No pet owner ever wants to leave their pets behind, but traveling with dogs can sometimes be complicated. This is especially true when attempting to find dog friendly hotels at the destination you're traveling to.
If you're getting ready for a trip, to a further location, prepare by picking a dog friendly airline to flight with and a pet friendly hotel to stay at. Some hotels are much more accommodating of dogs than others, to o help you with your search, below are the eight most dog friendly hotels and hotel chains in the United States.
Top 8 Most Dog Friendly Hotels (USA)
Kimpton Boutique Hotels & Restaurants
Check their full pet policy here
- Maximum pets per room: None
- Weight limit: None
- Deposit: None
- Pet fee per night: None
- Pet amenities: Pet bed, food, food bowls in every room, canine-friendly gourmet menu
Kimton Hotels and Restaurants chain was founded by dog lover and owner, Bill Kimpton, in the 1980’s and has been going strong since. This boutique hotel chain has locations across North America. The Kimpton is one of the most dog friendly hotels because their staff takes pet accommodations so seriously that pets can stay at no additional cost to you and no expensive non-refundable fees. There’s also no weight limit, which many other “pet-friendly” hotel chains enforce.
Even if you were unable to travel with your dog, you’ll still get the joy and unconditional love that comes with being around one as most locations have an in-house Director of Pet Relations, a stately title given to the lobby dogs that greet guests as they enter.
The staff desks will offer you complimentary doggie bags and a list of nearby dog-friendly establishments and parks. There’s also bedding, food bowls, treats, and food for canine guests, making them conveniently available in the event you forgot to pack a few items. If your pet wants to feel as pampered as you, Kimpton offers a room service menu designed with canines in mind and it's easily one of the best dog friendly hotels we have in the United States.
La Quinta Inns & Suites
Check their full pet policy here
- Maximum pets per room: 2
- Weight limit: 50 lbs.
- Deposit: None
- Pet fee per night: None
- Pet amenities: None
Up to two pets per room are allowed with this nationwide La Quinta chain without any additional fees or deposits. The hotel chain has been around since the 1960’s with its start and headquarters operating in San Antonio, Texas. Many of its locations are in Texas and Florida, but as one of the leading hotel chains and top rated dog friendly hotels now, they have locations all over the United States and keep expanding.
Their budget-friendly prices have long been the driving force for the company’s growth and success and with the pet industry becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry and rapidly growing, La Quinta is proving they’re able to keep up with the times and convert all their branches into more dog friendly hotels. While not every property is pet-friendly just yet, over 900 of these quaint inns are, giving you a variety of options should you be traveling with your dog or cat.
Aloft Hotels
- Maximum pets per room: 1
- Weight limit: 40 lbs.
- Deposit: None
- Pet fee per night: None
- Pet amenities: ‘Animals R Fun’ Program offers your pet treats, a bed, and more
Aloft Hotels allow one pet per guest room; however, call your destination ahead of time if you have more than one pet. They need this advance notice, but they are more than likely to accommodate when given a heads up as the company tries to keep up (and overtake) with the other dog friendly hotels and be more inviting to pet owners.
As part of their constantly improving pet-friendly brand, Aloft offers every customer traveling with a four-legged friend a special goodie bag. The bag is part of their ARF (Animals R Fun) program and includes treats, doggie bags, toys, and a bed especially for them. If you do plan to travel and stay in any of the Aloft dog friendly hotels, you can save suitcase space by keeping that cumbersome dog bed at home.
Loews Luxury Hotels
Check their full pet policy here
- Maximum pets per room: 2
- Weight limit: None
- Deposit: None
- Pet fee per night: $50 (capped at 3 nights)
- Pet amenities: None
While a majority of this chain of luxury hotels and resorts are located in sunny California and Florida, Loews Hotels has locations on both the Pacific and Atlantic ocean shores, even on the coastline of the unsalted Lake Michigan, and most of them are dog friendly hotels ready to welcome your pooch. With unique services like the “Chat Your Service” option, which allows guests to communicate with hotel staff quickly and efficiently by texting them at any time with questions or requests, Loews Hotels are advantageous of the modern world.
