GETTING AWAY

Hotels for Dogs (and Cats)

Shortly after launching an all-new pet-friendly hotel-booking site, luxurypaw.com, Janine Franceschi hit the road with her two-year-old Irish Setter, Beau. I caught up with her at the Biltmore just after she arrived for the Phoenix leg of her four-month, 20-state promotional tour.

Q: Would you tell me about your site, luxurypaw.com?
A : We are the only website out there featuring a nice level of amenity [pet-friendly] properties. It needs to be four star or higher, also equivalent to four diamonds. And then, some are pet accepting and some are pet friendly and there’s a huge difference.

Q: Do you only list the pet friendly?
A : We list them all but, but you can tell by the way I enthuse in the comments section whether they just tolerated him [Beau] or they really made him feel special.

Q: What are a few pet-friendly standouts?
A : A lot of the large chains, Loews, Kimptons and Westins, have fantastic across-the-board  programs. They implement it in every hotel. When you book at a Kimpton, for example, you know you’re going to get the pet bed, food and water bowls, the toy and the treat.  Their in-room binder has pet-friendly things to do in the area. They’re really into having the pet there.

Q: Did any of the hotels have unique offerings?
A : A collar embroidered with his name was in his welcome basket at the Woodlands Resort and Spa in Summerville, South Carolina. The chef made him biscuits that spelled out his name. [At] the Fairmont Marimont in Santa Monica — in two inch tall sponges — [they spelled] “Welcome Beau” across the bathtub.

Q: What will we find in Arizona?
A : At the Arizona Biltmore, there’s a pet room service menu. Hidden Meadow Ranch  in

Greer was absolutely stunning. There were three pet-friendly cottages there, and they had a big dog run and a little doghouse at the end. I could just open the door and let him out. We’ll be at the W in Scottsdale. Then we’ll be at the FireSky Resort and Spa, which is a Kimpton hotel, so again we know what to expect.

— Lindsay DeChacco

Photo: istockphoto.com/Salih Guler

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If you go:
Here are some of Janine Franceschi’s recommendations for pet-friendly lodgings in Arizona.

FireSky Resort and Spa
4929 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale
480-945-7666; fireskyresort.com
Pet fees: None
Amenities: Welcome board with names of pets arriving that day, dog walking/sitting services, exercise area within walking distance, goldfish upon request, list of nearby veterinarians upon request, pooper scooper bag and walking map, in-room bowl for food and water, doggie bed

W Scottsdale
7277 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale
Pet fees: $25 above the daily room charge; non-refundable $100 cleaning fee
Amenities: Custom pet bed, pet toy, turndown treat, dog walking service, food and water bowls with floor mat, litter box, litter and scoop
480-970-2100; starwoodhotels.com/whotels

Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa
2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix
Pet fees: $100 ($50 refundable upon checkout)
Amenities: Pet profile noting special needs, treat, commemorative bowl and placemat, room-service menu, enclosed yards in select cottages, outside entrances, walking tours and room to run

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
7000 N. Resort Dr., Tucson
520-299-2020; loewshotels.com/ventanacanyon
Pet fees and restrictions: $25 cleaning fee; limit two pets per room
Amenities: Pet tag, bowl, special treat, dog and cat beds (different sizes), leashes and collars (different sizes), rawhide bones, catnip, scratch pole, litter boxes and litter, pooper scoopers and detailed brochure with information on hotel pet services such as Loews Loves Pets room service menu, local dog walking routes and area pet services including veterinarians, pet shops and groomers.

Hidden Meadow Ranch
620 County Road 1325, Greer
928-333-1000; hiddenmeadow.com
Pet fees and restrictions: $20 per night ($30 for horses); limited number of pet-friendly cabins and guest stalls
Pet amenities: Dog run, food and water dishes, fleece sleeping mats. Guest horses are housed in box stalls in the Outfitter Barn. Alfalfa hay is provided twice per day along with turnout time in the pasture. The stalls are bedded with shavings or straw, cleaned twice per day, and have automatic waterers.