Travel with Pets - Absurd hotel pet fees

We travel around Illinois to visit my wife's family and also go to various weddings (they never end :rolleyes:).

Well, the good thing is that Alice (our 20 lbs Pug) is now allowed at these little towns hotels, but the non refundable pet fees are absurd.

Doubletree Bloomington: Room was 69 USD, non refundable pet fee was 50USD

New record: Courtyard, Marriott St. Charles IL for wedding over Thanksgiving. Room was 64USD, Pet fee 75USD.

So the room was actually less than the non refundable pet fee.

I think it's time to use the power of Flyertalk to stop this craziness. I will contact Randy and get the contact information for the appropriate connections at Marriott, Hilton and other chains.

If you have gotten charged an absurd pet fee, please post it in this thread and I will make sure they get the message

Oh, and Randy Petersen has a little Shih Tzu ;)

I have a dog and agree that some hotels are ridiculous in their fees. Sure, I understand there may be extra cleaning fees and I will pay for that, but it would take a $10/hr employee an extra 5-10 mins to do a bit more vacuuming or slightly longer to shampoo the carpet.

Tommy I totally agree with you on these hotel pet fees. Letters to the top management stating your displeasure will also help. @:-)

Of course, the longer the stay the more reasonable the fees become.

A few years ago, we stayed at a Residence Inn for 8 months as we relocated to Boston area. The pet fee was $100 total for our two cats.... not a bad deal.

I actually wonder what extra cleaning occurs when you have a pet. Do they REALLY do anything more?

I think the truth of the matter is that they don't really want to have the pets stay in the hotel. I've seen dogs locked up in owner's cars in the parking lot to avoid paying a pet fee!

Usually, I give my business to Motel 6 since they have no pet charges,

Usually, I give my business to Motel 6 since they have no pet charges,

Yeah, but then you have to stay at a Motel 6.

The kids and I stayed at a Super 8 near Las Angeles for Thanksgiving. They charge 20 per night per pet. Good thing we only had the one dog with us, eh? They were very impressed with how well behaved he was (he's huge and people seem to think misbehavior is proportional to size, i think. lol)...and only charged me 15/night for him at check out. As they're the only hotel within 45 minutes of our family that would allow a large animal, I was just glad they gave me a break on the extra cost. It would have been nice to stay a little longer, but the pet fee was before taxes so I was paying over 100/night.

To believe that a "little" extra vacuuming is sufficient to remove all traces of a pet from a hotel room is surely a sign that one is totally acclimated to the smells/hair etc that pets can produce (and leave behind!)...:D

I cap the limit of what I'll pay in a pet fee at $50. If it's more than that, and it's only for 1 night, I'll board the kibblers. I've found that I prefer the Petsmart Petshotel. For about $60/day, they can stay in the same suite. It's all indoors, so I don't have to worry about Cobaka demonstrating her Houdini routine. Also, there's someone there all night.

High pet fees that are non-refundable are extreme. But high refundable deposits are reasonable. I can just see my "little angel" (HA) doing a fair amount of damage in an unfamiliar setting while I may be in the bathroom with the door closed. He just shredded another bed at the doggie hotel last night. I'm sure there have been more than a handful of dogs that have caused a hotel to need to not only clean the carpet, but toss the bedding and the mattresses, perhaps some lamps and furniture, and repair walls and doors. I'm sure it doesn't happen very often, but leave a big dog locked up in an unfamiliar hotel room, alone, and what do you expect? Him to have champagne and roses waiting for you when you return?

No different than an airline charging $25 for the second bag or $100 for a 52 pound bag vs. a 49 pound one. It is all about revenue and they charge what people are willing to pay. They are offering a premium service (allowing your pet) that many of the competitors won't allow, so they charge for it. Simple laws of economics, supply/demand, etc.

No different than an airline charging $25 for the second bag or $100 for a 52 pound bag vs. a 49 pound one. It is all about revenue and they charge what people are willing to pay. They are offering a premium service (allowing your pet) that many of the competitors won't allow, so they charge for it. Simple laws of economics, supply/demand, etc.

