How to Find a Pet-Friendly Hotel that Your Dog Will Love!

Heading on vacation with your pet can be great fun and it’s becoming an easier process to plan for. With rental homes and cottages allowing dogs and other animals, a huge number of hotels have begun welcoming pets recently.

Nonetheless, when thinking about where to stay with your furry friends, you need to look for certain criteria in your accommodation.

Here are our best tips on how to find a pet-friendly hotel.

One thing to look out for when booking your home-away-from-home is the details of their pet-friendly policy. The property may have once been pet-friendly but some restrictions or new management may have changed the specifications.

If the property website states that they accept dogs then great, but it’s always best to be safe and call the manager to confirm you will be bringing your pooch.

Better to check in advance before you leave than find out your pal isn’t allowed to stay on arrival.

Once you have confirmed pets are welcome at your accommodation, it's a good idea to ask about the pet-friendly rules too. The property will likely have a policy about how many pets each guest can bring, or about the size and weight of the animals allowed.

Some hotels may also impose rules about leaving pets unattended in a room whilst you go off and explore, or may even ask you to leave a deposit in case your pet damages anything inside the hotel.

Ask all questions that pertain to your pet's needs -- even if they seem silly and completely random, it’s best to set the boundaries and rules between you and the place before you arrive.

You'll find these questions ultimately give you the freedom and flexibility to choose another accommodation option if you don’t agree or feel comfortable with the pet-friendly rules.

There may not be specific information about pet-friendly rooms on a property's website but there are a few things you can look out for yourself when booking your vacation accommodation.

See if the room has air-conditioning or at least windows that can be opened and locked to give your pet some fresh air. You may also want to see if you can book a room with a balcony or an outside area where you can let your companion run around.

It's also a good idea to think twice about booking a smaller room, especially if you have a large animal -- if you know they're going to be alone inside for a few hours, it's advised to reserve a larger room.

If your pooch is being packed for your vacation, scout out the dog-friendly facilities within or close to the property.

If you’re planning on exploring without your pet during the day, research if a doggie daycare or a grooming salon is available where you can leave your dog.

It's also best to check if the swimming pool areas or the local beaches allow dogs to be on the premises. If these spaces are dog-friendly, ask in advance if your extra group member needs to be on a leash.

Additionally, suss out the surrounding areas and parks to know what their rules and regulations are about walking dogs. Some places are much stricter about animal control, so avoid any surprises on arrival and ask in advance.

Of course, we hope you and your pet have a trouble-free vacation but it's always good to be prepared in case of an emergency. If there's a problem with your pet whilst away, be sure to have access to the closest Emergency Vet Clinic.

If the clinic is more than an hour drive away from your destination, consider choosing somewhere closer to health amenities for your pet -- you'll be grateful you did your research beforehand if anything suddenly happens

About the Author: Sage Fitzpatrick is a travel blogger currently living in London. She can be found drinking tea, reading and traveling the world. When she’s not traveling she spends her time blogging about her travels over at A Virtual Postcard.

We want to hear from you! Let us know in the comments below, if you have any tips to add to the list of how to find a pet-friendly hotel 🙂