Yes, now there’s room at the inn – or shall we say, fine hotels – for four-legged guests who were turned away by big hotel establishments up until Starwood came to the rescue.
Fact is, Starwood is rolling out the red carpet for its canine guests. And serving them hand and foot – make that paw – in all its properties worldwide that include Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W, St. Regis and The Luxury Collection.
For starters, Starwood has introduced such comfortable beds that even dog owners would roll over in delight to see. These are custom-designed oversized pet pillows by Eloise Pet Accessories, whose loyal clientele includes celebrity dog lovers like Deborah Messing, Daryl Hannah and Dyan Carol. Each Starwood property worked with Eloise to come up with dog beds that complement the hotel’s human beds and guestroom design. Two-legged guests will find Westin’s dog bed, with its miniature Heavenly Bed duvet, simply divine. W’s dog bed has a stylish and colorful checkerboard pattern while Sheraton’s is in classic, all-American red and blue design. Such posh pooch beds!
When owners check in with their dogs (or is it the other way around?), they’re given a travel tip card and a temporary ID tag with hotel contact information (for the pooch, dear, not for the owner). The travel tip card is given to guests traveling with their dogs by the hotel in partnership with The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Some Westin hotels offer dog amenities like plush doggie robes, leashes and collars. Awaiting dog guests at W hotels is a pet check-in package that includes a pet toy, dog treat and bone, plus a special turndown treat on the dog bed.
Of course, there are always food and water bowls to welcome hungry pooches. Not just ordinary dog food; think gourmet dog food and frozen pup pops and a W mocktail served at the doggy bar.
Probably the ultimate in pet pampering is offered by five W hotels in New York City, where canine guests can avail themselves of in-room doggie massages by a licensed dog massage therapist. This is especially good for dogs who travel by planes in small crates. It’s so good especially after a dogday afternoon.
Says Barry Sternlicht, Starwood chairman/CEO and proud owner of a Jack Russell Terrier named Comet and a Black Labrador named Potter: "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 believe that like dogs, dog owners tend to be very loyal, and will reward a company that loves dogs, too."
In the Philippines, Westin Plaza has played gracious host to canine guests with prior arrangements, according to Rica Baello of Westin public relations office.
Love me, love my dog. According to a study of 400 dog owners commissioned by Starwood and done by Lieberman Research Worldwide, 76 percent said they would be more loyal to a hotel chain that accepted dogs – even if they were not traveling with their dogs. Eighty-two percent of the respondents said they did not believe upscale hotels would accept dogs while 48 percent said that it they did, it was reluctantly. And 16 percent admitted to smuggling their dog into hotels that banned dogs.
In the Starwood study titled "Dogs and Travel: An Attitudinal Study of Dog Owners," 43 percent of dog owners surveyed said their dog seems sad when they travel; 23 percent said their pooch gets mad at them when they leave; and 43 percent feel guilty leaving their dog behind. (Our guess is that some husbands would rather leave their wives behind.) Nearly all (94 percent) said they phone home to ask how their dog is doing (some 26 percent actually talk to their dog on the phone) while nearly half miss their dog when they’re away.
The feeling is probably mutual. Eighty-seven percent of the dog owners included in the study said their dog is the first one who greets them when they return from a trip, even before their kids and spouse – 78 percent said their dog is more excited to see them than their spouse (6 percent) or kids (5 percent). Sixty-five percent said they have brought home a gift for their dog.
Starwood believes it’s only right to reward such love and loyalty from this four-legged member of the family, which is why it’s doggedly pursuing its Love that Dog program.
Well, it’s about time, what with 62 million dog owners in the US and 29 million who hit the road with their dogs in tow, according to the Travel Industry Association of America which recently hosted the annual International Pow Wow in Los Angeles, California. That’s Pow Wow, not bowwow. Dog owners are a niche that’s underserved by the travel industry. Upscale hotel chains have varied pet policies – some accept dogs, others don’t. Starwood is changing some hotels’ dogmatic anti-dog policy. Certainly, it believes in giving only the best to man’s best friend.