Thank you for that nugget of information :rolleyes:

Pets are free at the majority of real city properties and pretty much always free with extensive services at high end properties and I'm pretty sure that the corporate offices of these various chains agrees that pet fees shouldn't be higher than the room rates in these little town locations.:rolleyes:

No problem seeing that people want to make money, but newsflash: People don't want to pay these fees, we pay dog sitters or dog hotels to take care of the dogs because that's cheaper. The best dog hotel in Chicago charges 45 bucks, that's where our threshold is. If these idiot small town hotel GMs were smart business people, they would charge a nominal fee for dogs and then they would actually get customers like us when their competitors don't allow dogs. Guess what the occupancy is in these little towns on the weekends these days? Trust me, they need every dollar they can get.

I for one will never stay at any of these properties that charge absurd fees period, And will make sure everyone I know does the same

Drove cross-country (CA to PA) in September with 1 kid and 2 furballs. One dark and stormy night we had serious car trouble 30 miles west of Peoria, and limped the car, with no headlights, into town (thank you, Mr. Illinois State Trouper for your assistance!). Using an outdated GPS and a cell phone with intermittent reception, I got a number for the local Residence Inn which I know accepts pets, albeit with an obscene $125 non-refundable fee, and secured a reservation for the 4 of us. The desk clerk was an angel in human form as he spent 25 minutes on the phone with me talking us through town (GPS lost signal in the storm) to their location, hidden behind a shopping mall. Once we got there, I was prepared to pay the fee, 'cause by then I'd have paid anything to get off the roads. However, seeing my Marriott Rewards card at check-in, he knocked the fee down to $25.

Marriott may have lost (in theory) $100 on this, but gained a loyal customer for life.

BTW, if you're traveling with a litter box, those new jumbo XXL Ziplocks hold a standard size one, and keep the litter from getting all over the trunk.

I do understand the difference and fees... as much as I do not like them.

We had, some years ago, two rescued Siberian huskies - monster hair bombs when they blew their coats, I could easily take a full shopping bag or more of hair from each.

The many Rhodesian Ridgebacks we had (also rescued) hardly shed a hair, and had no "doggy" smell.

We have downsized since, in our home and our companion animals, and have a Basenji (no smell at all, no shedding), and a "Basomeji" (Basenji - terrier mix) who sheds and has "doggie" odor. These two are entirely different critters, from the perspective of a hotel operator. And then, there are the dogs that decide to chew or otherwise cause havoc because they are out of their element and stressed in the unknown area...

Check if there are dog shows in the area, and which hotels they use... often they are more reasonable about pets and fees. (And of course, use sites like www.dogfriendly.com to check.)

Most hotelier gets it: pet owner are more loyal to hotels that will welcome their pets... Westin has a great program for dogs and Loews was renowned for their home made (dog) cookies.
May I suggest this site:http://www.petswelcome.com/

Kimpton is always a good choice too.

I've had a mix of experiences with pet fees. I am willing to pay about $25 for the "extra cleaning" and would be willing to agree to a large refundable deposit in case of damages (I've never had one of my dogs damage the hotel room)

I stayed at a Towneplace Suites that welcomed me & my dog (German Shepherd) and waived the pet fee (which earned them over 200 nights of business over the years).

Another time, I made reservations for a night at a Residence Inn (Washington,DC/Vermont Avenue) and was told on the phone that the fee was $20. When I arrived to check in, they wanted $250! Even after getting Platinum customer service on the phone with the manager, they refused to reduce the fee. I cancelled that reservation and went elsewhere.

Just drove down to PHC from YYC this past weekend, Stopped in Utah at a brand new Comfort Inn, they charged me an extra $15.00 for our pup but she said it had to be under 30 lbs, (we have a 8 mo old choc lab) probably closer to 65 lbs. I said let me bring her in and u decide if she can stay, one look at our pup and she said the room is ours ;)

I don't want to get started on dog size but..geez would hotels please wake up. It worked this time but........

