Stumped about the best spots for summer stays with your pets in tow? TPG Contributor Lane Nieset has done the research to highlight eight hotel brands — and individual properties within them — that welcome you, your loyalty points and your furry friends.
Kimpton Hotels
Surfcomber South Beach — Miami, Florida
At Kimpton‘s 60-plus hotels throughout the US, pets are welcomed free of charge, no matter what size, shape or breed. The lobby of each Kimpton features water bowls and treats, and stays come with complimentary in-room loaner items such as mats, food and water bowls, as well as courtesy bags for picking up after your dog and an invitation for him or her to join the complimentary nightly wine hour.
One of the most ideal Kimpton properties for a trip with Fido is Surfcomber South Beach, a 186-room hotel nestled on Collins Avenue with oceanfront access and Art Deco-style rooms. The hotel is also near dog-friendly restaurants on South Beach, including the Florida Cookery at The Royal Palm, a locally focused spot featuring Florida-inspired specialties like homemade conch fritters. Rates at the Surfcomber start at $161 per night in summer. At the moment, the Karma Rewards program is running separately from IHG Rewards Club, so you won’t be able to earn IHG points yet on your Kimpton stays, but you can rack up Karma Rewards and score free stays at Kimpton properties.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Towers of the Waldorf Astoria New York — New York, New York
At pet-friendly Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties, you may bring along a maximum of two pets (either dogs or cats) that clock in at a combined weight of up to 75 pounds, and non-refundable clean-up fees at various properties range from $50-125. One Hilton property with especially purr-fect amenities for pets is the Towers of the Waldorf Astoria New York, a hotel-within-a-hotel that spans the top 15 floors of the flagship Waldorf Astoria’s Midtown Manhattan building. Since 1893, the hotel has hosted everyone from John W. “Bet-A-Million” Gates to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, as well as their prestigious pets (and even an elephant or two).
The Towers’ luxurious Fido Friendly program — only offered at this particular Waldorf Astoria — is slightly more strict than Kimpton, requiring a $50 non-refundable deposit and only allowing pets up to 25 pounds, but your pet will be treated like royalty by the Towers Personal Concierge, who can help with grooming, shopping and spa appointments. The program also features amenities like pet beds and bowls, one complimentary walk during the stay, and a Canine Culinary room service menu of doggie delicacies like German Shepherd’s Pie (get it?). Rates start at $669 per night for a suite. While you can’t redeem your HHonors Reward points for free nights here, you can still receive member rewards and earn points toward stays at other Hilton properties.
Westin Hotels & Resorts
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa — Tucson, Arizona
Most Westin Hotels & Resorts are dog-friendly, offering pet beds, floor mats, food bowls, ID tags and a welcome kit at check-in with info on doggy hotspots in the area. The weight limit is usually 40 pounds (but management may make an exception if you clear it in advance) and some properties may ask for a deposit or pet fee.
At The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, tucked under the foothills of Tucson, Arizona‘s Santa Catalina Mountains, your furry companion will receive a VIP greeting on arrival and have its very own Westin Heavenly Dog Bed, a pet-sized version of the brand’s signature sleeper. Pets stay free and receive amenities like treats, water bowls, toys and a refillable bone-shaped waste bag, but you’ll need approval if you’re bringing a dog over 40 pounds (or want to bring another type of pet). While Fido is getting star treatment, you can pamper yourself a bit, too, taking a dip in the five-pool oasis or playing a round at the 27-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course. Rates for the SPG Category 4 property start at $129 per night or 10,000 Starpoints for a free night. While staying at the hotel, your furry friend unfortunately won’t be allowed at the pool, restaurants or Elizabeth Arden Red Door spa.
W Hotels
W Los Angeles-West Beverly Hills — Los Angeles, California
The W brand’s P.A.W. (Pets Are Welcome) program allows you to bring one pet per room, said pet must weigh 40 pounds or less, and you’ll be charged a $25 pet fee and $100 non-refundable cleaning fee. For these fees, your suite will be complete with a pet toy and treat, W Hotels pet tag, W pet bed, food and water bowls, and a pet-in-room sign to hang on your door. Pet-friendly guestrooms even include a pet turndown gift. Any property’s concierge can help you find grooming, dog-walking and -sitting services, as well as offer advice on nearby dog park and runs, and the front desk will have on-hand leashes, toys, treats, wee pads and litter boxes.
Fresh off a $25 million renovation, the 258-room W Los Angeles-West Beverly Hills recently underwent a locally controversial rebranding; this swanky property (with a sprawling backyard pool area, hopping bar and full spa) is actually set in the leafy, residential neighborhood of Westwood, about a half-mile from the western border of Beverly Hills. Regardless of this name shift, the hotel is definitely set near UCLA’s lawns and gardens — the perfect place for dog-walking — and just a 15-minute drive from Santa Monica, where the walking paths and pier are pet-friendly, but the sand and surf are not. Rates for the SPG Category 6 hotel start at $329 or 20,000 Starpoints.
