As more people bring pets along on their vacation, more hotels are working to accommodate them, according to NBC News.
Market researchers refer to the trend of bringing pets with them as "humanization." Currently, 62 percent of hotel properties permit pets, an increase from 52 percent in 2010, according to a survey conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
"We have definitely seen growth in pet-friendly hotels over the past several years, and currently more than 20,500 hotels on Travelocity's site are listed as pet friendly," Courtney Scott, a senior editor at Travelocity.com told NBC.
The most common pet is a dog, and hotels have expanded their offerings for pets, introducing more elaborate programs that are intended to show travelers that dogs are more than just allowed, but wanted.
Ten years ago, hotels either allowed dogs or not.
"You could not really say they welcomed them, that is, encouraged you to bring them," Len Kain, the editor of Dogfriendly.com, a travel site for dog owners, said.
Some hotels have gone as far as offering pet psychics. The Hotel Monaco Portland in Oregon worked with Bridget Pilloud, a pet psychic.
"People have me ask questions to their dog, and I receive information," Pilloud, who is a former marketing executive, said. "I might see images, I might see things or smell things."
For those who wonder if that kind of amenity would really win new customers, Mike DeFrino, the chief operating officer of Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group, who estimates that over 100,000 pets stay in their hotels each year, said, "It's gimmicky, but people have fun with it."
He says these events go over well in Portland.
Kimpton Hotel Group caters to other pets as well, and even offers guests the opportunity to be pet owners for a night. Their hotels have goldfish in a bowl that can be delivered to any room.
"The more fun people have in our hotels, the more likely they are to talk about us, the more likely they are to come back," DeFrino said.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