I've had issues where they've said dogs have to be under a certain limit, usually 30 lbs, and Cobaka definitely isn't. However, I've never had anyone look at her and say that she can't stay--she's just so happy to see people that they love it. :D We haven't had Geno in a hotel yet.

My friend to me he was stopped by staff when carrying his dog

At some Fairmonts, the pet fee was waived because we had her kennel crate with her bedding in it. She was also freshly bathed and groomed :p

We like Drury Hotels and Suites when we can find them; no pet fee.

Since we just added two puppies to our two old guys, probably won't be doing a lot of traveling any time soon.

I traveled from east coast to west coast (8 days). I stayed at La Quinta at every stop. I never paid a pet fee and they were OK with leaving our dog in the room by himself while we went out to dinner. They were a great and consistant company to stay at.

I traveled from east coast to west coast (8 days). I stayed at La Quinta at every stop. I never paid a pet fee and they were OK with leaving our dog in the room by himself while we went out to dinner. They were a great and consistant company to stay at.

Oh, and our dog is 70 lbs. No pet size restriction either!

Of course I am prejudiced to my own situation, but I would be happy to have our 9 year old 19 lb Lhasa Apso certified by a vet and an evaluation made about his life as a full-time indoor pet. We groom him just before the start of the trip and, if it matters, I am allergic to pets so try to be sensitive to others.

I stay at Marriott properties around the world and on occasion need points for a stay like the Courtyard at IST last summer but I get burned at USA Residence Inns where the pet fee is non-refundable $75 and up and I am not staying more than one night because we are driving 3-4K miles.

$75 for two to three nights is close to reasonable but some RI's used to charge only $20 and it varies from one location to another. RIs, at least, are also not uniform in terms of the agreement one signs when checking in.

Since I know this is not a realistic proposal for Marriott, I am looking into other properties on our route even though I don't want to shift my business to places like Holiday Inn Express partly because of the points (even though only 50%) but also that breakfast and the room.

I am silver with Marriott and only had the pet fee waved last summer when my SUV broke down and the only RI room available at midnight was a 2 bedroom suite coming in around $200.

Just drove down to PHC from YYC this past weekend, Stopped in Utah at a brand new Comfort Inn, they charged me an extra $15.00 for our pup but she said it had to be under 30 lbs, (we have a 8 mo old choc lab) probably closer to 65 lbs. I said let me bring her in and u decide if she can stay, one look at our pup and she said the room is ours ;)

I don't want to get started on dog size but..geez would hotels please wake up. It worked this time but........


We have an 85 pound yellow lab who is well behaved and has stayed at luxury hotels all over Canada. When I see pet size restrictions, it really gets me ! I sent an e-mail to one front desk manager about this and she agreed - she even had a large size breed. At the more upscale hotels, they get the concept that people who travel with their dogs tend to take better care of them too !
Add Fairmont to the list of pet-friendly chains...

Maybe I'm being grumpy, but I don't see how a $50 or $75 refundable pet fee is excessive. I have 2 dogs myself (albeit people tell me they're dog-bear hybrids), and I know that they're able to do twice as much damage in 5 minutes if they wanted to.

Consider if your dog has a little "accident". Not impossible to happen to anyone... hotel would have to pay for professional carpet cleaner (or at least I would hope so) which could be in excess of that fee.

And you'll get the money back at check-out anyway! I'll even go out on a limb here and say I'd be happier only staying for 1 night, since it would mean I would only part with my money for a short day!!

I thought this post was about dog hotels (as in, boarding)... those prices are really outrageous, I've been away for 2 weeks, and the bill is over $1k... sheesh...

Again, hope I don't step in anyone's toes here, just giving my 2 cents! :)

Maybe I'm being grumpy, but I don't see how a $50 or $75 refundable pet fee is excessive. I have 2 dogs myself (albeit people tell me they're dog-bear hybrids), and I know that they're able to do twice as much damage in 5 minutes if they wanted to.

Consider if your dog has a little "accident". Not impossible to happen to anyone... hotel would have to pay for professional carpet cleaner (or at least I would hope so) which could be in excess of that fee.