That said, Loews is still not the cheapest, but as a luxury hotel, it's not supposed to be. Their pet policy differs from many other dog friendly hotels as they do not require a pet deposit (some of which are non-refundable), but a mere $50 per night for the canine guest. This nightly fee is capped as well, so if you intend to enjoy their accommodations for more than 3 days, you’ll never incur more than $150 in fees related to your pet.
Best Western Hotels
Check their full pet policy here
- Maximum pets per room: 2
- Weight limit: 80 lbs.
- Deposit: $150 (refundable)
- Pet fee per night: $30 (capped at $150)
- Pet amenities: None
With it’s beginning rooted during the 1940’s, by the ‘60’s Best Western became the leading hotel chain in America, with over 650 properties across the nation. Today, the company is a household name and staple in many American’s annual cross-country road trips and they pride themselves in being the leader among dog friendly hotels. Consistently updating and reinventing their policies, amenities, and abilities, Best Western stays trendy by marketing themselves as a very well-rounded pet-friendly hospitality service.
With so many properties, Best Western highlights their most dog friendly hotels and specific destinations. Popular tourist hotspots like Seattle, San Diego, and Denver are at the top of this list, where restaurants, coffee shops and breweries allow canine patrons and outdoor activities – whether it’s hiking, sun-bathing on a beach, or a walk through bustling downtown – abound. So if you're looking for very affordable dog friendly hotels that treat you and your pooch right, Best Western should be at the top of your list.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Check their full pet policy here
- Maximum pets per room: 2 (most locations)
- Weight limit: None (contingent on property)
- Deposit: $0-$50 (refundable, contingent on any damage incurred)
- Pet fee per night: $0 – $75 (dependent on property)
- Pet amenities: Dog beds, food bowls, treats, doggie bags, and more
Just like Kimpton Hotels mentioned above, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts is known for their mild-mannered, friendly canine ambassadors and greeters, making them another progressive chain among the most dog friendly hotels in the U.S. One hotel ambassador in particular is so well-known and loved that she has a children’s book published about her, as well as a heart-felt article in the Boston Globe reporting on her death in 2017. Years and years before that, however, Catie the Black Labrador, was trained to lead the blind which became her career. Sadly, she was forced into retirement when she herself went blind from cataracts. She found new purpose though, as The Fairmont Copley Plaza’s designated ambassador in Boston.
The Black Labrador's death, which was peaceful and due to old age, doesn’t terminate this hotel chain’s pet-friendliness. With several beautiful and exciting destinations, Fairmonts are known for their lenient pet fees and dog-approved amenities and perks. It's not the cheapest among dog friendly hotels but it may be worth the small extra cost. To prove that, note that many of their locations even partner with local animal shelters or service dog training organizations to make 10% of your booking fund their operations and outreach, so you make a do-gooder effort with the simple act of reserving a night’s stay.
Red Roof Inn Cheap Hotels
Check their full pet policy here
- Maximum pets per room: 1
- Weight limit: 80 lbs.
- Deposit: None
- Pet fee per night: None
- Pet amenities: None
In addition to pets staying free, so do children, which makes this budget-friendly chain coveted lodging for families on the road. With properties not only in the States, but also around the globe, Red Roof Inn has come a long way from its humble beginnings in Ohio. Free Wi-Fi, continental breakfast, and around the clock service and check-in, Red Roof is comfortable and convenient stay for you and your pup while away from home, and it's definitely one of the most cheap dog friendly hotels in the U.S. that's worth your stay.
Ace Hotel
Check their full pet policy here
- Maximum pets per room: 2
- Weight limit: 25 lbs.
