Tips for Finding a Pet-Friendly Hotel
If you’re planning a vacation with your pets, you will need to do a bit of extra planning and research. You can find a pet-friendly hotel that will allow you to bring your pets along, but you need to do some research first to find out which ones are best for you.
Below is our dog Little Zeus (aka LZ) who thinks he should be pampered wherever he goes. He has been spoiled by many a pet-friendly hotel and we appreciate them letting us bring our beloved dogs with us. 
Don’t worry we didn’t let LZ sleep on the bed even though he tried but we did give him a few minutes of snuggle time and since he’s only 5lbs we figured no harm. We would never let our bigger dog on a hotel bed.
Most pet-friendly hotels will allow dogs (check out BringFido to search for places), but some do not allow cats. Some don’t allow birds or rodents, either. Some will allow any pet that is kept in a cage or a tank, but not pets that run free. Again, you need to look into the details of their pet policy, not just whether or not they allow pets.
We even had an amazing pet-friendly hotel in Seattle the Sorrento (read our review here) welcome our two dogs Luna & LZ with this fun sign. They even had dog beds, dog dishes and treats for our pooches. Now, I wouldn’t expect that from every pet-friendly hotel (in fact few do this) but the Sorrento which is not a large chain hotel, it’s more a boutique hotel was amazing when it came to our dogs.
Here’s what you can do to find a pet-friendly hotel:
- The first thing you need to do is know where you’re going. You can’t look for hotels when you don’t know where you’ll be.
- Then you want to find out the pet policies of hotels you’re considering staying at. If there is a specific hotel or chain your family likes to stay at, you need to find out if they accept pets before your planning goes any further.
- Call them up and ask any questions about their pet policies, fees, and more. It’s not enough just to read their website, since sometimes info can be outdated. Call the exact branch you’re wanting to stay at and make sure you have all the details.
- Once you find the hotel you want to stay at, you may need to book your reservations early. Many pet-friendly hotels have limited rooms and space available for pets, so you will want to be sure you get one of them.
- Once you pick a hotel, you’ll also want to pack your pet’s supplies and have everything your pet(s) needs before you go. Bring favorite toys, blankets, or other special items to make your pet feel more comfortable even while away from home, too.
When investigating the right hotel for you and your pet, look at more than just the fees. You should also look at what amenities they may offer, and how convenient it is for your pets and the rest of your family.
Our dog Luna enjoying the plush dog bed provided at a pet-friendly hotel.
Some well-known pet-friendly chains include:
- La Quinta
- Hotel Indigo
- Red Roof Inn
- Four Seasons
- Kimpton Hotels
- Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
These are just a few to consider, but there are certainly many more out there, sometimes it’s a boutique hotel, or cabins at a resort, there might be more options than you think. Do your research, plan your trip, and find a great pet-friendly hotel in the area of your choice.
Make sure to check out our travel and pet sections for more great articles and reviews!
Dana Rodriguez says
These are great tips. We are taking a trip this summer with a pet and I need to find a pet friendly hotel.
PATRICIA ROGGEMAN says
The pics of the pets sleeping were really cute. Loved them
Bonnie Lee says
Great tips! Even when I see a hotel is “pet friendly” I still call and ask specifics. Is there a place to walk my dog, what are the extra fees associated, etc.
Sheila Ressel says
Thanks so much for the list of pet friendly hotels. This will be a great reference when we travel with our fur babies.
Cassandra D says
Thank you for the tips for Finding A Pet-Friendly Hotel. I could really use these tips for road trips and traveling, as well.
Daniel Scott says
When we travel with pets we log on to https://www.gopetfriendly.com. This site is great for researching your destination.
Robin Abrams says
We usually do not go to many places Because I hate to leave our pup at home or with friends. Thank you for the tips how to find a pet friendly hotel. We will be using this this summer
Richard Hicks says
Good idea about confirming what you read on their website via phone!
Ally Gibson says
This is good advice! Whenever I travel with my beagle, Remington, we usually stay at LaQuinta Inn. They are all pet friendly and there is at least one in every major city. They are pretty nice too.
Linda Manns Linneman says
Our dog is such a big part of our family. We like to take her with us wherever we go. She does not like being left behind. Thank you so much for sharing this
Karley Moore says
Thanks for this information. I travel with my small dog quite often and finding pet friendly lodging can sometimes be hard.
Nidhi Chauhan says
These are all great tips. Love all the pics. thanks for sharing!
Cindy Merrill says
Red Roof Inn is my favorite- My husband, Myself and both our cats stayed there for three weeks while waiting to move into a home ( Milwaukee WI)
Mary M. says
I love the picture of the dog under the covers. It makes me smile, so I keep coming back to be happy. And I am not a dog person; I just loved seeing my cats like that. Keep it up. Funny.
Phyllis A Huebbe says
This is good information to know,didn’t know some of these things.
gloria patterson says
Love the picture of your little fellow, my niece’s dog looks just like your furbaby. Passing this information on to her they want to do traveling with their furbaby.
Jeffrey says
I have a friend who always travels with her dog. I will share this article with her.
