Pet-Friendly Hotels Offer Room Service And Massages For Dogs

That was three years ago, when the Houston small-business owner and her husband were planning a long-awaited vacation. They've come back to the Don CeSar and St. Pete Beach every year since for a week with their dog, Boogie, a putty-colored Shih Tzu.

"We will continue to come here because the people make it so special," Abbott said. "You get a few looks from some people when we walk through the hotel with Boogie, but most people say: 'Oh, I should have brought my dog.' "

When Boogie or any other dogs check in to the four-diamond pink hotel they receive a gift bag with a food bowl and mat to put it on as part of the Loews Loves Pets program. Homemade treats are delivered nightly to their room. Boogie can partake from the special room service for pets, which offers beef tenderloin with brown rice, and other entrees that don't include dog food, for $15 to $19.

And if he has had a long, hard day of lolling around the room or strolling in a designated grassy area (dogs aren't allowed on the beach), Boogie can unwind with an in-room massage for $135.

Although fewer than five dogs a year indulge in the one-hour rubdown, the hotel may host up to six dogs a week during its busy winter season, according to spokesman Jeff Abbaticchio.

For decades it seemed only a few motels off the side of the highway allowed Delbert or Fifi a room at the inn, enabling weary pet owners to stop for a night. But as canines continue to grow in importance to many families, more and more travelers find it hard to leave them behind. Trips are being planned with four-legged family members in mind, and the hospitality industry is taking notice.

"In the welcome center, we get three or four calls a day asking about pet-friendly hotels, restaurants and beaches," said Robin Sollie, CEO of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce. Pet-related questions come in daily by email as well.

There are so many inquiries, in fact, that the chamber this year included a dog icon in its directory for the first time to make planning easier for tourists seeking dog-friendly businesses. According to the guidebook, which just came out, pets are allowed at 49 percent of restaurants along the beaches and 27 percent of hotels, some of which charge upwards of $200 a night.

"I think it's been a steady progression (of pet-conscious inquiries) over the last two to three years. We decided we need to make people aware of all the options we offer," Sollie said.

Hotels are advertising directly to animal-loving tourists in pet magazines.

"We're definitely seeing more hotels being open to letting pets stay. It's happening in the luxury hotels as well as the middle tier," said Kathryn Tromba, spokeswoman for MMGY Global, a national marketing agency for the travel industry.

"The baby boomers are empty nesters for the most part, and their camaraderie is their pet. Then the gay and lesbian community, we do a lot of business in that community. It seems they frequently travel with pets," said Keith Overton, president of the TradeWinds Island Resorts at St. Pete Beach. "A lot of people look for places they can bring their dog because that's the only way they travel."

There are also people traveling for a conference who would have to pay to board their dog if it were left behind, Overton pointed out. The TradeWinds' $30 daily fee for bringing a pet is comparable to what a kennel back home would cost. The Don CeSar charges $45.

To better accommodate and capitalize on this growing segment of tourism, the TradeWinds remodeled a 48-room building several years ago, removing the carpet and putting in Travertine floors. It built two dog parks on the property and created a "convenience center" where guests can borrow pet supplies, such as a bowl or leash.

Both hotels take extra measures for dogs — and cats, which are also allowed, but not common guests. The Don CeSar deep-cleans carpets when pets check out. The TradeWinds requires guests to submit records showing a pet is current with vaccinations, and pets must stay in a crate when left alone in the room.

At the Don CeSar, human guests hang a special tag on their door when they go out to let housekeepers know there is a pet roaming the room.

The Bon-Aire Resort Motel in St. Pete Beach doesn't allow pets in any of its 81 rooms. Catherine Curotto Grace, manager and part-owner of the Americana-style property, said so many guests have allergies she doesn't want to risk dog hair bothering a customer.

"We get inquiries and we tell them about the places nearby that allow pets," Grace said. "There is a loss of business, but on the flip side we get business because some people want to stay here because we don't have dogs."

The TradeWinds, too, is concerned about bothering other guests and realizes there are risks to accepting pets, Overton said.

"We've never had any incident of somebody being bitten, but there have been times when clearly somebody (staying at the hotel) doesn't want to be near dogs," he said. "But compared to the total number of people who come here with a pet, these issues are few and far between."

This post was originally published here: Pet-Friendly Hotels Offer Room Service And Massages For Dogs

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