Hyatt Hotels
Park Hyatt Washington — Washington, DC
Featured across all Hyatt brands (e.g., Park Hyatt, Andaz, Hyatt Regency, HYATT, Grand Hyatt, etc.), Hyatt’s pet program offers designated dog-walking areas with well-stocked clean-up stations; special ID tags; dogs beds and bowls; and a welcome card and in-room amenity. Note that most Hyatts charge a non-refundable cleaning fee (which varies by hotel); weight restrictions dictate that dogs must be under 50 pounds, and if bringing two dogs, they must total 75 pounds or less; and if you’re staying at HYATT house hotels, your cats can come, too.
At the Park Hyatt Washington (where TPG stayed in 2011), dogs have access to most of the hotel’s public areas (except for the Guest House, lounge and Blue Duck Tavern). The property’s $150 pet fee ensures that your pooch will have everything he or she needs for a comfortable stay in Washington, DC; the concierge will even provide a list of recommended vets, doggie day care, and groomers in the area. Rates start at $269 or 20,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points.
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
Sheraton New Orleans Hotel — New Orleans, Louisiana
Similar to Westin’s pet policy, most Sheraton Hotels & Resorts are dog-friendly and offer the same amenities — welcome kit, pet beds, food bowls — but what’s even better about stays at some of these properties is that in general, the weight limit is one of the highest we’ve seen: 80 pounds. Cleaning fees and deposits vary from Sheraton to Sheraton, and while some may nix fees all together, the weight limit may be slightly lower.
If you’re braving the heat and humidity to visit the Big Easy this summer, bring along your pet along for a stay at the 1,110-room Sheraton New Orleans Hotel on Canal Street near the French Quarter. The hotel offers free stays for dogs under 40 pounds, which includes an in-suite Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Dog Bed and Pet Welcome Pack at check-in with guides to nearby parks and groomers. You can take your dog (on a leash) throughout all of the public areas, and there’s even a Doggie Relief Area right next to the motor court. Rates at this SPG Category 4 hotel start at $159 or 10,000 Starpoints.
InterContinental Hotels Group
Hotel Indigo Atlanta Midtown — Atlanta, Georgia
All of the hotels that are part of IHG’s budget-friendly Hotel Indigo brand are dog-friendly, offering amenities like water bowls and treats, with pet fees and weight restrictions varying by hotel (typically between $25-75). Hotel Indigo is such a fan of pups that some of its properties have adopted an on-site dog mascot that lives with a hotel’s manager, as in the case of Atlanta Midtown’s Jack Russell terrier, Indie.
The 140-room Hotel Indigo Atlanta Midtown in Georgia, located across from the historic Fox Theatre, was the first of the brand to open in 2004. The hotel charges a $25 nonrefundable deposit, but pets of any size and weight are welcome to spend the night.
The hotel’s neighborhood is prime for dog-walking along Peachtree Street or playing at the Piedmont Dog Park’s 1.5 leash-free acres. Travelers can also book the Ruff Life package (starting at $199 and including the $25 pet fee), which comes with a dog bed, bowl of treats and copy of Fido Friendly Magazine, as well as discounts on nearby doggie daycare and grooming. And for an extra dash of Southern hospitality, the hotel also hosts canine cocktail hours throughout the year at its on-site restaurant, 683 Midtown Bar & Bistro, which donates proceeds to the Atlanta Humane Society. Rates start at $171 or 30,000 IHG Rewards Club points.
The Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco — San Francisco, California
Not all Ritz-Carlton hotels cater to pets, but the ones that do really know how to go all-out, offering everything from 22-karat plated ID tags to in-room Burberry pet-size raincoats. Ritz-Carlton charges cleaning fees that range between $125-250, as well as a boarding fee at select properties. The hotels typically offer amenities like treats, toys, canine room service and spa treatments for dogs up to 30 pounds.
At five-star The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, travelers can book the Suite Pampered Pooch package (rates from $775 per night, including pet cleaning fee) that starts with a VIP (Very Important Pooch) greeting at the door and includes personalized service, since the staff keeps guest recognition records for your pup knowing its name, breed, weight and preferences. Once at the hotel, dogs under 30 pounds receive an in-room dining menu, pet toy, framed bed, bowl, pet tag, and Pooch Pack with ideas for activities, walks and pet-friendly parks and beaches in the area. Although pets are welcome to walk through the lobby, elevators and rooms, only owners are allowed in the Club Lounge and restaurant Parallel 37. Outside of the package, owners pay a $125 cleaning fee. Rates at the Tier 4 hotel start at $449 or 60,000 Ritz-Carlton Rewards points.
For more tips on traveling with pets both on and off the ground, see:
Airline and Hotel Pet Policy Roundup
Truly Pet-Friendly Hotels: The Weekly Wish
Delta Now Offering pet Tracking With Wireless GPS
Maximizing Miles and Points with Pet Food and Supplies
What are some of your favorite pet-friendly hotels in the US?