For most people the phrase “pet travel” conjures an image of celebrities with tiny, primped dogs swathed in all the latest fashions, ordering room service while lounging in decadent, luxury hotels. But luckily, many budget motel lines, family bed and breakfasts, and even occasional hostels are catching on to the pet lifestyle way of traveling – not only for e A-list celebrities, but for everyday pet parents, too!
You can search for your purr-fect spot at numerous pet-friendly accommodations websites before your trip. Or, if you’ve got your heart set on one place in particular, call in advance to ask about pet options. Most managers I called for this article were happy to negotiate pet accommodations, even if they didn’t list them outright in advertisements.
To give you a taste of what’s out there, here are a few options that are pet-friendly and budget friendly too!
Our most upscale option is for the tasteful traveler who wants gorgeous digs at an affordable price. The warm and charming El Paradero Inn of Santa Fe, New Mexico (www.elparadero.com) offers dog-friendly rooms starting at $115 a night.
Next up, for readers headed to the Pacific Northwest, a safe bet in Portland, Oregon is the Best Western Inn at the Meadows (www.bestwestern.com). Not every Best Western Inn is pet friendly, but many are. Call in advance to check at your destination. Portland’s inn offers rooms starting at $77 a night, plus a $20 charge per pet per night.
If you’re headed to New England, be sure to look up The Chestnut Inn Bed and Breakfast (www.newportchestnutinn.com). Family owned and operated in Newport Rhode Island, this homey inn offers rooms which, depending on season, cost as little as $75 a night, with no additional charge for pets.
They say Virginia is for lovers, and thanks to the retro-themed charm of the Neptune Vacation Suite Apartments in Onancock (www.spessneblett.com), it’s now for pet lovers too. This all-suite hotel runs partly on newly installed wind and solar power and offers pet sitting services. With rooms starting at $60 per night depending on the length of stay, this green hotel is a steal.
Finally, for clean, comfortable, pet friendly rooms, you can visit any Red Roof Inn across the nation (www.redroofinn.com). The Red Roof Inn accepts any animal, regardless of size (barring state ordinances against them) and offers rooms starting at $39.99 with no additional charge for pets.
As you can see, it doesn’t take much effort to sniff out fur-friendly finds for affordable accommodation. These days, when every penny counts, it’s good to know that traveling with your pet doesn’t have to be ruff on your comfort or your wallet.
by Max Goodman
Photo Credits: 1. Paul Eliott of El Paradero Bed and Breakfast, moviemagic@earthlink.net, phone: 1 505 988 1177 2. Red Roof Inn, kpaysor@redroof.com, phone: 1 614 744 2668, contact person Andrea Thompson