Sashay Magazine / May 2010 / Have Pet, Will Travel

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Have Pet, Will Travel

Many families have one pet peeve when it comes to taking a vacation: having to leave Fido at home. Doggoneit, now you don't have to. There are many hotels and resorts that welcome pets with all the creature comforts of home. Here, a sampling of resorts and hotels that are into heavy petting.

Massachusetts

At the swanky XVBeacon in dog-loving Boston, pampered pooches chow down on healthy, hotel-made dog biscuits and are spoiled with turndown service of bottled water before settling into a plush doggie bed for the night. Dog sitting, walking and grooming can also be arranged. The cost: a suggested $25 pet fee that is donated to the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. www.xvbeacon.com.

Vermont

Topnotch Resort & Spa, tucked in the Green Mountains of Stowe, Vermont, welcomes dogs with a fleece-wrapped inflatable dog bed and a doggie welcome basket stocked with organic treats, bottled water and a water bowl that you can take home. There's complimentary turndown service with mini bones (bacon and cheddar, carob chip oatmeal and liver bacon) and your dog can unwind with a Rover Reiki massage treatment at the resort's spa ($60 for 25 minutes.) www.topnotchresort.com

Rhode Island

Newport is for yachties and doggies. The Hyatt Regency Newport Resort & Spa offers a seasonal pet program, “Darby’s Doggies,” which includes a doggie treat at check-in, and a weekly "Mutt's Mocktail Hour," where doggies slurp a brew "beer" and owners sip a Salty Dog (a rim-salted Greyhound with gin) on the hotel’s new Great Lawn. Dog-in-residence, Darby the Border Collie, oversees the operations, chasing away the geese and making sure everyone's tails are wagging. www.newport.hyatt.com

Darby the Border Collie is a guest favorite at The Hyatt Regency Newport Resort & Spa.

Nantucket

The VIPets program at The Nantucket Waterfront Cottages & Lofts at The Boat Basin offers a frequent visitor club to pets, who get a customized welcome card, a take-home toy and a photo of themselves in front of their cottage (they can even post it on The Cottages' Facebook page.) Bonus: All pets are entered into a sweepstakes to win a three-night stay at the WOOF Cottages, as well as a pet spa treatment. Pet amenities include a welcome basket of treats and play toys, food and water bowls, personalized pet tags, dog beds and, get this, doggie sunscreen (SPF15.) Cost: $60 for three-night stay, $75 for four-night; a percentage goes to the Nantucket MSPCA Adoption Center on Nantucket. www.thecottagesnantucket.com.

Washington D.C. 

Park Hyatt Washington's "Paws at the Park" program includes a brand-new doggie bed (you can take it home), a dog bowl with water, doggie treats, Doggie Aficionado magazine, and a copy of the book "First Dogs: American Presidents and their Best Friends." www.parkwashington.hyatt.com.

New Mexico

The Inn on the Alameda in Santa Fe puts out the doggie mat for pets 30 pounds and under and spoils them with a welcome bag (toy ball and Bone-itos Pet Treats,) a current issue of Fido Friendly Magazine, an in-room food bowl and a walking map of the area (with poop bag.) www.innonthealameda.com.

New York City

The City that Never Sleeps is perfect for Type-A dogs--and their owners. There are more pet packages at hotels here then you can shake a bone at. Here, a sampling to drool over:

• The swanky Le Parker Meridien welcomes all animals--birds, ferrets, dogs, cats... The hotel sets the mood with pet-friendly music, scratch pads and a "Feed the Party Animal" menu that features delicacies lke steak tartare. Cost: $50 per day pet fee. www.parkermeridien.com.
• The hip Sofitel New York also does not discriminate against pets and welcomes dogs, cats, birds, and ferrets. Bonus: No pet fee. www.sofitel.com
• The Benjamin's "Dream Dog" package features a consultation with a pet psychic, as well as a plush bathrobe for doggie, gourmet room service (think all-natural, fresh foods like salmon, tofu and chicken with veggies,) spa treatments, a dog bed, ceramic food and water bowls and a Doggie television DVD (to keep your pet entertained while you are out of the room.) Bonus: Dream Dog is offered complimentary to pet owners who book a guestroom (the food is extra.) www.thebenjamin.com.
• Owned by the Hartz Mountain Corporation, the mod Tribeca Grand will set up your guestroom with a pet bed, food and water bowls, and treats—at no extra charge. Kitty litter boxes are also available as are free treats at the front desk. A pet food menu is available and pet sitters and dog walkers can be arranged. The hotel is so pet accommodating, that if you stay here and are petless, they'll loan you a goldfish for your stay. www.tribecagrand.com.

Michigan

The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa near Traverse City, has opened The Dog House-The Ultimate Retreat, a boutique-style, cage-free facility with 24 hour supervision and three separate play/sleep rooms, toys, and a fenced-in grassy spot. Dogs are given daily walks, supervised outdoor recess, filtered water and treats. The Dog House sits on the property overlooking the resort's golf courses, easy access for guests to visit their pets at any time. Cost: $35 per night. www.grandtraverse.com.

Laurie Wilson has written many lifestyle articles for newspapers, magazines and websites, including Boston Magazine, New England Travel, Woman's Day, The New York Daily News, The New York Times, New York Post, New York Daily News, Boston Herald, Parents, Parenting, and Sesame Street Parents.   Wilson is the author of The Unofficial Guide to New England and New York with Kids (Wiley & Sons), which was on the Barnes and Noble's Top 10 Family Travel bestseller list for several months. She also authored New York City With Kids (Open Road/Simon & Schuster, a third edition was published summer 2008) and New York City Made Easy (Open Road/Simon and Schuster, Fall 2005), selected as a member of the Forbes Book Club.