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Dogs Welcome: Dog Friendly Hotel Accommodations
By Bark n Bath

If you are one of the 29 million dog owners who like to travel with your pet, you will be happy to know that many fine hotels will now welcome you and your pooch with open arms and luxurious services.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. recently announced that all of their

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Sheraton, Westin and W hotels in the US and Canada will now welcome dogs. Dogs lucky enough to stay here can make use of custom dog beds, robes, toys and canine massages! In an article from Hospitality News Resource, Starwood’s CEO Barry Sternlicht stated that, “[We] intend to become the most dog-friendly hotel company in the land, and not just allow dogs to stay, but actually pamper and spoil them.” We like the sound of that! This trend is not limited to the US and Canada. The Travel Channel online reports that the four-star Trianon Palace Hotel in Versailles offers assorted dog toiletries and room-service treats, and they have also laid out an excercise track outside for leisure time. The Hotel de Crillon in Paris offers an id tag with the hotel address on it for the duration of the dog's stay, a bone with flouride, and bottled mineral water just for your pooch.

We tracked down a couple of spots in the northwest where your dog can enjoy the good life. The world's going to the dogs and we couldn't be happier about it!

If you are in the Seattle area, you could check in to the Hotel Monaco- A richly appointed ‘boutique’ hotel, it offers many extras for your pooch, including dog raincoats, homemade treats and sitting services.

Also in Seattle, the Alexis Hotel offers a Deluxe Doggie Upgrade package that includes distilled water, twice daily walks, in room ‘yappetizers’ and hourly sessions with an animal psychologist.

Kris Abbott, owner of the northwest based Abbott Tours was not surprised by these policies. She commented that, "Both [the Alexis and Monaco] cater to clients who are accustomed to the superlative." Naturally, the client's dogs are probably accustomed to being indulged as well!

If you need a room just for your dog, consider a cage-free care option. Dog day care centers are becoming more and more popular, allowing social dogs to interact with a pack and play all day while you are at work or sightseeing. Dogs have often have several play areas, toys, and people to keep them stimulated. Some dog day care centers, like Tails-a-wagging in Bellingham, Washington even have live web cams so you can keep an eye on your kid remotely! When your tired dog comes home at night, he should be happy and well behaved!

Many boarders, like Strandell Farms in Washington State, now offer cage free ovenight lodging for your dog if you need her watched for a longer time. At Strandell, dogs can roam six supervised acres of land during the day and a four bedroom house at night while being pampered with personalized services. Hmmm...I wonder if they allow humans, too?

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© Bark n Bath. Reprinted by permission only.

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Dogs Welcome: Dog Friendly Hotel Accommodations
If you are one of the 29 million dog owners who like to travel with your pet, you will be happy to know that many fine hotels will now welcome you and your pooch with open arms and luxurious services. We tracked down a couple of spots in the northwest where your dog can enjoy the good life. The world's going to the dogs and we couldn't be happier about it!

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