I WAS IN SAN FRANCISCO, checking in to the Hotel Monaco, and the attendant behind the counter started barking at me. But it’s not what you think. She wasn’t being surly, she was just being … a dog. The barking from behind the counter was coming from Lucy, a feisty black pug who serves as one of the Hotel Monaco’s pet ambassadors. The other is a lovable golden retriever named Oliver, who holds the official title director of pet relations. Lucy and Oliver are staffers’ pets who spend several days each week greeting guests at the Monaco’s front desk (or napping on their comfy beds just behind it). Oliver particularly enjoys mingling with visitors at the hotel’s daily wine hour, where he can be found wrangling for belly rubs or sharing his thoughts on the best pet-friendly places around town.
These four-legged pals are just part of what make San Francisco’s Hotel Monaco, along with the rest of the Kimpton hotel family, one of the most pet-friendly chains around. Each Kimpton property welcomes guests’ furry friends, no matter the size or shape, at no extra charge, and offers a variety of special packages to pamper your pet with unique amenities like chew toys, cat scratching posts, and gourmet treats, as well as services like dog walking and pet massages.
The largest boutique hotel company in the U.S., Kimpton is smartly targeting the U.S. pet owners who spend an astonishing $45.4 billion on their animals each year. “We have always respected the emotional connection between pets and their human companions and know that taking your pet with you on the road can create a more memorable travel experience,” Steve Pinetti, Kimpton’s senior VP of sales and marketing, professed by way of explanation. “Our creative packages and complimentary amenities add value to each guest’s stay and ultimately set the stage for stress-free pet travel.”
At the Hotel Allegro in Chicago, for example, guests checking in with their canine companions receive a pet bed, food and water bowls, plus a “sWAG bag” that includes water, snacks, and a keepsake leash. The Hotel Marlowe outside Boston provides a basket of gourmet pet treats and cozy fleece blanket.
Didn’t bring your own pet? At about half of the Kimpton properties, including the Hotel Monaco in Union Square where I stayed, you can borrow a goldfish for the duration of your stay through the Guppy Love program. Hotel staffers are responsible for the feeding and care of the animal, but you get the fun of sleeping with the fishes.
Sadly, Kimpton no longer owns or manages any properties in Atlanta, but they have almost 50 locations in major cities across the U.S; see www.kimptonhotels.com for details. For a pet-friendly lodging in the Atlanta area, consider the Hotel Indigo (www.hotelindigo.com).
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