Best Hotels While Traveling With a Service Dog
Can my service dog stay in a hotel with me? This is a common question that pet owners ask. While many hotels allow pets to stay with you, there are some that do not. Knowing which hotels allow your service dog to stay with you is important to help plan your travel itinerary.
Service dogs can belong to any breed, be they French dog breeds, Kelpie Cross Labrador, or the traditional Labrador Retriever. Check out the top 14 best service dog breeds according to Hepper.
Here we've listed some of the best hotels that you and your service dog can stay in.
Marriott International
Are service dogs allowed in Marriott hotels? Absolutely. Marriott allows all types of service animals as it complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Moreover, the hotel group does not charge a fee for the pets to stay with you. However, charges may be levied if your dog soils or damages something in the hotel. Since most service dogs are disciplined, they will hardly do so. So you likely do not need to worry about that.
ALSO READ: Hotel Bedding: Tips for Choosing Hotel Linen
W Hotel
Can my service dog stay in a hotel with me? If that's your question, W Hotels welcome pets under its Pets are Welcome or PAW hospitality program. The program treats the dogs with many items, such as beds, toys, food mats, cleanup bags, and ID tags. The hotel charges a fee of $25 per day for each pet. There is also a non-refundable one-time cleanup fee of $100 for each stay.
IHG Hotels and Resorts
IHG has a host of select hotels that are pet-friendly. The group has hotels in Atlanta, New York, San Diego, and Chicago that allow pets to stay with you. The hotel group has an international presence in countries like Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, Pacific Islands, UAE, and the UK where it has pet-friendly hotels.
Loews
Through its Loews Loves Pets program, the hotel chain offers exotic treatments of service dogs and other pets. The program includes offering bowls, pet mats, litter boxes, toys, and other pet amenities right at check-in.
The Loews Hotel chain provides “pet in” tags, gourmet room service menus for the dogs, and creature comforts, such as plush beds, exotic toys, litter boxes, and pet placemats to name a few.
Loews also offers dog-walking route maps, dog pick-up bags, and connections to the best pet-walking and sitting service providers in the cities it has hotels in.
Best Western
Best Western hotels allow service dogs in its more than 1,600 hotels across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. Some of the hotels allow service dogs up to a size of 80 lbs. There may be a charge of $30 for each room, with one or more animals. The maximum charge per week is however $150 per room.
Although most of the Best Western hotels allow service dogs, it is a wise idea to talk directly with the management of the hotels if you want to stay with your service dog. There are different capacities for different types of animals in the group’s hotels in different cities.
La Quinta
La Quinta allows up to two dogs weighing 50 lbs. or lower per room in many of its hotels.
La Quinta is a good choice for service dog owners as there is no fee for the dogs.
The hotels require the owners to stay with dogs during the stay or keep it in crates when they are not around.
Red Roof Inn
Red Roof Inn allows pets and there may be a maximum of one service dog per room. The hotel does not charge a fee, but the dog should not be left unattended. Moreover, when the dog is outside the room, it should be on a leash or in a kennel. The hotel chain expects the dogs to be well-behaved too.
ALSO READ: Where to Stay on The Big Island: The New Westin Hapuna Beach Resort
Frequently Asked Questions
Can hotels ask for service dog proof?
According to ADA, the hotel staff cannot ask about your disability or your dog’s registration when you stay in a hotel. It is a good idea to call the manager if a staff member asks for your service dog’s proof. These restrictions are in place for all dogs, including the french dog breeds.
Do vacation rentals have to allow service dogs?
A vacation rental cannot deny the entry of service dogs even if it follows a “no pets” policy. A service dog is a working animal, not a pet. So even if a rental has a no-pets policy active, it cannot deny a person with disabilities with a service dog.
What can a hotel ask about a service dog?
Can you ask for proof of a service dog? Well, if it is not clear from its appearance that it is a service dog, the hotel can ask you if the dog is indeed a service animal whose assistance you need for your disability. They can also ask you for details on the tasks the dog can assist you with.
So if you're disabled, there is no need to ask, "Can my service dog stay in a hotel with me?"
What are the warnings about service dogs according to ADA?
According to ADA, a dog must be active in helping a person to be called a service dog. Such help may include but is not limited to helping a disabled person get on a wheelchair, alerting in case of seizures and for medications, pulling the disabled person safely, and doing other services for the wellbeing of its disabled owner.
Conclusion
Service dogs are excellent helpers irrespective of whether their owner is disabled or not. Service dogs can be of great help when you travel. No hotel can deny your stay with the service dog according to law. So, if you are disabled, you no longer need to ask the question, can my service dog stay in a hotel with me? It 100% can!