Pet Friendly Hotels?

[GPoppins]

This will be our first trip in many, many years that will find us staying off of Disney property. My family and I have two small doggies now and we don't want to travel without them. We tried renting an RV at FW on our last trip but had such a terrible experience with the RV rental company that we can't imagine trying it again. I am having a really tough time finding a pet friendly property that seems decent! Everything I'm finding seems so cheap that I can't imagine that it would be decent. Any comments, suggestions, ideas or thoughts would be appreciated. A suite is preferable... Thanks so much!

 

[Judique]

This will be our first trip in many, many years that will find us staying off of Disney property. My family and I have two small doggies now and we don't want to travel without them. We tried renting an RV at FW on our last trip but had such a terrible experience with the RV rental company that we can't imagine trying it again. I am having a really tough time finding a pet friendly property that seems decent! Everything I'm finding seems so cheap that I can't imagine that it would be decent. Any comments, suggestions, ideas or thoughts would be appreciated. A suite is preferable... Thanks so much!

I had to travel with my large dog on one visit and I kenneled her at Best Friends on property. I was able to go visit and walk her myself and could take her wherever I wanted and then return her to the kennel for the night. I'm not sure if the rules have changed, but to me this was preferable to leaving her alone in a hotel room. or having her bark at night even in a pet friendly property. We stayed in a pet friendly hotel on our way down and it was brand new and I spent the evening trying to keep my dog quiet - she is a barker. Once lights were all out she settled but some of us weren't really ready to go to sleep! Over all it was a successful trip.

I also have NO experience renting an RV but I read on the camping board that Greenberg RV is very good.

 

[marshamims]

The Universal hotels are pet friendly. Disney hotels and resorts are not.

 

[Bete]

We stay at Lake Buena Vista Residence Inn with our dog. You can get a studio up to a two bedroom suite. The two bedroom suites have different configurations like a king in one bedroom and two queens in the other or you can get two queens in each bedroom. These resort rooms have a full size kitchen which opens up to a living room with a sofa sleeper. There are 2 bathrooms and 3 TVs in the large suites.

They offer a great full, hot breakfast. It's enough to last us for the day. In other words we get by on two meals a day easily. During the week they have 3 nights where they offer an evening reception which is like a quick service meal. They include beer and wine at these receptions. There's a mini grocery store on the premises. You can buy your Disney tickets there; there's a rep.

The pool is okay and there's enough grass around the resort for potty times for the dogs.

This resort is not too far from Downtown Disney.

Depending on the room you get you will pay between $100 to $175/night. There can be promos; you have to look everyday to see if you can snag a good deal. They offer the AAA discount and other ones, too.

The resort is not brand new, but it's fine by us.

I have heard very good reviews for Drury Inn. On the cheaper side is LaQuinta. Red Roof Inn is on the cheaper side, too.

 

[UCFGrad01]

Most Hampton Inns are pet friendly too. With any pet friendly hotel, make sure you are aware of their policies. Most list that the dog should not be left unattended and/or must be crated. Housekeeping might not come in if a dog is staying in the room, depending on the property.

 

[Bete]

With regard to hotel policies for pets usually if you leave your cell phone number they will allow you to keep the dog at the resort. If the dog is a nuisance with barking, growling and so forth you will be called. Some resorts have very strict policies and as the previous poster stated may not allow a dog to be in the room unattended. I would never leave the dog(s) without a kennel containment. We leave the TV on to distract the dog from hearing others passing by the room. We make sure the dog has been played with and pottied well before we leave for a park. We don't let housekeeping into the room if the dog is there. You can use your do not disturb sign. You can always get supplies including towels on your own there.

We try to find an end resort room; so, we don't have another room on each side of us. We try to get a first floor room to make it easier for potty times.

We don't leave the dog alone for more than 6 hours. We take a break coming back, let the dog have another meal and then we go back to the parks. When our dog was a puppy we had to do 4 hour intervals. You should know your dogs potty routine to know what is necessary.

You can always day kennel your dog, as well. This would be additional cost. Then, you wouldn't have to go back and forth to the parks.

 

[PrincessP]

Hyatt regency grand cypress. We stayed there in Sept. They have a floor set aside as pet friendly...I think it was the 2nd floor. My son is allergic to dogs and has asthma. so we specifically called the hotel before our stay b/c, for us, it was a concern when we saw "pet friendly," and we wanted to make sure not all rooms were pet friendly.

We saw a dog owner carrying his dachshund around the hotel in his arms all week. They seemed content. I have no idea what their policy is regarding leaving dogs unattended in the room.

It's a great hotel and was VERY convenient to WDW. It was also convenient driving to Sea World area parks.

Hotel pool was great...slide, waterfalls. We usually stay at the Poly, and the pool was comparable. Double bed rooms were full size mattresses, Not queen, so be aware of that. The shower door doesn't cover the entire tub area so that was a bit odd....water splashing out more than we'd like, but we were very pleased with the hotel overall. Lots of resort amenities...large lake, bikes, rock wall, kayaks, hydro bikes, etc. your resort fee covers all of that....and you pay the fee whether you use the amenities or not.

I recommend the hotel....but call to get clarity on their rules regarding pets.

Have a great vacation!

 

[GPoppins]

Thank you for your kind responses and your tips. Ultimately, we went with a townhouse rental at Windsor Hills. I couldn't bear picturing housekeeping coming into our room by chance while our pups were there. Though we put them in a large pen when we leave, crazy things happen and we wouldn't want to leave them. Kenneling them isn't an option so we'll make trips back to the townhouse to visit with them and take a break ourselves too. It will be strange staying off of Disney property - I haven't done that since 1990 or so. I'm glad we're AP holders so that my FP+ don't disappear. Thanks again for the ideas and suggestions!!