This week’s news includes an announcement of a partnership between Kimpton Hotels and Wag! to offer dog walking services at Kimpton’s US hotels. Last week Mars Petcare and Hilton Hotels announced that guests at many of Hilton’s hotels will be able to access virtual support for questions about traveling with pets. Traveling with pets has become commonplace: a recent survey conducted for Hilton found that 55% of pet owners with summer travel plans intend to travel with their pet. Another survey sponsored by Wag! found that 70% of pet owners say they almost always seek out pet-friendly hotels, and 94% would trade away at least one common amenity in exchange for more pet-friendly policies. According to Hilton, 85% of their hotels are pet-friendly, so they seem poised to capitalize on this trend.
I’ve never personally vacationed with my dog (or cat), but I know many who have. A good number of those chose to go the Vrbo/Airbnb route because those offerings tended to be more pet-friendly. Hotels seem to be determined to win some of that business back; time will tell if the new pet-centric offerings swing the momentum back their way.
Have a great Independence Day holiday, and be safe!
Lynn Fondon
English (United States) 
Portuguese