10 Do’s And Don’ts Of Staying In Hotels With A Dog

Ever arrived at a hotel only to realise their ‘dog-friendly’ policy just means your pup can stay – but not comfortably?

Staying in hotels with a dog takes planning, but with the right approach, you and your pup can both enjoy a stress-free stay.

After years of staying in dog-friendly hotels across Europe with Lilly, we’ve learned what to look for and what to avoid.

So whether you’re booking a hotel, a cosy Airbnb, or a dog-friendly campsite, here’s everything you need to know about staying in pet friendly accommodation with your dog. Including tips for before you book, what to do when you arrive, and how to keep your dog comfortable throughout your trip. 

How to Prepare for a Dog-Friendly Hotel Stay

Our biggest tip for having a stress free dog friendly stay is to plan ahead! 

The worst thing to do is book any hotel and hope for the best. Here are 4 things you need to do before arriving at your accommodation

1. Make Sure They Are Dog Friendly

It sounds obvious, right? but we’ve spoken to quite a few travellers who just assumed most if not all hotels would allow dogs – and that’s simply not the case unfortunately.

Some hotels only allow service dogs, while others have strict rules that make them not worth staying at.

The #1 rule for booking with your dog? Always search for pet-friendly hotels specifically. Never assume.

Most popular hotel platforms have a pet friendly filter feature now, but if in doubt – reach out directly to double check.

Our favourite dog friendly hotel chain is B+B Hotels who cover a huge chunk of Europe. They provide a little doggy bag with each stay and are often reasonably priced.

2. Check For Pet Fees

There will almost always be an additional fee for staying at a hotel with a dog, this fee will vary and, from experience, even varies between hotels within the same chain.

We recommend emailing the hotel to get confirmation on the fees so that you have it in writing.

One hotel chain once tried to charge us €5 more than what we were originally quoted until we showed them our email stating the price.

3. Ask About Hotel Dog Rules

Hotel pet etiquette should be common sense, but once again the rules vary between accommodations.

We’ve found that some don’t allow pets on the furniture, while others give you more freedom. To know exactly what’s expected and avoid being caught out with some unique rules you wouldn’t think about, it’s best to know the rules before you arrive.

The most common hotel rule that we’ve come across is dogs being restricted from entering the areas where food is served, and in some cases you may be asked to sign a contract that states you’ll pay for damages caused by your dog.

When this happens, we recommend videoing the room when you first enter so you can capture any marks on the floor or scuffs on furniture to avoid getting the blame (much like you would when hiring a car)

4. Ask For A Lower Level Room

This is largely personal preference, but when we book a pet friendly room we’ll almost always contact the hotel and request a lower level room.

This makes it easier for us to take Lilly out for her last pee before bed, and reduces the time she has to be in an elevator because we know they can make her uncomfortable sometimes.

Essential Packing List for Staying in Hotels With a Dog

Once you’re all booked and ready to go, you’ll want to make sure you have all of the essentials!

Some accommodation, like B+B Hotels, will give you a little doggie bag that usually include poo bags, a water bowl and a little snacko but here are some of our other hotel must-haves for Lilly:

✔️ Collapsible travel bowl – perfect for hotel stays and road trips!

✔️ Cosy dog travel bed – for a comfy, stress-free night.

✔️ White noise machine – keep hotel noise to a minimum!

✔️ Poo bags – because every coat and bag needs to have them!

✔️ Enrichment feeder – for a relaxing way to have dinner

✔️ Favourite chew – to help settle them into the room

🚀 Save time searching! Find the best dog-friendly hotels here.

What To Do When You Arrive:

Having all of your ducks in a row will make check-in much easier, but there’s still a few things you need to do when you arrive to have a truly stress free visit:

1. Let Staff Know You Have A Dog 

We were surprised to find out that this isn’t always passed along or written on your booking, since it was common practice to make notes like this at the campsites we worked at, but nevertheless you’re going to want to give the receptionist a heads up that you have a dog with you.

Dec will often stay in the van with Lilly when I go to check in to avoid having to wait around in a potentially busy lobby with her, so it’s not always obvious to the staff.

