Since the pandemic began in 2020, travelers are spending more vacation time domestically and less time traveling abroad. As a result, travelers are also choosing to take their pets with them on vacation. Unfortunately, this has caused strife for many travelers unaware that not every hotel accepts pets. Travels should do some prep work before jumping in the car for that road trip as this can help avoid headaches and make for a more relaxing and enjoyable vacation.
What Travels Need to Know When Staying at Hotels With Pets
Anyone who owns a dog is familiar with this dilemma: what to do with your pet when you travel. Typical options include:
- Bring your pet with you
- Find someone to house sit and care for your pet at home
- Drop your pet off with a caretaker such as a kennel or friend to look after your pet.
Anyone traveling with pets and staying at hotel need to find out if pets are allowed and, if so, what fees does the hotel charge?
Are Pets Allowed? As a pet owner myself, I would much rather travel with my pet than have them stay at home or somewhere else. Travelers who choose to travel with their pet need to be aware that not all accommodations that allow pets. In fact, less than half of hotels in the United States and Canada allow pets. Most hotels actually do not allow pets. Further, there is a limit to the number of rooms within a hotel that allow pets. A hotel guest cannot just show up to their hotel and ask for a pet-friendly room as they may be full. It is always best to contact the hotel as early as possible to inform them you will be traveling with your pet and to secure a pet-friendly room.
How much does it cost? Just because a hotel allows pets, does not mean pets stay free. Pet fees can exorbitant and add up quickly. Fees can rang from free to over $100 per night. According to CanMyPetStay.com, the average fee charged by hotels is around $30 to $40 per night. While some hotels charge a nightly rate, others charge a flat fee of around $80 to $100 per stay. A one-week hotel stay can end up costing an additional several hundred dollar to have your pet stay with you in your hotel room. While some hotels allow pets to stay for free, the vast majority do not.
Introducing CanMyPetStay.com
CanMyPetStay.com is a new website created to help travelers with pets find pet-friendly hotels. Let’s say you’re traveling to San Francisco for a weekend get-away and want to find a hotel that allows pets. Most travel websites do not allow you to filter by hotels that allow pets, forcing travelers to choose a hotel they have their heart set on only to discover the hotel does not allow pets. CanMyPetStay publishes pet policy information for hotels throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The website only lists pet-friendly hotels that allow pets, with some exceptions (smaller cities and towns that do not offer many hotels that allow pets) making it easy to find pet-friendly hotels.
The website also publishes additional information travelers need to know. The publish hotel pet policy details for over 10,000 hotels including:
- The cost for having pets stay in your hotel room: If you are on a budget, look for hotels that allow pets to stay for free. There aren’t many. Only about 5% of hotels allow pets to stay for free. This works out to around 10% of hotels that allow pets.
- The maximum number of pets allowed per room: Some hotels have restrictions regarding the number, type of pets allowed (e.g., dogs or cats), and weight restrictions. For instance, a particular hotel may only allow 2 pets per room or only permit dogs up to a certain weight limit.
- Inclusions: Some hotels offer room inclusions such as water and food bowls, treats and other pet amenities.
- Other rules and restrictions: Hotels have various rules and restrictions that all hotel guests should be aware of. For instance, pets are usually not allowed to remain in rooms unattended.
The website is not an online travel agent and does not facilitate hotel reservation transactions. It simply provides hotel information for travelers with pets.
Final Considerations When Traveling with Pets
Since the trend to more domestic travel and road trips in recent years, more and more travelers are bring their pets on vacation with them. For those staying in hotels during their vacation, use these tips to avoid costly pitfalls and mistakes.
- Travelers should be aware that not all hotels allow pets. In fact, fewer than half of the hotels in the United States actually allow pets.
- Hotels that do allow pets usually charge an additional fee on top of the nightly hotel rate. This fee averages around $30 to $40 per night or around $80 to $100 per stay. Very few hotels allow pets to stay for free.
- In addition to fees, hotels have pet policies that define rules, restrictions and provisions such as the number and type of pets allowed.
- Just because you booked a hotel that allows pets, it does not mean the hotel will have a pet-friendly room when you arrive. Check with the hotel at the time of booking to ensure they will have a pet-friendly room upon arrival that meets your needs.
- Conduct advanced research on sites like CanMyPetStay to learn more about hotel pet policies, costs, and even find hotels that allow pets to stay free of charge.
Travelers who do advanced research to find pet-friendly hotels and understand their hotel’s pet policy before their trip will help them have a more enjoyable vacation and avoid costly fees or disappointment at check-in.