May 4, 2023
When it comes to booking trips, travelers increasingly want to bring their furry friends along. Here’s what hoteliers need to know about making service animals and pets feel welcome on their property.
Today’s travelers don’t just bring their friends, spouse, or kids on their trips. They’re bringing their furry family members with them. Two-thirds of American households own at least one pet, according to the Washington Post. That number is only growing: 78% of pet owners acquired them between 2020 and 2023, according to Forbes, and
of Tripadvisor users list pets and pet care as a personal interest.*
Dogs take the prize for the most popular pet: 45.8% of Tripadvisor users are dog owners.* After that come cats, birds, lizards, guinea pigs or hamsters, rabbits, fish, and turtles (more on the non-dogs later!).
Big-name hotel brands like Marriott, Kimpton, and Loews already advertise pet-friendly policies and amenities on hand to pamper four-legged guests. If you’re looking to add your property to the pet-friendly list — and get potential guests with pets to remember you as a top option for them — here’s what you need to know:
“Pet-friendly” means different things for different properties. For pet owners looking to find a place to stay, this can be challenging to navigate, especially in a place they’ve never been. The last thing any traveler wants is to be surprised by fees.
Make sure your pet policies are easy for travelers to find up front on your website and are reiterated upon check-in for guests. In addition to being transparent about pet fees, detail what kinds of pets are allowed on the property, including restrictions on weight or breed, how many pets are allowed per room, if you require proof of vaccination, and if there are any off-limits areas in the hotel, like the fitness room or the pool area.
These fundamental choices determine how pet-friendly you want your property to be. In your website and marketing materials, this can be as simple as “Pets welcome” with a link to a more detailed page, or a small paragraph like this one from the Boston Westin Seaport:
“Up to two pets are allowed in a guest room. Cats and dogs are permitted. Pets may not be left unattended in guest rooms, and guests must register pets and sign our pet waiver at check-in. The hotel allows service dogs. A fee will be charged for any damages to the guest room.”
Even in pet-friendly hotels, pet owners often complain about staying in undesirable rooms.. That’s why it may be worth designating blocks within your hotel rooms that are specific to pet owners and keeping pet-friendly supplies like dog beds, water bowls, and puppy pads on hand for that area to make it easier on your staff.
Similarly, include special areas for pets on your broader property as well. Dogs, for example, need an outdoor relief area, ideally a grassy one, to do their business. But making a space available for pups to play — complete with obstacles, frisbees, tennis balls, and other toys — ensures a better experience for everyone.
When it comes to pet-friendly amenities, there are plenty of ways to make four-legged friends feel welcome. Today’s pet owners spoil their pets with birthday cakes, special toys, high-end food, and more, spending nearly $800 per year on their pets. This hospitality doesn’t just win over the animals — it goes a long way to creating loyalty and satisfaction among your human guests, too.
Depending on your property, consider offering:
You may have heard of “happy hour,” but what about “yappy hour”? At the Liberty Hotel Boston, pets and their owners can sip on “pup-tails” in their private courtyard, while the Solage Napa Valley offers a guided bacon scavenger hunt all along the property, including their extensive vineyard. Events like this make for a lot of fun for owners and dogs alike and can attract pet owners to choose your hotel.
While the majority of pet owners have dogs, don’t neglect the other animal companions a person may travel with. A pet-friendly hotel must be pet-friendly, not just dog-friendly, so make it clear within your pet policies and through your marketing materials which types of pets you welcome on your property (though we understand if you’re not ready to welcome 12-foot snakes just yet).
A great place to advertise your pet-friendly policies is right here on Tripadvisor. With Tripadvisor Business Advantage, you can use photos and videos to showcase how pets enjoy your property, outline pet-friendly amenities, and customize special offers just for furry friends.
*Source: GWI; Q4 2020
