Staying in a hotel with your dog

Whether you wish to avoid it at all costs or if you actively try to make provisions to be able to take your dog with you at any time that you have to be away from home overnight, sooner or later, many dog owners will find themselves having to source accommodation away from home that will allow their dog to travel with them.While you should never assume that the hotel you wish to stay in would accept dogs, finding a hotel that will accept your dog is not as hard as it used to be. You will almost certainly run into difficulties if you simply turn up at a hotel or area on-spec with your dog and hope to be given a room, but if you plan in advance, getting a hotel room that is dog-friendly is by no means impossible. Whether you have an imminent trip in the offing or just want to find out more about how feasible it might be to stay in a hotel with your dog in the future, we have you covered. Read on to find out more!

How hard is it to find a dog friendly hotel room?

Whether there are more or less hotels offering dog-friendly accommodation today than there used to be historically is open to some debate, but it is certainly fair to say that since the advent of the internet, finding a dog-friendly hotel relatively simply has become much easier. Now you can book most hotel rooms online, and see information relating to their pet policies clearly laid out before booking in. Many of the larger popular hotel chains provide accommodation that is pet-suitable, although this may not apply to all of the hotels in the chain, so don’t assume that just because one venue will, all of the others will too. Also, lots of small and privately owned hotels and guesthouses are run by dog lovers as well, and will also accept your pet by prior arrangement.

Do hotels charge extra for canine guests?

This varies from case to case; some hotels do not make any extra charge for accepting dogs, while others will expect you to pay a damage deposit or take a scan of your credit card, and will bill you in the case of any damage your dog causes to the room. Many hotels also charge an additional premium, which can range between £10 per stay to £20 per night or more, depending on where you are. It is important to find out the full details of any additional charges for keeping your dog in your room, and what the full rules of any damage deposit or waiver will entail, before you check in, to ensure that you are not hit with an unexpected bill when you come to leave!

What are the rules surrounding dogs staying in hotels?

Much as is the case with additional charges being made for dogs, the rules as to what you can and cannot do with your dog and where they are allowed to go will vary from case to case. It is almost universally accepted that dogs will not be allowed into the hotel’s bars and restaurant (other than registered assistance dogs, of course) but some hotels will also dictate that other than travelling directly to and from your room, your dog is not allowed to use the other pubic areas of the hotel either. In some cases, you may even be asked to bring your dog in and out of the hotel through a specific door, and you should always of course obey any requests or rules regarding the hotel’s policies on dogs during your stay. Keep your dog on a lead at all times when inside of the public areas of the hotel, even if you know your dog will stay to heel and has perfect recall.The majority of hotels will also state that you must never leave your dog unattended in your room, or that your dog must be secured inside a crate or cage if they are left alone.

Tips for finding a dog friendly hotel

There are several websites dedicated to helping dog lovers to find dog-friendly accommodation and other entertainment, and some links to help you out are provided below. Most hotel websites and central booking systems such as Trip Advisor and Late Rooms will list in each hotel’s details whether or not any given hotel is pet-friendly, although you may have to call the hotel you are interested in first to double check and confirm the details. Chains such as Travelodge, Best Western and Britannia hotels all allow dogs to stay in some of their venues- but not all of them, so again, double-check the hotel’s local information before making a booking for you and your dog.