And you'll get the money back at check-out anyway! I'll even go out on a limb here and say I'd be happier only staying for 1 night, since it would mean I would only part with my money for a short day!!

I thought this post was about dog hotels (as in, boarding)... those prices are really outrageous, I've been away for 2 weeks, and the bill is over $1k... sheesh...

Again, hope I don't step in anyone's toes here, just giving my 2 cents! :)

Who is complaining about $75 refundable deposits? The OP was about a $125 non-refundable pet fee. Those fees are outrageous. And if anyone thinks that a hotel always has the carpets cleaned or the bedspreads dry cleaned after a dog has visited, I have got a bridge to sell you! :D Maybe if there was a really bad accident but otherwise.. And they charge all pet owners the fee regardless of whether the dog actually does cause damage. I would have no problem with a truly refundable deposit. That is not the case in many hotels.

As far as boarding, the price for dog hotels is absurd. I'll pay it for a weekend but for a longer trip, I always use the same old-fashioned kennel with an indoor area and an outdoor run that is for one dog only. It's much cheaper.

Who is complaining about $75 refundable deposits? The OP was about a $125 non-refundable pet fee. Those fees are outrageous. And if anyone thinks that a hotel always has the carpets cleaned or the bedspreads dry cleaned after a dog has visited, I have got a bridge to sell you! :D Maybe if there was a really bad accident but otherwise.. And they charge all pet owners the fee regardless of whether the dog actually does cause damage. I would have no problem with a truly refundable deposit. That is not the case in many hotels.

As far as boarding, the price for dog hotels is absurd. I'll pay it for a weekend but for a longer trip, I always use the same old-fashioned kennel with an indoor area and an outdoor run that is for one dog only. It's much cheaper.

My mistake, I though I had read refundable (which would be ok with me). Agree 125 non ref is not acceptable.

But if you go to hotels where they don't dry clean the bedspreads if a dog had a little accident, I think it's time to look at other lodging options! :D (kidding)

Who is complaining about $75 refundable deposits? The OP was about a $125 non-refundable pet fee. Those fees are outrageous. And if anyone thinks that a hotel always has the carpets cleaned or the bedspreads dry cleaned after a dog has visited, I have got a bridge to sell you! :D Maybe if there was a really bad accident but otherwise.. And they charge all pet owners the fee regardless of whether the dog actually does cause damage. I would have no problem with a truly refundable deposit. That is not the case in many hotels.

As far as boarding, the price for dog hotels is absurd. I'll pay it for a weekend but for a longer trip, I always use the same old-fashioned kennel with an indoor area and an outdoor run that is for one dog only. It's much cheaper.
I'd be fine with a refundable fee as well.
My mistake, I though I had read refundable (which would be ok with me). Agree 125 non ref is not acceptable.

But if you go to hotels where they don't dry clean the bedspreads if a dog had a little accident, I think it's time to look at other lodging options! :D (kidding)
I think the comment was that if a dog visits doesn't mean that they'll give anything an extra cleaning. If the dog had an accident, probably. But, if the dog didn't have an accident in the room, they probably won't do anything extra in regards to cleaning.

I'd be fine with a refundable fee as well.

I think the comment was that if a dog visits doesn't mean that they'll give anything an extra cleaning. If the dog had an accident, probably. But, if the dog didn't have an accident in the room, they probably won't do anything extra in regards to cleaning.

If there is no accident all they should be doing is dusting, vacuuming the room as with any other person's stay and change the linens, towels etc.

I typically stay at either a Hilton or a Residence Inn (depending on what is in the area) when traveling with Goldie. She is crate trained and has no problem staying in her crate when we are out of the room - I bribe her with a Greenie to keep her quiet until we are fully away. We always take a puppy mat and leave it by the door in case we need it. In about ten stays she has used it only once.
What gets me though, is the fact that in the Hilton Family, dogs are accepted at the Hilton but not the Fairfield Inn... sometimes at a Doubletree, sometimes not.... in other words, not across the board. I think at our last stay in Savannah (Hilton Melrose), it was a $75 flat non-refundable fee for the two nights. She didn't receive any 'goodies' there.... however, we got a nice little zipper bag with treats, poo bags, cleaning spray, and a Hilton tag at the hotel in Greenville. I've noticed too that dogs are restricted to certain floors - no upgrades with poochie.

