If you’re a pet parent and love to take your pet along when traveling, here are tips for pet-friendly hotel travel that you will find useful on your next vacation. While an increasing number of hotels are becoming pet-friendly, you need to follow certain etiquettes when you book accommodation with your pet. Follow these tips to ensure a relaxing hotel stay for both you and your pet:
Look for pet-friendly hotels
You can find pet-friendly hotels by asking for references from your friends or family who have traveled with pets, or you can look up a travel guide that lists pet-friendly hotels at your destination. You can also search online for pet-friendly hotels, but ensure that you double-check the hotel’s latest pet policies directly from them. Call them over the phone, speak to someone in a position of authority, and check the regulations you’ll need to follow when on the property.
Get the latest details
Find hotels that are happy to accommodate your pet family along with you. Another tip for pet-friendly hotel travel is to gather the following details about the hotel you choose:
- How many pets can you bring along?
- Are there any restrictions on the species or breed of pet allowed?
- Is there a restriction on their age or size?
- Will your pet be allowed to stay in the same room as you?
- Does the hotel offer a special bed, food, and other amenities for your pet? Also, are these facilities free of cost, or do they require additional payment?
- Can your pet be left unattended in the room? If yes, can they be left loose or inside a crate or a special enclosure?
- Are there only designated areas that pets are allowed to access?
- Are there pet-sitters or walkers available on call?
- Sometimes hotels collect charges as security or insurance against damages that your pets might cause to the property. Check whether your hotel charges such a fee and whether it is refundable.
- Does the hotel provide discounts on any of these charges during the off-season periods?
Explore the environment around the hotel
While you might naturally look for places to visit in and around your hotel while on your travels, remember to locate open green spaces or a beach or walking trail where pets are allowed. Also, check for spas or lodging facilities in the vicinity of your hotel where you could take your pet. Research for pet-friendly restaurants if you’re planning on not ordering room service all the time.
Understand your pet
You must know your pet thoroughly. How it behaves at home might be entirely different from how it behaves in a new place. Is your pet toilet-trained, vaccinated, and free from ticks and fleas? Would loud noises or too many people unnerve your pet, or are there chances of your pet disturbing other guests at the hotel? Can you leave them alone? An extremely helpful tip for pet-friendly hotel travel is to answer these questions as a pet parent and be prepared to take care of your pet in all situations.
