 Upscale pet accommodations at the Don CeSar. |
Such is the dog’s life — or the cat’s — on a Florida vacation at the Don CeSar Beach Resort at St. Pete Beach, one of many Florida hotels now catering to a growing number of four-legged tourists.
Americans spent $41 billion last year on everything from organic food to pet therapy and day care. No surprise that hotels are extending themselves to capture some of those dollars: One estimate is that 70% of pet owners travel with their companions.
About half of American accommodations accept pets, most commonly at budget accommodations, but at 40% of luxury properties too, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
Pets are not welcome at some of Florida’s grandest properties, such as The Breakers and the Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island, and at many others in all price ranges. But other hotels and resorts have either areas of the hotel where pets can stay in the room or offer kennels or other pet accommodations.
Pet lodgings, by the way, involve more than just dogs and cats. Walt Disney World’s five kennels are an ark of post-millennial diversity: Birds, ferrets, iguanas and even a pot-bellied pig that didn’t want to stay home alone.
 Disney doesn’t allow pets in its rooms, but it has five kennels. |
Disney doesn’t allow pets in its rooms, although they are allowed in parts of the Fort Wilderness campground. And soon Disney, home of Animal Kingdom, will have its own animal luxury resort. Best Friends Pet Care, which runs the Disney kennels and has doggy camps and kitty condos in 40 other locations around the country, is building a larger Disney facility where pets get their own nature walks and play groups.
The pet-pampering comes at a price. Smart hotels like the Don CeSar know that cleaning up after pet guests takes more than the usual effort from housekeeping and brings in special cleaning crews. (The Don charges $25 per visit plus fees for massages and other amenities and sets a 25-pound limit.)
At Disney, prices range from $10 per daytime visit for cats to $20 for overnight stays for dogs with a la carte charges for services such as medications, extra walks and “cuddle time.’’
Owners traveling with their pets need to anticipate more than cost — acceptable places among lush grounds and beaches to walk their charges, locations of nearby dog parks, veterinarians, dog walkers, day kennels, groomers and sidewalk cafes where pets can enjoy their day in the sun, too.
 Click It: Traveling pet owners
have formed and rely
on websites like Petswelcome.com to compare their options |