I just wish the fees were consistent - and, also, refundable if the room were checked after departure and no damage were found.

I think the comment was that if a dog visits doesn't mean that they'll give anything an extra cleaning. If the dog had an accident, probably. But, if the dog didn't have an accident in the room, they probably won't do anything extra in regards to cleaning.

Yes, that's what I meant. I never had a dog have an accident in a hotel room. However, would I know if a prior doggy guest had? Probably not regardless if the room received a more thorough cleaning. It's just that I don't think all hotels (or even all hotels in the same chain) follow set guidelines regarding pets. I think they do the bare minimum to clean as they clean after every guest and pocket the pet fee.

And mbaretto is right: with my dog, I probably stayed in rooms where, given the number of stains on the bedspread, I would never know if a previous dog had an accident on it! :D

I, too, agree that in one chain, pet policies should be consistent. I can stay in a Residence Inn with my dog and pay one fee, pay another at a different Residence Inn but can't stay at a Courtyard. I can stay in one HI Express but not a different HI Express or they charge a different fee. Consistency would be helpful. Sometimes, I can't even find a staff member who knows what the policy is when I call or the website states something different from what the staff tells me. It gets ridiculous.

I typically stay at either a Hilton or a Residence Inn (depending on what is in the area) when traveling with Goldie. She is crate trained and has no problem staying in her crate when we are out of the room - I bribe her with a Greenie to keep her quiet until we are fully away.

Using a create is very good idea, their have been a few cases I have heard of that the hotel has put ouy pesticide for bed bugs or mice and dogs have gotten into it. So when ever I go into a room with my dog I do a very careful search and use a create.

That is one of the reasons I usually leave her in a safe kennel, she has has fun there and I have peace of mind.

Marriott and affiliates have a policy of doing a "super cleaning" of each room after a dog stays there. This takes about 90 minutes extra for the maid.
A better idea is to stay at La Quinta Inns. They welcome pets and have no fee for them. There are always lots of dog owners staying there.

I very much like the RI product for my annual 4K driving trip as it works well for my SO and our 'son'. However, since most of the stays are limited to one night only this will force me to avoid Marriotts this summer more often than I would like. The need for points to use on future stays outside the USA just isn't good math at $100 a day especially since they used to charge only $20.

I very much like the RI product for my annual 4K driving trip as it works well for my SO and our 'son'. However, since most of the stays are limited to one night only this will force me to avoid Marriotts this summer more often than I would like. The need for points to use on future stays outside the USA just isn't good math at $100 a day especially since they used to charge only $20.

I agree with this. I prefer Residence Inns but the pet fee has gotten way out of hand. I also agree with x1achilles. I just stayed at La Quinta for 2 weeks with my dog and it was great. I still had a kitchenette, desk, couch and separate bed alcove but no pet fee. The front desk even had a "cookie" (dog biscuit) for my dog like they do for people. It's certainly not on the level of an RI but for the price, it was just fine.

I highly and wholly support pet fees. But that aside, the question of why some hotels charge so much seems to me to pretty evident: to discourage pets! It is pretty basic: if you make something free, then you have a free for all. That's why "nothing" is free, even if there is little cost or intrinsic value to it.

Raise the price a little, and you have some corresponding fall-away. There are, no doubt, studies that can quantify how this works with various goods and services. Raise the price enough, then you only deal with a few takers, or only those who are serious about the purchase/use, etc.

For example, take "free" breakfasts. I read so many people say "That breakfast was OK, but I wouldn't pay for it." But they go and glutton themselves up because it is "free." No wonder these offerings are so mediocre! Half the people attach no value to it!

