The World Of The Five-Star Hotel Dog
Sarah Turner Contributor
The Year of the Dog is underway, but a select number of canines have lives that are already well-starred. They pad around the lobbies of luxury hotels, enjoy constant adulation and are in every way equal to their five-star feline counterparts who dwell in such hotels as Le Bristol or the Algonquin.
Dizzy holds court at the Town Hall Hotel in London.
Town Hall Hotel
In the UK, labradors and retrievers are often a hotelier's go-to choice. At the Rosewood London, Pearl has lapped up attention since arriving as a puppy in 2013. Her life is an enviable one and involves being fussed over by guests, being taken for walks by one of the devoted doormen (favourite spots include Lincoln's Inn Fields where she is greeted warmly by the groundskeeper) and working her Instagram account.
Pearl, at the Rosewood Hotel in London, leads a privileged life.
Rosewood Hotels
You'll also find a labrador, Oliver Beckington at the Four Seasons in Hampshire. He has notched up appearances on Tatler, and Vanity Fair and Harper's Bazaar. Retriever Roxy graces Trigony House Hotel in Dumfriesshire. Alfie, a springer spaniel, lives at the Maytime Inn in the Cotswolds. All of them welcome other dogs to stay at their hotels.
Roxy at the Trigony House Hotel
Trigony House Hotel
Fairmont has made the hotel dog official company policy. Several hotels in the group have 'pet ambassadors'. There are over ten now. When Catie, the Copley Plaza's labrador died last year, she earned fulsome tributes in the Boston Globe. The Copley's new top dog is now Carly, who joined the hotel from the Animal Rescue League of Boston and she's settled in well; guests can take her for walks (and are provided with Carly's favourite treats).
Carly, a new recruit to the Fairmont Canine Ambassador's team
Many Fairmont canine ambassadors are labradors who went through guide dog training before opting for what could euphemistically described as a more varied life in a hotel.
At altitude, St Bernards are a logical choice. At the Ritz-Carlton in Bachelor Gulch, there are two, Belle and Bachelor.Their lives involve joining guests on nature walks and relaxing by the fire. (Relaxing is very much part of the remit for a successful hotel dog.)
Nemo has joined the Four Seasons in Megeve
At the new Four Seasons Megeve in the French Alps, Nemo, a Bouvier Bernois has just moved into his luxuriously appointed kennel, built as a replica of the hotel. Another St Bernard, Iglu is in place at the Hotel Les Suites in Tignes.
Maud the pug takes tea at Scarista House in Scotland
Scarista House
Breeds not known for their high level of activity are also good choices as hotel dogs. Maud is a pug who lives at Scarista House on the Isle of Harris. Her main hobby is wandering into the library in the hope that a 'soft-hearted guest will give her something to eat' according to owners Tim and Patricia Martin. Back in London, Dizzy has swapped a greyhound racetrack for the art-filled Town Hall Hotel.
Winston and Churchill reside at the London Hotel in West Hollywood.
London Hotel
Across the Atlantic, two boxers, Winston and Churchill have the run of the London Hotel in West Hollywood. They can often be found at leisure around the rooftop swimming pool. The hotel's executive chef has developed their menu, which is available to other canine guests to the hotel. Guests can even hire Winston and Churchill to attend their parties; the $250 appearance fee is donated to a local animal shelter.
I've specialised in travel journalism for over 20 years and now mostly write for the UK national press. I write for The Times, The Sunday Times and the Mail on Sunday an...