- Deposit: None
- Pet fee per night: $25
- Pet amenities: None
While the pet policy of Ace Hotels varies a lot based on its location, two important items are always true: pets cannot be over 25 pounds and there is no pet deposit enforced. This may be bad news for owners of larger breeds, but you’d be surprised by the size of some breeds that meet or come in under this weight limit, such as Greyhounds or Shiba Inus. Ace dog friendly hotels are located in several very exciting and sought-after destinations, be it for business or pleasure, such as Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago just to name a few.
Relatively new in its existence, the Ace Hotel brand gained headway in the late 1990’s landscape of Seattle where business partners and friends flipped a degrading building into an economy hotel. Today, Ace has locations in London and Kyoto as well as in the U.S., many of which are welcoming of canine guests. And while their rules are more strict than some other dog friendly hotels mentions above, when your pet fit the requirements, this hotel chain is worth taking a look at.
What to Know and Do Before the Check-In
No matter how dog friendly hotels claim to be, there will always be certain rules for your pet just as there are rules for you. Some common sense can also go a long way to ensure a safe and pleasant stay for everybody. Below is what you should keep in mind before booking a room in any dog friendly hotel.
1. A Dog's Vaccination Record
Upon registration or check-in, many hotels will request that you provide up-to-date records of your dog’s vaccinations. This is the for the safety of the staff and other hotel guests and their pets, should any contact with a potentially contagious animal occur.
This not only ensures less risk to their business and guests staying at the hotel, but also helps maintain issues with pests, such as fleas, ticks, lice, and mites which can pose a real infestation threat to hospitality businesses. Having other guests' dogs vaccinated also keeps you and your own pets safe and healthy.
2. The Weight of Your Dog
Not all, but some pet friendly hotel establishments will enforce a weight limit for their canine guests. As you see in the above list, the dog's weight limit can be anywhere from 20 lbs, 40 lbs, 80 lbs to none at all. Once again, it's to keep the property cleaner and guests feeling safer (in case of giant dog breeds walking around the hotel).
Fortunately, many properties are willing to work with you if you call ahead of time with any questions or concerns. Moreover, in majority of cases, the staff will not weigh your dog. However, if the weight limit is 20 and you own a Great Dane or Bull Mastiff, no matter which one of the dog friendly hotels you've picked, they're likely to refuse a stay.
3. Consideration of Other Hotel Guests
While you may have worked hard to train your dog to walk and be well-behaved off-leash, hotel staff and their guests don’t know that. In many cases, the hotel will require all dogs to be kept on leash.
Even if there's no leash rules, be considerate of others by keeping your pet leashed and accompanied, even if the hotel is dog friendly. Also, take into account that some people may have a fear of dogs. Although you know your pet would never hurt a fly, try not to assume everyone around you knows or understands the dog's benevolent disposition.
4. Call Ahead (Just In Case)
Hotel chains that claim being “pet friendly” will have some locations as an exception where this rule may be different, to the point of either not allowing dogs or charging extra for the pet. This is typically due to state or city ordinances, and not something the hotel can directly control.
Before making a hotel reservation online, call and ask the staff about traveling with a dog, mention the size, weight and the breed, so as to avoid any potential misunderstandings or issues. However, people staying in any of the above mentioned dog friendly hotel chains have never had issues with that specifically, according to reviews.
5. Incurring Hotel Pet Fees
Many hotels state within their pet policy that pets must never be left unattended. This rule may even apply to your room. Typically put in place for the safety and convenience of hotel cleaning and service staff, the regulation, if not adhered to, can result in monetary penalty.
Additionally, while many of these USA dog friendly hotels may not charge pet deposits, this doesn’t mean that if your dog happens to damage the interior or furnishings of your lodging, you’re excused from a fine. So make sure you're aware of any rules the hotel has and also take precautions, such as bringing a travel crate with you to keep the dog contained for a few hours if you plan to leave your pup unattended.
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