There are those who say, "That amount is unacceptable!" That is exactly what the seler is saying: it is "unacceptable" to me to deal with the risk/liability/inconvenience/complaints. In the hotel's case, the owner is making a decision what that threshhold is for him. That might well be different than what a user considers "acceptable," in which case the user is free to move on. Who is anyone to "require" a proprietor to sell his service (allowing pets, in this case, but realy any good or service) at a particular price? What other industry or business is so required?

And as for this "EVERY hotel in a chain should follow the same policy," that is just absurd. There are differing local regulations and way too many variables to make this even remotely feasible.

I highly and wholly support pet fees. But that aside, the question of why some hotels charge so much seems to me to pretty evident: to discourage pets! It is pretty basic: if you make something free, then you have a free for all. That's why "nothing" is free, even if there is little cost or intrinsic value to it.

Raise the price a little, and you have some corresponding fall-away. There are, no doubt, studies that can quantify how this works with various goods and services. Raise the price enough, then you only deal with a few takers, or only those who are serious about the purchase/use, etc.

For example, take "free" breakfasts. I read so many people say "That breakfast was OK, but I wouldn't pay for it." But they go and glutton themselves up because it is "free." No wonder these offerings are so mediocre! Half the people attach no value to it!

There are those who say, "That amount is unacceptable!" That is exactly what the seler is saying: it is "unacceptable" to me to deal with the risk/liability/inconvenience/complaints. In the hotel's case, the owner is making a decision what that threshhold is for him. That might well be different than what a user considers "acceptable," in which case the user is free to move on. Who is anyone to "require" a proprietor to sell his service (allowing pets, in this case, but realy any good or service) at a particular price? What other industry or business is so required?

And as for this "EVERY hotel in a chain should follow the same policy," that is just absurd. There are differing local regulations and way too many variables to make this even remotely feasible.

And you are entitled to your opinion. Most people who bring pets to the hotels are responsible and smart enough to make sure the pet in no way inconvenience anyone. There is a bigger chance that you will be inconvenienced by noisy kids than a dog at a hotel.

Fortunately, better hotel chains disagrees with pet haters and are all pet friendly and doesn't charge a dime for you to bring your friend along. They even provide food, toys and beds for free.

The problem is little hick towns with crappy hotels doing stuff like this. As a part of a bigger chain that has top tier members encountering bs like this, the chain should absolutely care. And how you find it absurd that hotel chains should follow the same pet policy, amuses me. All W Hotels, Westins, Peninsula and Kimptons (among others) allow pets for free at all their properties.

I highly and wholly support pet fees. But that aside, the question of why some hotels charge so much seems to me to pretty evident: to discourage pets! It is pretty basic: if you make something free, then you have a free for all. That's why "nothing" is free, even if there is little cost or intrinsic value to it.


By the same token, I trust you would support a move to charge people who defile rooms and do not have pets in the room. On my way to breakfast, I have seen inside rooms with the door wide open or smelled certain rooms and I made a mental note to avoid that room when I came back through two weeks later.

And you are entitled to your opinion. Most people who bring pets to the hotels are responsible and smart enough to make sure the pet in no way inconvenience anyone. There is a bigger chance that you will be inconvenienced by noisy kids than a dog at a hotel.

Fortunately, better hotel chains disagrees with pet haters and are all pet friendly and doesn't charge a dime for you to bring your friend along. They even provide food, toys and beds for free.

The problem is little hick towns with crappy hotels doing stuff like this. As a part of a bigger chain that has top tier members encountering bs like this, the chain should absolutely care. And how you find it absurd that hotel chains should follow the same pet policy, amuses me. All W Hotels, Westins, Peninsula and Kimptons (among others) allow pets for free at all their properties.
This is true. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've had to deal with screaming kids, running up and down the hall, when I'm trying to sleep. Don't forget rude adults who get a little trashed and then stagger back to their rooms, giggling and shouting down the hall.

I used to be concerned that Cobaka would annoy people--she used to bark for a few minutes if we left for some reason. That said, we figured out that she'd bark until she knew we left, then she'd have the time of her life, playing with her toys, jumping bed to bed or bed to furniture, and would settle down and curl up on one of the beds to sleep. She stopped with the barking though, now that Geno's around.