign is one of your best hotel tools. The sign can help prevent knocking, which reduces reactive barking, and surprise entries. For hotels that do allow your dog to be unattended, the do not disturb sign will reduce the risk of your dog escaping.
Mind your mess: Housekeeping is less likely to enter if you have pets, especially if they are in the room unattended. Some hotels also require you to request housekeeping. Be considerate and bring dog blankets from home to help minimize shedding and dirt.
6. Stay In with Your Dog the First Night
New places and routines can be scary for some dogs. Dogs who have been re-homed frequently or haven’t stayed in a hotel before may be more anxious as their routine has been upended. Counter this by staying the first night with them and going through their normal routine. If possible, keep meal times the same.
Staying with your dog during the first night also allows you to comfort them in case anything new or strange, like random noises, occurs. Once your dog starts to relax, you can too.
7. Turn on the TV
Hotels are busy and depending on your local and the quality of the walls, outside noises may spook a dog staying in a new place for the first time. Fortunately, TV noises can help muffle exterior noises, especially if you are staying near an intersection or where the nightlife is at. Ambient noise from the TV can help keep your dog calm and minimize barking.
Leaving Your Dog Alone: Should You?
A general rule is to not leave dogs who have destructive or barking tendencies alone in a hotel room.
But depending on the temperament of your dog and the hotel rules, you may be able to leave your dog unattended in your room without issues. Quiet and calm dogs who don’t have separation anxiety will do well in a crate or the bathroom.
If you trust your dog enough to be alone, make sure:
- You’ve tired them out with exercise and potty walks before you leave
- Water and food is left out in an accessible area
- The room is dog-proofed, with hazards removed or hidden
- Closet and bathroom doors are closed to prevent exploring
- To set up a ‘safe space’ with blankets and crate access
Plan ahead: Leaving your dog alone in a hotel room can be nerve-wracking, especially if you don’t have your trusty pet cam with you. But you’re on vacation and you deserve to relax through it.
Booking a sitter who can watch your dog at their home is a good solution to not leaving your dog alone in a new place. Pro-tip? Find a pet sitter close to your venue so you can pick your dog up right after your event.
Pet-Friendly Hotel FAQs
Where can I find a hotel’s pet policy?
The easiest way to find a hotel’s pet policy is to call your location and talk to the receptionist. If you can’t call, try Googling the hotel’s name and the phrase “pet policy”, “pet amenities”, or “pet friendly”.
Another way to search is to use Google “site:hotelwebsite.com pet friendly”. This will allow you to search the hotel’s pages directly instead of third party websites.
Why shouldn’t I leave my dog in a hotel room unattended?
Dogs who aren’t used to staying in hotels may find them anxiety-inducing or boring. An anxious dog increases risk and chances of barking, marking/urination, and destruction. A bored dog is also more likely to cause trouble.
If you need a few hours to sightsee or meet a friend for coffee, Rover.com connects you with insured and well-reviewed dog sitters so you can enjoy your museum visit, off-Broadway play, and more.
Can I be charged for my service dog?
No, hotels can’t charge for accommodating trained service dogs or service dogs in training. They’re also only allowed to ask, “Is this service animal required because of a disability?” or “What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?”
Do not fake or misrepresent your dog’s identify if they aren’t a service dog. Misrepresenting a service dog makes it more difficult for people who rely on them for accessibility and health needs.
What pet-specific amenities can I expect at high-end hotels?
While most hotels don’t provide gift baskets for your pets, some luxury ones do provide complimentary food bowls, special blankets, and signature treats.
One example is The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Colorado, which also offers activities your dogs can join in on, like snow-shoeing. These high-end hotels are also more likely to have dog walking and sitting services so you can skip the research.
Which Hotel Chains Are Pet-Friendly?
Each hotel and their hotel chain have different policies based on location. While your best pet is to call the hotel and ask about their pet policy, these hotel chains have gained a reputation for being amenable to pets:
- Aloft: 40 lbs limit. Dogs only
- Best Western: 80 lbs limit. All pets considered
- Courtyard by Marriot: Dogs, cats, birds, and fish allowed
- Drury Inn and Suites: 80 lbs combined limit. Dogs and cats allowed
- Element by Westin: 40 lbs limit. Dogs only
- Extended Stay America: Pets under 36 inches height and length
- Hyatt Place: 50 lbs limit. Combined limit of 80 lbs
- Loews: Cats and dogs allowed
- Marriot: 50 lbs limit
- Red Roof Inn’s: 40 lbs limit
- Residence Inn by Marriot: 65 lb limit
- DoubleTree by Hilton: No weight restriction.
Anastasiia Cherniavskaia/iStock
The following hotels have different policies based on location
You should contact your location directly to get specific details on their weight limit, type of pets, and overnight fees.
- DoubleTree by Hilton
- Canopy by Hilton
- Comfort Inn and Suites
- Graduate
- Home2 by Hilton
- IHG: Includes Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, Kimpton
- LaQuintas
- Motel 6
- SpringHill Suites
- Westin
Keep in mind that the costs of traveling with your dog can get up there. Plan for your dog’s gear and budget for the extra dollars you may spend on things like calming products. If you choose to travel without your pet, consider boarding your dog with an overnight sitter while you’re away.
