In the past three years, an average of 14% of US adults has travelled more than 50 miles on a holiday or trip with their pets. This means that over a million have dared to take their four-legged friends on holiday outings.
It is important to say that a lot more would do the same if they thought that their pets would be allowed to enter every hotel and restaurant they were to visit. Indeed, the pet-friendly approach is still quite alien to many large hotel chains around Europe and the United States. Some say that they have good reasons for this.
Cleaners have been known to complain strongly about the presence of pets in hotel rooms, particularly about the fact that the carpet needs to be shampooed on a regular basis and that in-depth cleaning is required much more frequently than for humans.
Similarly, although special sleeping areas are usually provided for pets, they often sleep in the same bed as their owners, leading to further problems for the hotel cleaning staff. Another problem surrounds dogs being unattended and barking in rooms. Extra fees for pets tend to compensate for such problems, which arise on a regular basis.
However, there is still a huge number of pet owners who wish to go on holiday with their pets. Hence, the P.A.W. (Pets Are Welcome) sign is a frequent sight at many hotel receptions. After all, money is money and the objection is to please the customer.
Hotels have even been known to introduce “pet in room” signs for door in the “do not disturb” mould. Furthermore, grooming services have been made available along with a host of other pet-related services such as dog walking and room service with water bowls. The debate as to whether this should be allowed or not in public places continues to be a hot topic.
Top 5 Pet-Friendly Budget Hotel Chains
1. Motel 6
2. La Quinta Inns & Suites
3. Red Roof Inn
4. Best Western
5. Candlewood Suites
Petside.com