PET HOTELS

CREATURE COMFORTS

Christina Aguilera and Paris Hilton started the trend, and now pet pampering is becoming seriously big business… Sally Howard tails some Very Important Pooches.

Albacore tuna with warmed foie gras? Or perhaps a vegan entrée from room service before a deep-muscle massage to combat travel stress? Nope, it’s not a screen star’s diva-like request; it’s the latest offering for traveling pet lovers who wouldn’t dream of leaving precious Fifito the rough-handed ministrations of a pet sitter. Canned food for pussykins? You gotta be kidding.

Admittedly, four-legged friends have never been a neglected breed. But the endless paparazzi shots of pet-loving celebs—Paris Hilton doing the rounds of the A-list circuit with her pet Chihuahua Tinkerbell; Christina Aguilera with her dog Jackson (named after her hero, the king of pop); and Claudia Schiffer with her Pomeranian puppies tumbling around her French-polished feet—all upped the animal-loving ante. Suddenly it became cool to expect the same lavish treatment and creature comforts for your favorite creature as you demanded for yourself. A couple of years ago, at the apex of this celebrity pet obsession, New Agers Mark McGrath and Ellen DeGeneres admitted to seeking acupuncture and holistic therapies for their stressed-out pooches and Miss Hilton unleashed her “fun and flirty” crystal dog-collar range. More recently, celebrity pets began to make the headlines themselves, with speculation rife after the Brad/Jen break-up over who would take possession of the couple’s dogs, often pictured scampering along Miami Beach with the Hollywood couple in happier days.

But the true star and spa pet treatment began with animals that were celebrities in their own right. America’s favorite television pet, Jack Russell terrier Eddie from NBC sitcom Frasier (real name Moose), was one of the first residents at Chicago’s Peninsula hotel (a stylish Asian-inspired hotel that has received top awards—www.peninsula.com).

In town to accompany his costar, Chicagoan John Mahoney, who played Martin Crane in the series, Eddie apparently indulged in an in-room relaxation massage from a Swedish masseur who had specialist pet massage training, before chowing down on a range of treats styled for the hard-working hound, from Spaniel Spinach Salad to BeagleBurgers and Chihuahua chicken, at $10 a dish. Cats (the most popular pets in the country, with 66 million owned as family pets, compared to 58 million dogs) don’t miss out at The Peninsula either, getting the VIP-worthy choice of Tabby Tuna Tartar or Siamese Salmon filet. And, if your feline friend’s whiskers aren’t twitching as they should, there’s a vet on call 24 hours a day.

Think that’s extravagant? The competition in this fast-expanding sector is becoming fiercer than a Rottweiler’s bark. Loews Hotels (www.loewshotels.com) are trailblazers in the pet-preening field, offering a popular range of “pawdicures,” puppy pagers and the somewhat strange “pumped-up pets” diet and personal training programs—with jump ropes, Frisbees and work-out tips—at their hotels in Annapolis, Beverly Hills, Denver, LA, Miami, Nashville, New York, Orlando and San Diego.

And pet pampering gets some big-city slick in NYC at the Soho Grand Hotel (www..sohogrand.com), where pooches are offered room service, full-body pillows and doggie toothbrushes, which their human bed companions no doubt appreciate. Whereas hep cats (and dogs) staying at Hotel Derek in Houston, TX, (www.hotelderek.com) get their own bed and a bandana with the hotel logo. The Peaks Resort in Telluride, CO, would doubtless appeal to Paris’ precious bone-loving bundle. As their owners relax at the resort’s Golden Door Spa, dogs and cats get pampered with baths, haircuts, ear and teeth cleansing, blow drying, brushing and massage (www.wyndham.com).

Canine cruising
in Chicago.

And who said gastronomy required cutlery? The Four Seasons in Atlanta (www.fourseasons.com) welcomes dogs with biscuits baked by its top pastry chef. The hotel’s pet menu is so upscale it includes chopped steak and a one-ounce serving of Beluga caviar, at a cool $90, served with or without the onion, egg, parsley and sour cream garnish.

No pet to burn a hole in your pocketbook but still yearning for a companion on your travels? No problem. Kimptons Hotels (www.kimptonhotels.com) offer you a “guppy love” pet fish upon arrival at their hotels, which you can take home or request by name next time you visit. If that doesn’t get your tail wagging, what about a Kimptons “pet ambassador,” advised by Britney Spears? He’s your very own four-legged friend but without the hassle of vet bills or quarantine. Resident Jack Russell Lily Sopris can be your canine companion in the Hotel Monaco in Denver, or Truman the Wheaten terrier ambassador at Hotel Monaco in Seattle. Truman moved in after his owner stayed at the hotel when relocating to the city.

At the Peninsula,
Beverly Hills, staff
will walk your dog
for you.

Night owls who fancy snuggling up on a banquette with a martini and the only being who truly loves them, can take their dog or cat to forward-thinking bars such as Chicago’s Four Farthings Tavern or Von on Bleecker Street in New York’s Soho. When owners Charles and Kaarin Von began bringing their pet pitt bull, Happy, to work, customers started asking if they could bring their doggies in too. Now this low-lit wine and beer bar is famed for the antics of Labrador Lou and Jack Russell terrier Chicken, who weave contentedly around customer’s legs. According to bartender Louis Benghiat, Happy definitely has an appetite for liquor!

There are plenty of options for pets and pet-lovers everywhere, then. But what if your pet gets worn out by all this high living? Don’t worry—if you have a dog, there’s always the recuperative Canine Cruise. Chicago’s Canine Cruise stops off at dog parks, fire hydrants and dog-friendly establishments on Lake Michigan (check out www.mercuryskylinecruiseline.com for departures).

Not just puppy love – celeb pets

>> George Clooney’s top babe is his pet pig Max.

>> Leonardo DiCaprio has a pet lizard named Blizzard and a poodle named Rufus.

>> Jessica Simpson owns a pot-bellied pig named Brutus.

>> Hard man Sylvester Stallone owns a boxer named Gangster.

>> Will Smith presumably makes sure that his Rottweilers, Ludo and Zhaki, don’t get fresh on the neighbor’s lawn.

>> Cameron Diaz has a black cat she affectionately calls Little Man. Jealous, Justin?

>> Domestic diva Martha Stewart is feline groovy—with Beethoven, Mozart, Verdi, Vivaldi and little Teeny members of her expanding cat brood.

>> The newly single Renée Zellweger will be finding comfort in her pooch Dylan.

See www.petswelcome.com for more info on where you can take your furry friends.