There are pros and cons to traveling with a pet, but there are also travel hacks that few travelers with pets know about.
I’ve traveled with my pup for nearly a decade, so I know the ins and outs. If you’re traveling with a dog, here are tips to help you have a memorable vacation. In fact, these pet travel tips for staying in a hotel with a dog will help improve the overall experience.
First, let me tell you about my experience of traveling with a dog. Ruby has stayed in over 100 hotels. In fact, the running joke regarding my travel companion, an 8-year-old Shihtzu, is that she has stayed at more luxury hotels than anyone I know. She’s stayed at over 100 luxury hotels, from Viceroy Riviera Maya to Peninsula Chicago.
We stayed in a Penthouse at the Palazzo in Vegas, she and I were the very first guests at Casa Kimberly (Elizabeth Taylor’s former house) in Puerto Vallarta, and she was the very first dog guest at Four Seasons Surf Club in Miami and The Whitby in New York.
Ruby has even been on three private jets, she loves yachts, and her favorite place is Mexico!
While it’s become a lot easier to travel with pets, traveling with your dog really does have a positive impact on mental health in ways you don’t expect. Dogs bring a lot of joy, sure, but having Ruby shifted a lot of my destination planning. With her, I started traveling to more outdoor places, like a beach or the woods, which also helped me relax. Now, I mainly travel to the countryside or beach destinations, and I have one rule when traveling with my dog Ruby.
Whatever hotel or resort I book, I take a ground-floor standalone cabin, cottage, or villa. This is one of the most crucial tips for staying in a hotel with a dog. You want to be on the ground floor, first of all, because it’s annoying to stay in a hotel on the 14th floor in a crowded elevator, walking through a crowded lobby. Making the stay easier for your dog will make your vacation even better.
Urban vs. Rural Destination
First, let me explain why I go to countryside or beach destinations with my dog.
I’ve changed the way I travel because I have a dog. City hotels, while touting to be pet friendly, rarely have the amenities I look for when traveling with a dog, and my requirements are a little higher.
If I travel to a city, I will need a hotel where windows open for fresh air, but most importantly, green space around the hotel to take Ruby out. You’d be surprised with how limited this can be in some cities. For instance, in New York, I stayed at a “pet-friendly” hotel in midtown. While it was a great hotel, there wasn’t a patch of grass within a 6-block radius (versus other midtown hotels where you can actually find a small park or even a tree).
Sure, this hotel accepted pets, but was it really “pet friendly”? So now, if I go to a city, I look up a hotel on Google Maps first to see if it makes sense for a pet. Also, with Ruby, I like to avoid big hotels with high floors and crowded elevators. I always say if a hotel has a picture of a dog on its website or Instagram, that’s a good sign. But it really is a good idea and one of the best tips for staying in a hotel with a dog because you want the dog to be comfortable, and if the property is very pet-friendly, you know your pup will have the red carpet rolled out.
That said, I tend to avoid cities now when I travel. I find a lot of satisfaction in going to sprawling nature. There are plenty of great places near me, like the Catskills, and there are hundreds of amazing hotels tucked away in rural landscapes. This is one of my best pet travel tips when staying in a hotel with your dog.
Booking a Standalone Cabin Or Villa
Nowadays, many hotels and resorts tout a separate, standalone cottage, cabin, or villa for guests. These premium accommodations are separate from the main resort or hotel, and they feel worlds away. A hotel or resort can have several of these (versus just one) on property, and they’re generally great for honeymooners, couples, families, or bachelor parties since they often have more than one room — though it’s not uncommon to find one that has one room.
These accommodations may cost a little more, but they are certainly worth the splurge if you’re traveling with a dog. This is one of my best tips if you’re traveling with a dog in a hotel, cabin, resort, lodge or any other property.
If you’re traveling with a dog, your pup will appreciate the upgrade to a standalone accommodation. One, it’s going to be the ground floor, meaning there are no long hallways, no elevators, and no crowded areas that you must go through to go outside.
Secondly, dogs love bigger spaces. If you book a room in the main resort or hotel, chances are your room will be smaller than the standalone accommodation. More space allows your dog to move around a bit more.
Lastly, peace of mind. You don’t have to worry about your dog barking if you’re away, and your dog doesn’t have to worry about hearing odd noises or housekeeping coming in if he/she is alone in the room.
For one of my pet travel tips, if you’re traveling with a dog to a countryside or rural destination, be sure to book a separate, standalone accommodation to significantly improve your hotel stay.