Hotel Options When Traveling With a Pet

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While traveling at every break we get from school, we try to mix in some trips to take our pets! We have two dogs and a cat, and all three of them look forward to beach excursions. Although it is more difficult to find places that will accept our cat, we have found some ways to include her in the traveling.

The list of hotel brands below is in no way meant to be all-encompassing as we are only sharing brands where we have actually stayed. Sadly, many hotel programs act like they want your pet to be included, but you find out upon arrival that they see it as more of a hassle.

Of all the places we have stayed, Aloft seems to be the happiest to have you bring the pet. And when I say they seem happy, I mean it. In our two separate stays with pets at Aloft Nashville Cool Springs, TN, the hotel staff wants to meet the dogs, hear about what they like, and then the dogs are provided with goodie bags! This is on top of what they call the ARF program.

Pet Fee and Restrictions

Aloft hotels do not have a pet fee! Although all you will need to check with your specific Aloft property for all the restrictions, the general restrictions we have found are as follows:

-One dog allowed under 40 pounds

-There are no rooms set aside only for pets (this is a big deal because sometimes hotels set aside pet rooms that are nasty and old)

-If you want to bring two dogs or if your dog is over 40 pounds, just call the hotel beforehand. You can also get approved by calling if you want to bring an animal other than a dog.

Extras for Your Pet

Contents of the ARF goodie bag

The ARF program at Aloft hotels provides goodie bags as I mentioned previously, as well as the following items:

-dog bed

-dog blanket

-toys, treats, poop bags

-bowls for water/food

During both of our stays at Aloft Nashville Cool Springs, TN with our pets, the dogs thought they were royalty. They could not wait to open the goodie bag to see what they were getting as if it was Christmas!Dog beds at Aloft Listening for Housekeeping to knock again

Hotel Loyalty Program

Aloft Hotels are part of the Starwood Preferred Guest program, which has been bought by Marriott. That means you can accrue SPG points or Marriott points when staying at Aloft properties. If you are interested in joining either of these programs for free, follow these links for a referral bonus–Starwood—Marriott.

If you are going to stay at an SPG or Marriott property, PLEASE join the loyalty program in order to accrue points. If you want a huge boost in points, I recommend signing up for the Starwood Preferred Guest Card with American Express and the Marriott Rewards Visa. You can get tons of points by getting those sign up bonuses, and you can read more about using credit cards for free hotel stays by reading this post.Park Vista Doubletree by Hilton. Photo by Hilton

Not all Doubletree hotels are pet friendly, but when one is pet friendly, you will find it tends to be a very good option. You can find all Doubletree pet friendly hotels here. One of our favorite hotels where we stay at least once a year is the Park Vista Doubletree hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 

Pet Fee and Restrictions

Park Vista has a $25 one time pet fee according to their website, and according to their front desk, there are no size restrictions. They also do not limit the rooms as “pet only” rooms. That means you could stay on the 15th floor with stunning views of the surrounding mountains with your dog!

*We have stayed at the Park Vista many times, but only in the fall of 2017 did they become pet friendly. Although we haven’t brought our dogs yet, my parents did bring their dog on an anniversary trip, and as you can see below, she thought she was a princess at this beautiful hotel!Laying on blankets at Park Vista Doubletree Staring out the glass elevator

Hotel Loyalty Program

Doubletree hotels are part of the Hilton Honors program. If you are going to stay at any Hilton hotel, PLEASE sign up for their loyalty program for free.

If you want to rack up some Hilton Honors points quickly, consider signing up for the Hilton Credit Cards. Read more about each of them by clicking the links below:

Hilton no fee Credit Card through American Express

Hilton Honors Surpass Card through American ExpressPhoto by La Quinta

La Quinta hotels have long been known to be a very pet friendly chain. La Quinta hotels are always clean and are found across the U.S., and they are great for one-night stays to break up a long drive, especially when driving with pets!

Pet Fee and Restrictions

There is no pet fee at La Quinta hotels. There is a 2 pet limit per room, and they only allow dogs and cats. They have put together an extensive list of pet rules on their website, which can be found here.

Hotel Loyalty Program

Rewards can be earned through the La Quinta Returns hotel program. If you are going to stay at a La Quinta hotel, PLEASE sign up to join their reward program for free!

If you can’t find a hotel that is pet friendly where you want to go, or if the pet fees are just ridiculously high, then you definitely need to look for an Airbnb. The pet fee and Restrictions vary WIDELY based on the owner preferences, but we have had only positive experiences when staying with our pets. We have found that if Airbnb owners allow pets, they are likely pet lovers themselves! Use this referral link for bonus money if you are interested in creating an account with Airbnb.

One place that we visit every year and take our pets is St. Augustine Beach in Florida. We stay through Airbnb and split the cost with family, and the host where we stay is incredible! I encourage you to look at properties owned by Laurie through this website. She has several rentals in North Carolina and St. Augustine, and she has been great to us and the animals!Walking around on the grassy beach

Although we sometimes wish more options existed for traveling with pets, we have found several good options that are also affordable. Traveling with pets at times can be expensive, but joining loyalty programs can save a bunch of money!

Please share this article with friends so that we can frequent the places that want us to visit with our pets!

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