We have been on the road again. This time we wanted to try to travel with our Golden Retriever, Seamus. Finding pet friendly accommodations takes some planning and when that furry friend is 100 pounds it becomes even more complicated. Several hotels advertise as pet friendly but they limit their friendliness by weight - usually about 50 pounds. Now, I would pretend he was only, say, 80 pounds; but 50 - couldn't pull that one off. And often there is an added pet fee, sometimes for each night.
When I see people vacationing with their pets I often ask where they stay and a frequent response has been, "La Quinta".
I want to give a "shout out" to this great hotel chain for their embracing attitude towards pets. (This is totally unsolicited - just sharing good news about a great business.) If you think a hotel with a liberal pet policy would be dirty, smelly or "hairy"....not this one! We stayed at three La Quinta locations. All of them had clean, large rooms, comfortable beds and complimentary breakfast bar and a lower rate than the hotel chain we usually frequent. There is no additional pet fee at all and pets are not only tolerated, but truly welcomed. At one location we were asked, "Will you be accompanying your pet today?" They know who is the important member of the family! The only restriction on Seamus was that he could not be in any food service area - an understandable limitation and one that is set by health codes. But, if you are traveling alone with your pet, staff will help you prepare a breakfast and carry it to your room to enjoy or you are welcomed to sit in the lobby and eat with your pet. In the three nights we stayed with La Quinta we never heard barking or saw any pet related problems. Cats are also welcomed. They must BYOLB (bring your own litter box).
At our first stop we signed a paper saying we were responsible for any damage and that paper was stored in the hotel system eliminating the need to resign at subsequent stops. We joined the loyalty program. After about five paid nights you are rewarded with a free night.
So, it was a very successful experience. Seamus loved his time in the sun (we traveled to Florida) and even seemed to benefit health wise from the warmer weather. His limp is less and his walking pace has improved. Looks like we will be accompanying him on more travels!
When I see people vacationing with their pets I often ask where they stay and a frequent response has been, "La Quinta".
At our first stop we signed a paper saying we were responsible for any damage and that paper was stored in the hotel system eliminating the need to resign at subsequent stops. We joined the loyalty program. After about five paid nights you are rewarded with a free night.
So, it was a very successful experience. Seamus loved his time in the sun (we traveled to Florida) and even seemed to benefit health wise from the warmer weather. His limp is less and his walking pace has improved. Looks like we will be accompanying him on more travels!
This is really great new to read, Nina. We don't travel very often but when we do and we don't want to put Hannah in a kennel or ask a friend to come sit, I'll know which hotel we can use. I appreciate the review. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe find that the more expensive the hotel, the more dog friendly they are here in the UK. Again, they're not allowed in the restaurants but staff have always been so friendly and welcoming to Ruby.
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