STOP SCROLLING: 7 Luxury Dog-Friendly Hotels Where Your Pup Gets the VIP Treatment!

4 legs, 5 stars: These upscale hotels prove you don't have to leave your best friend behind. From VIP perks to unforgettable destinations, these stylish stays welcome dogs in comfort and style.

From Stanley Coren, PhD, DSc, FRSC

If you've been mulling bringing your four-legged bestie on your next trip, you're in good company: figures show 78 percent of American pet owners now weave their dogs into luxury getaways. From ski trips to beach breaks and city weekends, here's a round-up of the best spots for a vacay with your pooch.

Best Luxury Dog-Friendly Hotels for a Stylish Getaway

These luxury hotels offer unmatched pet perks and stunning properties.

People have shaped dog genetics for nearly 300 years—about when distinct breeds began to appear. A breed is a strain purposefully bred to create or sharpen certain traits. Though many now think of breeds mainly by looks (the sort judged at conformation shows like Westminster or Crufts), the original aim was behaviour: lines of dogs built to excel at herding, hunting, or guarding. It’s far easier to start with a dog already wired for a task than to train from scratch. The AKC rule of thumb: a breed “always breeds true”—meaning every member shares a set of physical and behavioural traits.

Aspen, Colorado is the ultimate chic winter escape, and no hotel captures that more than the Little Nell. The five-star spot blends cozy tavern and modern vibes for the stylish crowd, with dogs front of mind. Guests call this ski-in, ski-out hotel a dog haven—pups are welcome in all public spaces, bar and restaurant included. Canine guests get their own menu here, with breakfast like scrambled eggs and dinner feasts of ground beef or salmon plus carrots and brown rice. In-room, pets get beds, food and a silver water bowl, and while their humans hit the slopes, dog walking and sitting are on offer. Guests pay $25 USD nightly per pet, plus a $125 USD non-refundable deposit.

I’m always floored watching inherited behaviours surface. I’ve seen an eight-week-old Border Collie herding sheep, a five-week-old German Shorthaired Pointer freeze in a perfect point at dangled feathers, a six-week-old Golden retrieving a duck-shaped toy, and a nine-week-old Cairn Terrier pounce and snap a mouse’s neck in classic Terrier style. Dog experts agree these breed-specific skills are inherited, yet many hesitate to say the same of basic temperament—intelligence, aggression, or fearfulness.

2.Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo

Photo courtesy of Image: petrsvoboda91

Detroit, Michigan has been on a renaissance kick lately, and the Shinola Hotel—an offshoot of the popular watch brand—has sat right at its heart. This ultra-chic city escape welcomes up to two furry family members of any size for an extra $125 USD that includes their own cozy in-room bed and bowls. Dogs explore the hotel and downtown Detroit in fresh style with a gifted Shinola Hotel collar, bandana, and toy to keep.

On the hotel's fourth floor, guests find the pet terrace plus a gift card to Premier Pet Supply, a short walk away. Shinola Hotel also teams with Barkside, the off-leash dog park/cafe/bar in Detroit's West Village, giving guests with furry friends free access during their stay.

Another strongly heritable trait was aggression toward strangers: German Shepherds and Chow Chows are genetically prone to higher levels, while Greyhounds and Labrador Retrievers seem to inherit a calmer nature.

Photo courtesy of Image: Masarik

For those craving a desert break, look no further than Sedona, Arizona: ringed by the vivid red rocks of Boynton Canyon, this scenic setting is the ideal spot for doggy hikes. The perfect base? The 70-acre luxury Enchantment Resort, sitting right next to its sister spa property Mii Amo. The hotel runs a full pet-friendly program, making this the ideal dog-lover's getaway. Up to two pets get an in-room kit, plush dog bed, plus food and water bowls for a non-refundable $150 pet-cleaning fee. Furry pals can get custom Paw Print Impressions at the Artist Cottage, molded from clay for a lifelong keepsake. Dogs are also welcome on the patios at on-property restaurants Che Ah Chi, Tii Gavo, and The Market.

To show genetics affecting trainability: my Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Ranger, earned four obedience degrees by 18 months, while my Beagle, Darby, was four before his first title. Same trainer, same methods—but one carried a genetic edge for trainability and the other’s DNA was less obliging.

Roughly 90 minutes from Montréal sits one of Québec's prettiest hotels, Manoir Hovey. This dog-friendly Relais & Châteaux property sits on Lake Massawippi's shore, near the charming Eastern Townships by North Hatley. The hotel has a concierge for dog travelers, who can stay for an extra $60 CAD in the designated pet-friendly Outdoor Cottages, and join their humans for a free treat in the garden or on the beach. Manoir Hovey is wrapped in 30 acres of birch and pine forest, with trails aplenty for you and your chien to soak up Québec's iconic nature.