Travel Tips & Trends

Pet-friendly travel goes upscale

With the constantly growing demand from pet owners for vacations that include their dogs, hotel chains from budget to luxury continue to enhance their pet-welcoming efforts. Dog walking services, day care and even spa treatments are now offered at many resorts.

Starwood hotels, which include the Sheraton, Westin and W brands, offer amenities that include dog beds to match the hotel's décor, bowls, toys, treats and temporary ID tags with the hotel's location. Some Westins even have plush doggy robes, while the five W hotels in New York City offer in-room dog massages.

The Ritz-Carlton in New York provides a special carrier for escorting the pet to the room, dog turn-down service with personalized dog biscuits on the pillow, and a welcome letter from management. In Oahu, the Kahala Hotel and Resort offers a local touch by providing a card with dog commands translated into Hawaiian—perhaps best for the owner of a multilingual dog.

The pet-friendly trend is not limited to hotels, but has also impacted popular attractions in many areas, including train rides, boat rides and walking tours.

The Skunk Train in California's Mendocino wine country allows passengers to bring dogs, as do the Santa Cruz Railway Company in California and the Conway Scenic Railway in New Hampshire. Mercury Cruiselines in Chicago has a special "Canine Cruise" on Sundays in the summer. Dogs are also permitted on the Flying Cloud boat ride between Hyannis and Nantucket in Massachusetts, and on the Seastreak Ferry Service in New York City.

For those who just want to take their dogs for a walk, dog-friendly tour companies and locations include Walking Tours of New York, the Freedom Trail in Boston, and Silver Spring Historical Society Walking Tours in Maryland. Closer to home, the Silver Queen gondola in Aspen permits dogs in the summer.