Are Pet Friendly Hotel Chains Safe?
Published October 26, 2011
Flickr User Greg Joseph Daily
Are pet friendly hotel chains really as safe as we think they are? A recent article raises questions about serious health concerns, including pet allergies, surrounding these hotels.
To be sure, I have always considered pet friendly motels and hotels a necessary and fabulous resource for people traveling with their furry family members. But a recent article I came across on the LA Times online has me wondering just how safe these pet friendly hotel chains actually are, especially for those who suffer from allergies.
Though it never would have crossed my mind in my wildest dreams, the article actually posed some thought provoking questions concerning health issues around these pet friendly hotels. Specifically, the article targeted the issue of animal allergies, which may actually affect some travelers booked into a room in which a pet had previously occupied, even if they're traveling without a pet.
While pet friendly hotel chains claim their rooms are cleaned thoroughly to remove pet dander and fur (some hotels charge an extra fee to cover the cost of this service), I wonder how careful some of the smaller facilities may be in providing the special cleaning which helps ensure the health and safety of non-pet owning occupants.
And setting pet allergies aside, what about other concerns, like if a former furry occupant happened to carry fleas or ticks? Does the hotel cleaning staff use a sufficient amount of appropriate, safe flea and tick insecticides to counter an unwanted infestation? I would sure hate to have our kitties carry home excess baggage which we certainly did not count on.
And in their overall guest policy, does the pet friendly hotel set rooms aside that are dedicated to canine and feline occupants, or are these rooms arbitrarily assigned?
To be sure, I still maintain the value of pet friendly hotels; there were times (including when Marty and I closed on our new home when we moved from New York to Florida) where we don't know what we would have done if pet friendly hotels were non-existent.
Even so, I cannot recommend strongly enough that these crucial questions about pet friendly hotels are asked prior to booking a reservation. Even though it does require a bit of research, as far as I am concerned it is always best to be safe rather than sorry.
I guess I have suggested some serious homework to folks considering staying at a pet friendly hotel, with or without furry companions.
What other concerns might you have about lodging with pet friendly hotel chains? Share them in a comment.
Shortly after retiring as a social worker and psychotherapist, I discovered my "writer's voice"…
News & Blogs
Leave a Comment
No account? Sign up here.
Your Privacy
Comments (7)
This article is ridiculous. There is no such thing as "appropriate, SAFE flea and tick insecticides." I'd take the slim possibility of a flea or two any day over the health damage that being in a room that has been sprayed with insecticides of any kind could cause for all life, humans and dogs. This is comparable to saying the bedbug epidemic which affects people is reason to never stay at a hotel, ever. Bedbugs are spread by people just like fleas catch rides on unhealthy dogs. A healthy, raw fed dog will not carry a flea infestation. Asking are pet friendly hotels safe is as pointless as asking if hotels are safe for people, pet friendly or not. Is walking outside your door and leaving your house when you could get mugged or hit by a care "safe?"
Regarding the small percentage of the population that is so allergic to pet dander that they will react to a room that has EVER had an animal in it, that percentage is like 5%. I'm sure any pet friendly motel can reserve a mere 5% of their rooms as completely pet free, for this 5% of the population.
Oh, I forgot to say that my husband and I routinely travel with our three dogs. We stay at one particular hotel and they have a "doggie" section. All the rooms in this particular wing are dog rooms. This way folks that don't want to be exposed to barking don't have to be. Though an aside here would be if you know that you have a chronic barker, leave him home! This hotel also has a charge of $10 per dog per night that is refundable at the end of your stay upon examination of the room to be sure there was no damage. We have stayed there so often over the years, that we are never billed for that anymore. We simply pay the nightly rate. :) Oh, and when traveling with your pets and you must leave them alone in the room for whatever reason, please make sure the front desk has your cell phone number in case something happens to your pet!
I agree here. What would possess someone with allergies to check in to a pet friendly hotel and then have the nerve to complain about allergies. As in all areas of life, I believe in purrsonal responsibility. That means if I am allergic to pets of any kind, I will not stay in a pet friendly hotel. If it is the only one available at the time, then I will have to take allergy medication. On the other hand, as a pet owner staying at a pet friendly hotel, I would make sure that my pets were protected with a flea/tick repellant/insecticide before I checked in since it oftentimes doesn't matter how well the room is cleaned. Fleas and ticks are resourceful and tough little buggies. I also make sure that I have my own food and water for my pets as well as copies of their medical records and vaccination/health certificates. I also make sure that my pets are securely crated when in the room alone so there are no issues about escapees when housekeeping comes to clean the room. Even though we live in an age where people sue over a hangnail and WIN, I still believe in my own purrsonal responsibility. Sometimes things just happen regardless of how well prepared you are.......
If the rooms are cleaned thoroughly each time they are used then it would be fine. My thought is that if a hotel or motel says "Pet Friendly" and you have allergies than that is not the place for that person to stay. When we stayed in Ohio, on our way home, we had my son's cat with us. We chose a "Pet Friendly" Hotel to stay at overnight. I was impressed that the clerk asked what kid of "Pet" and then asked us to wait a few minutes for the room to be ready. They offered us a free litter box set up if we needed it. The next moring as we checked out the morning clerk asked us to put a note on the hotel room door that stated a cat had stayed overnight so that the cleaning staff could properly clean the room.
With OTC and RX relief for "allergies", I'm not sorry to say I don't have a lot of patience with people who would check into a room in a hotel chain known to be animal-friendly and then gripe about it. If you don't want to be around animals, STAY HOME.
Plain and simple. If you are so concerned about pet friendly hotels, go to another one that isn't.
We are a small pet friendly hotel in Blackpool, UK and we pride ourselves in the lengths we go to in order to ensure that our rooms are thoroughly cleaned to remove any pet hairs etc. We also use flea/tick sprays on all furniture and carpets etc between visitors just to be on the safe side. I would suggest that any person who suffers from pet allergies should not make a reservation in a hotel which accepts pets. We are called The Chesterfield Pet Friendly Hotel and we make it absolutely clear to all our potential guests that pets are allowed in our guest rooms. Just as you would avoid a smoking room if you don't smoke, then you should avoid a pet friendly hotel if you are allergic to pets.