2. Regular Toilet Breaks 

Even if your dog is fully toilet trained at home, they don’t generalise easily so if this is your first stay away from home there’s a high chance they might have accidents. Especially if a dog has previously peed in that room because pee attracts pee!

We made this mistake with Lilly on her first hotel stay – thankfully we didn’t get stung with any extra charges but we left feeling pretty embarrassed! We’re lucky she’s used to it now!

To avoid making this same mistake, you’ll want to keep a close eye on your dog and increase toilet breaks if needed.

We don’t recommend staying in a hotel with a new puppy. If they’re unvaccinated, you’d be putting them at risk but you’re also going to need to be super vigilant with toileting and chewing behaviour to avoid any penalty charges.

3. Use The Do Not Disturb Sign

Popping the do not disturb sign on your door will reduce the likelihood of someone knowing, or trying to open, your door and disturbing your pup. 

We like that people tend to be a little quieter in the hallways if they spot a door sign, so it’ll help you all have a more peaceful night too!

4. Turn On The TV Or Use White Noise

Another tip for those noise sensitive pups – have the TV on low or use white noise to help block out the unusual noises that can happen in hotels. 

Elevator noise, doors slamming and maybe increased street noise are common causes for dogs barking in hotels so having something else playing can reduce that from happening.

If we’re somewhere particularly noisy we’ll play relaxing music on spotify, but if you’d prefer a white noise machine that works too!

5. Do Your Best To Reduce Barking

Dogs bark, but out of respect for other people staying at the hotel you need to do your best to reduce the barking.

So, you’re probably wondering exactly how to keep a dog from barking in a hotel room?

There are a few things to do, including the previously mentioned white noise, to help with this.

A tired dog is a more settled dog, so we’ll try to give Lilly a good run around before we head to the hotel.

Once we’re there, we’ll walk around the corridor with her, letting her sniff and explore for a little bit before giving her a long lasting chew once we’re in our room.

Chewing and sniffing are relaxing activities so on top of burning her energy with a run, they help create a calmer mindset in a new place.

If you know your dog is easily triggered, you might want to consider an Air BnB over a hotel so that you can have a place to yourself with fewer chances of upsetting other stayers.

Can You Leave Your Dog Alone In A Hotel?

We personally don’t think you should. Staff have to come in and out of your room to clean, and some dogs can be upset by being left alone in unfamiliar places so we don’t think it’s fair to do that but some hotels do allow it.

You’ll need to discuss it with the specific hotel you’re staying at to see if they have certain rules. Some will provide a ‘pet inside’ sticker for the door, others will require them to be in a crate while alone.

Either way, you’re going to want to make sure that your dog is comfortable in that situation. This is a great post for learning how to do that!

🐾 Not sure exactly what to pack for your dogs holiday? Here’s our complete packing guide for dogs!

What Happens If You Sneak A Dog Into Your Hotel Room?

After working in the accommodation industry for several years, this is such a common thing that goes on but many are surprised to find out that the hotel can, and often will, kick you out of the room without a refund if they find you in the room with a dog they didn’t know about. Especially if it’s a hotel that clearly states they don’t allow dogs.

If you’re lucky enough to not get kicked out, you could land yourself with a hefty surcharge that costs more than the hotel room itself. So ask yourself, is it worth it?

We’ve never done this with Lilly, but we have been the staff member having to deal with someone bringing a dog into a non-dog friendly room. Trust us, it’s not fun for either party.

So yea, please don’t do this. If a hotel doesn’t allow dogs – there’s a reason for it and it’s disrespectful to go against that for your own holiday. There are plenty of hotels that allow dogs these days, so there’s no excuses really.

Final Thoughts on Finding the Perfect Accommodation with Dogs

I hope this has shown you that travelling with your pup doesn’t have to be stressful. By choosing the right dog-friendly accommodation, preparing ahead of time, and setting your dog up for success, you can both enjoy a comfortable and relaxing stay. 

Whether you’re booking a cosy pet-friendly Airbnb, a dog-welcoming hotel, or a scenic campsite, the key is to plan ahead and know what to expect.

✨ Ready to book your next stay? Explore top-rated dog-friendly hotel platforms here and make your trip stress-free!