WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BRAND THAT WELCOMES OUR GUESTS ’ DOGS AND CATS DURING THEIR STAY |
– JEFF THOMAS , VP OF
MARKETING , MY PLACE HOTELS
charge guests and requires amenities and retail products available to make pet stays memorable and seamless .
“ We implemented our pet-friendly policy when we opened our first property in 2012 ,” said Jeff Thomas , VP of marketing for South Dakotabased My Place Hotels . “ We have always been a brand that welcomes our guests ’ dogs and cats during their stay ,” adding that the company ’ s pet policy is a mandated brand standard across all 71 properties .
The case is the same at Sonesta for its namesakebranded hotels ; however , PAWS is not yet part of the brands umbrellaed under the former
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Red Lion Hotels Corp ., which Sonesta acquired for $ 90 million in 2021 . Though most Red Lion brand hotels are pet friendly , Hattingh said , “ The rollout of the [ PAWS ] program at the legacy Red Lion brands will be with feedback from our brand advisory boards .”
The PAWS program is currently available on an optional basis for all the Red Lion brands — Red Lion Hotels , Red Lion Inn and Suites , Americas Best Value Inn , Canadas Best Value Inn and Signature Inn — and at Sonesta ’ s international hotels , she said . The company ’ s website encourages travelers to contact the individual property to confirm the pet policy when booking . A full PAWS program is expected to be introduced across the legacy RLH brands in 2025 . “ We ’ ve done a lot of work toward One Sonesta , including one website and one loyalty program , and we still have more work to do on some of our programs ,” said Hattingh . “ This program is one [ that ] will eventually extend to all hotels and we ’ re working on what that looks like .”
ON PROPERTY Getting a pet program rolling has been the focus of executives since winter at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in California . “ We revised our pet policy from service animals only to accepting dogs in February 2024 after careful market analysis of local hotels and other Marriott properties ,” said Pamela Binder , the property ’ s senior marketing manager .
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“ Pets are an extension of our family , and we feel they should be included in the memorable experiences ’ guests create at our resort .”
She noted that while the program , dubbed “ Paws and Pamper ,” is a first for the 884-room property , many JW Marriotts are now pet friendly . “ Our new program shows our commitment to providing an all-encompassing experience , ensuring that no family member feels left out ,” said GM Nusrat Mirza .
While bringing a pet to check-in can quite literally bring the warm and fuzzies , hotels are making sure having such guests works for both hotel operations and the pet parent . This generally is a twoprong effort that involves fees charged for accommodating the pet , along with conditional requirements ( type of pet , total weight , number per room ), as well as amenities designed to appeal to the animal and its owner .
THE FEE FACTOR A check on social media of some guests ’ reactions to fees often finds complaints that charges are erratic , a money grab or just plain confusing . In an effort to alleviate the potential for such reactions , Sonesta ’ s Hattingh indicated the company is working toward a morestreamlined process .
“ We collect the pet fees mainly to cover additional cleaning costs for pet rooms ,” she said . “ We don ’ t have a minimum as some hotels do not charge a pet fee at all . Generally ,
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our full-service hotels charge a flat fee of $ 75 and because our average length of stay for this brand is quite short , it ’ s just one charge for everyone . If you ’ re staying two weeks , then you get lucky . You still just pay the flat rate of a guest staying one night .”
The fee structure by default shifts for its extended-stay brands . Sonesta ES Suites and Sonesta Simply Suites have a $ 75 minimum fee up to seven-nights ; thereafter , it ’ s $ 150 . What if someone stays
PETS ARE AN EXTENSION OF OUR FAMILY , AND WE FEEL THEY SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES ’ GUESTS CREATE AT OUR RESORT
– PAMELA BINDER , SENIOR
MARKETING MANAGER , JW
MARRIOTT DESERT SPRINGS
RESORT & SPA
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September 2024 hotelsmag . com 27 |