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There’s a great scene in the recent excellent debut of
FX’s original series “Fargo.” Billy Bob Thornton’s character Lorne Malvo tries
to check into a local motel in the show’s fictional setting of Bemidji, Minn.,
and is amused by the run down property’s Pet Policy — pets are allowed but it
is $10 dollars more for a dog or a cat.
"What if I got a
fish? Or what if I kept spiders or mice? What if I had bacteria?” Lorne
asks, not sure that the motel’s Pet Policy of $10 more should be standard; it
should depend on the animal.
While Lorne’s confusion on what constitutes a pet and the
motel’s lack of established policy, and what actually constitutes a pet for
that matter, is a bit silly. A good word to the wise — amateur entomologists
should keep their bugs at home!
All kidding aside, it does illustrate a good example for
hotel-bound pet enthusiasts — if you are traveling with a furry friend make
sure to do your homework and figure out what options hotels have for you. Pet
policies vary widely from dogs only, with no special pet services, to allowing
a variety of animals complete with available pet beds, food bowls and even
treats from the kitchen.
Here is what we say at The Daniel:
We love animals!
But, despite our unconditional love for pets, we are aware that many of our
guests don’t share our love. Therefore, we do have a limited policy regarding
your furry family members.
Pets are limited to
dogs and cats. No other animals of any kind are permissible. We do have
designated rooms that allow for pets, so you must inform us at the time of
booking, as these rooms are subject to availability.
We require guests
to sign a damage/pet waiver and make a $100 deposit, which will be returned
after checkout if no damage occurs.
As the comfort and
safety of our guests is of the utmost importance, pets must not bark or be
aggressive; they must be trained and housebroken. Pets are not allowed in the
spa, fitness or dining areas. Owners must not leave their pet unattended or
leave the premises without their pet, unless prior approval has been made. Any
pet or owners violating this policy will be asked to leave the hotel.
An AAA study found that 51 percent of American travelers would bring pets along on
every vacation if they could, illustrating the demand for pet-friendly hotels.
The perhaps obvious number one concern for those wishing
to travel with pets is actually finding pet-friendly accommodations. According
to AAA, some of the things that matter the most include: finding places that
accept pets (95 percent), learning about pet policies such as size limits and
fees (49 percent) and getting details about available pet services (22
percent).
“Traveling with Your Pet: The AAA PetBook”
offers some other useful tips.
It is great when hotels, such as The Daniel, have such a
clear Pet Policy, but not all do and sometimes it can be difficult to find out.
Increasingly, pet lovers are turning to pet-friendly
websites and social media to find pet-friendly hotels, even more so than
traditional visitors bureaus, newspaper travel sections, magazines and
guidebooks.
Pet Hotels of America
is one of the best websites to check out. The site hawks 25,000 pet-friendly
hotels in the United States through a specific search engine and pet travel
guides for popular U.S. travel destinations.
If anything, websites such as Pet Hotels of America can
be a real help in highlighting what travelers need to consider when bringing
along a pet.
The Daniel offers up a few more local travel tips to keep
your pets happy:
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Nearby grassy areas
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Neighborhood dog parks or pet friendly parks
·
Groomers or pet day care
·
Local veterinarian
