See Spot Spa: Hotels Are Ready to Pamper Your Pup

New York Times

04-03-2025

The first time Benji, a 5-year-old Maltese mix, checked into the NH Collection New York Madison Avenue with her owner, something seemed a bit off: The metal food and water bowls just would not do. So the staff scrambled, offering the little dog 10 different options until she found a porcelain one she liked. And now that she's a frequent guest, they store that bowl for her next visit.
Gone are the days when hotel guests traveling with their dogs had to sneak them into their rooms or pack their own chew toys. The welcome mat is out, and many hotels are going all out to please four-legged guests. Some provide custom bedding, toys and fresh-cooked food. Many offer maps of nearby off-leash areas and pet-friendly restaurants. Others go further with dog-sitting, walks and even wilderness hikes.
More vacationers than ever are bringing along their family pets. According to American Pet Products Association 2024 surveys, about nine out of 10 owners say they've traveled with their pet in the last year, compared with about eight out of 10 in the 2021-2022 study.
Whenever Benji and her owner, a Florida businessman, stay at the NH Collection New York Madison Avenue, the staff always tries to book her 'favorite room,' said Fredrick Jones, the rooms division and guest relations director at the hotel. Once, when there was construction near that room, employees showed Benji five other rooms, but the dog did not seem comfortable in any of them. Finally, they changed course, reopening the usual room. 'Benji ran from corner to corner. She knew she was home,' Mr. Jones said.
Walks (and hikes) that get tails wagging
For some travelers, pet care is becoming just as important as a pool or a spa in choosing a hotel. Some properties have staff dedicated to pets. Others tap outside professionals. Kimpton Hotels in the United States has teamed up with the dog care company Wag! for walks and day care. Guests at the Pan Pacific Hotel in London can ask the pet concierge to make arrangements for walks with Paws Galore Pet Sitters or a canine massage at Shoreditch Dog House. Other hotels provide lists of approved vendors for guests seeking pet care.
At NUMU, a boutique hotel in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Gustavo Vasquez, a food and beverage manager, also walks the hotel's one or two canine guests each week at the nearby park. Like most hotel dog walkers, Mr. Vasquez sends a report card and photos to the owner after their outings. A one-hour walk is $30, with sitting services at $20 per hour for longer periods. If a visiting dog seems lonely in the room, Mr. Vasquez may take it (with the owner's permission) to the rooftop bar to mingle or to hang out with him in his office.
Some hotels cater to dogs with a more adventurous spirit. On Sunday mornings, at the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, N.H., a 'trail tail guide' will take up to four canine guests on a complimentary 30-minute hike while their owners can track them using a GPS device on their collar connected to a phone app.
At the Omni Interlocken Hotel in Broomfield, Colo., a wilderness guide and a photographer from Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides will take guests' dogs on a three-to-four-hour hike tailored to their size and energy level through the forest and, weather permitting, to a nearby lake for a swim. The dogs are outfitted with protective shoes and an 'adventure gear backpack' containing treats, a collapsible water bowl and a tennis ball. Guests pay $350 and receive photos of the dog's adventure. They can also track their pet's location and heart rate with a GPS-enabled collar.
Fluffy robes for fluffy friends
Hotels have indoor dogs covered, too. With 24 hours' notice, the Pan Pacific will provide a linen floor mat embroidered with the pet's name by an in-house team of tailors, and the pet can take it home. And meals created by a dog nutritionist for the hotel include organic eggs, nitrate-free bacon and lamb sausages, 'thinly sliced, cooked 'sous-vide' then pan-fried' (18 to 28 British pounds, or $23 to $35).
The Plaza Hotel in New York City offers a white Plaza dog bathrobe as part of its Pampered Pup Package. The robes come in five sizes, or for an extra $100 to $175, a custom-size robe can be ordered 30 days in advance. The package also includes a dog bed, dog macarons and Evian water. Costs depend on the room type and date of stay.
Dogs can even be part of wedding planning. For $750, couples getting married at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, can have staff members take their dog for a pre-wedding bath at a pet spa, create a floral collar coordinated with the wedding colors, and take photos of the couple with their best friend. In case the dog isn't invited to the reception, sitting services are also available for an extra charge.
Dogs now have more options to try out their sea legs, too. Though cruises have generally barred pets, in early 2026, Cruise Tails will be offering a one-week voyage for dogs (and owners), departing from Tampa, Fla. The itinerary promises prancing, splashing and costumes, with double-occupancy balcony rooms (that's two humans and one dog) starting at $6,000. One dog is allowed per cabin and it must weigh under 20 pounds and be less than 18 inches tall. Waste bags are provided for pet relief stations located in public areas and on each cabin's balcony. And don't worry about seasickness: There will be a veterinarian on board.
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