Too Posh for Pooch? The Luxurious World of Dog Hotels
Almost a quarter of UK households own a dog, with 22% of owners considering their pets to be a close family member. This humanisation of our companions is driving a number of trends in the pet product world, not least the luxury dog hotel.
Canine Cuisine
The Barkley Pet Hotel in California offers its canine residents steak a la carte. The Chateau Poochie in Florida boats its own on-site gourmet chef, and Actuel Dog in Paris offers their take on canine haute cuisine. The iconic Beverley Hills Hotel caters for pampered pooches in its famous bungalows, where everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Liz Taylor have held court – dogs are catered for with the Canine Connoisseur Program, including personalised baked-to-order bones for them to chew on.
Walkies
A stay at Paris’s Actuel Dogs isn’t just about the cuisine – dogs are enrolled in bespoke fitness activities that include biking, hiking, jogging and more. In Beverley Hills, there’s a perfectly pink tennis ball and a trip to the world-famous spa to enjoy. The D Pet Hotel in New York offers 6,000 square feet of exclusive dog parks as well as aromatherapy and personal trainers to accompany under-exercised pets on the range of customised treadmills. For water lovers, the Barkley offers swimming lessons followed by a massage.
Grooming
When it comes to the exclusive American dog hotels, the sky is the limit for pampering regimes. The Barkley offers the most over-the-top range of services, including stencil dyeing for fur and jewel-encrusted ‘pawdicures’. For something a little more discreet, the Canis Resort in Munich, Germany, offers a range of organic treatments, including physiotherapy and health analysis. Grooming might seem luxurious, but it’s actually a necessity for a pet’s health and well-being, and you’ll find excellent groomers across the UK. If you’re looking for dog grooming in Cheltenham, for example, a groomers like http://www.blossoms-pet-care.co.uk/dog-grooming/dog-grooming-cheltenham.aspx will offer a full range of services to keep pets in perfect shape.
Added Extras
The world of luxury dog hotels is full of flat-screen TVs and personalised dog bowls, calming music and Zen Wellness Centres – in fact, all the luxury treats that human owners might expect from a five-star stay. The Pets Dream Park in Taiwan goes one step further, streaming footage of their guests direct to a mobile app.