Mary M. says
If a pet likes traveling, or has to, this is great. I’ve only taken my cat (she’s long ago deceased) on one trip. That was because there was no electricity within 100 mi. of us one Winter. We had to travel to keep from freezing. And I refused to go unless I took her with me. She would have frozen to death, as did all my flowers, if I had for the 5 days no one had power. I didn’t know, or care, if they took pets. I was giving no choice. Turned out they were fine with any well behaved pet, so I needn’t have worried. I really think most are okay as long as you have a well behaved pet and you take total care of them. That’s how it should be. Yah to all motels/hotels that allow our sweet pets, our family.
ellen beck says
I think more and more hoels are becoming pet friendly and I am gla of it. You may have an elderly dog or cat with special medical needs you cant leave at home, or they may be emotional or support animals. Nice list I will keep it in mind. Our dog is blind now and diabetic.
Jeffrey says
I have a friend who travels with pet that I will give this article to.
Irene Menge says
If I go on vacation with my son and grandchildren, we would have to take my son’s ferret. I wonder if there are any hotels that allow ferrets. I will have to do some research.
Calvin says
Really neat, I think this is allowed in some places, I have thought of travelling with my cat, but I never did, he gets scared and stuff. I think this would be for the pets that love travelling.
Karen Propes says
We have a long haired Doxie and he goes everywhere we go. I love that your precious furry family got a great welcome, that’s so neat. We have to check that hotel out next time we hit the road. It’s so hard to find good hotels, but we use La Quinta. They always have a little goodie bag for Buddy, which he loves because we get a snack and water and it makes him feel so special. We keep a bed for him in the car already, so we just take it up with us. The only thing that we have noticed is some people don’t pick up after their dogs and some of the hotels have mentioned that they may discontinue their program if it keeps happening. We understood at one place when there was limited grass around the hotel and I stepped in a little mess while walking our dog. For all, you lucky people that have furry family members, remind people if you see them not picking up after their dog, so others that take their animals won’t lose that privilege. Our dog is a rescue and we have to take our dog because of his nerves. and because of hotels that allow pets we actually get to take a vacation. But THANKS for the list, we have to try some of those out also.
Abigail Gibson says
If you are ever in the Sarasota, Florida area and need someone to watch your lovely chihuahua, I would gladly do so. You may never get him/her back though. Just a warning. We have a very good pet hotel just down the road, but my chihuahua goes where I go.
Danalee says
Thank you for these helpful tips. I love my dog and traveling with her.
Jennifer Barr says
Such a cute picture of your puppy in the bed.
wen budro says
Thank you for the informative post. I am so very glad that some hotels have become pet friendly. I hate having to leave my beloved pets at home.
kathy m says
I appreciate the list of hotels that you provided as well as the link to the travel site that helps find pet friendly accommodations! We don’t always know where we are going to land for the night when we travel (weather issues and such) so it is a big help that you provided brand name hotels where reservations can be made and we know the dogs are welcome!
Darren Scrubb says
Great to see there are Hotels that are kind to pets.
Leanne Davis says
I didn’t even know there were pet friendly hotels . Always get my mom to babysit the dog . Will have to look into it next time we go .
stacey says
I cant stay anywhere unless they are pet friendly
kelly tupick says
Great tips, it’s always important to make them feel as comfortable as possible being away from home. I love my fur babies and wouldn’t want them to be scared, i try to make trips as easy as possible for them.
Mia Rose says
I’ve noticed that there are more hotels lately that our pet friendly which is such a plus. How nice to have a nice plush doggy bed.
Amy Walker says
Great tips. I have never travelled any long distance with my beloved canine boys. I have a new cocker puppy that I plan to take with me. I just don’t believe I can leave him! I am saving this post for future adventures.
Christina Almond says
Thanks for sharing your tips! We have booked pet-friendly hotels a few times and always appreciated the option of it!
vickie couturier says
very interesting,,ill be traveling 1200 miles with my dog next month and this is sure good to know,,he travels well
Margaret S Porter says
Great tips. We always board our dogs and this last trip they all got sick. I was heartbroken. I want them with us. Thanks for the tips!
Julie Myles says
I would love to take my dogs on vacation. We boarded them once and I felt horrible about it. They are used to being with people all day not in a cage. I would definitely consider a pet-friendly hotel for our next vacation.
belinda bell says
love all the tips. We always travel with our fur baby
Letessha Williams says
Good thing our dog is quiet because we never seem to mention that we have a dog when staying in a hotel at night. So far so good. You do have great choices here. I’m sure to check them out next time we are needing a hotel with our pet.
Shea Balentine says
Thanks for the tips! We usually travel with 2 elderly dogs and it’s difficult finding places that will take both of them in. A lot of places will take one dog but not 2. Can be frustrating at times!
marlene a harris says
this would be wonderful love to travel and love my dogs. its hard to find a place so we stay home a lot thank you
Tina Reynolds says
Great tips we usually travel with two dogs and it can be a real challenge finding some where that will accept them,
DeAnna Keller says
That is so nice that alot more hotels are dog friendly. In my past experience, the dog friendly hotels would up their rates, which can be annoying. Glad there are more choices than there used to be for dog owners.