Don’t worry, I will not be taking my dog with me to your hotel looking like this!
Jimmy
Marjolein van Spronsen blogs about a potential new guest, the dog! Even though hotels are focussing on hygiene and safety first due to Covid-19, your (potential) guests have bought a lot of dogs recently. Under which circumstances are dogs welcome at your hotel? And isn’t a ‘dog wash station’ super helpful? Looking at our Jimmy it certainly is!
Don’t worry, I will not be taking my dog with me to your hotel looking like this!
Okay, this photograph starts the blog off on a good note! Meet Jimmy the labradoodle, our new addition to the family since January 2020. Honestly, we would never take her with us to hotels looking like this but in the last year I had to jump into action every once in a while because she wanted to walk in looking like this.
It remains a dilemma for hoteliers: to allow dogs or not. Usually and rightfully so they are not welcome in most restaurants but with the amount of dogs that have joined families during the covid crisis it may be worth considering under which circumstances you would allow a dog in your hotel. Especially if your hotel is located near a hiking area.
The focus of guests will be on safety, hygiene and complete relaxation after the covid crisis and as it is expected that safely traveling abroad will only become possible as of August, there are opportunities for local hoteliers. Of course, within this potential target group some guests have chosen to get a dog during the covid crisis. If you are thinking about accepting dogs into your hotel rooms, you should keep a few things in mind.
It may be smart to allocate special floors and rooms where dogs are welcome and make this very clear, so that potential guests that do not like dogs or have allergies know this too. Ensure that areas are cleaned using special products and methods to remove allergens. I know that people who are allergic often still notice when a dog has slept in a hotel room. A special floor is thus a safe bet either way. Of course this extra cleaning due to a dog being in a room costs more time and cleaning products, make sure to add these costs to the bill of the guest. Furthermore it may be wise to alter your house rules and terms and conditions so that it is clear which pets you allow, what you will do in case of noise for other guest, damage, et cetera.
Both abroad and in our own country we have seen a lot of fun initiatives for four legged guests. A skihotel had a ‘dog wash station’, which is especially useful in muddy times! In addition we often see dog treats, dog beds and baskets, feeding bowls and so on in hotel rooms. We saw an American example where a hotel had partnered with a local trimming salon and a dog walking service. In the case of a labradoodle this could enable me and the dog to both book a spa day! Numerous examples thus where the dog owner would not mind to pay extra, and a day trip without the dog is also nice once in a while.
What is especially important when making the decision to welcome dogs or not: enjoy them yourself as well! The Dutch hotel ‘De Bloemenbeek’ has their own dog Bella and she welcomed our pup Jimmy when visiting and even walked her to the room!
Marjolein van Spronsen, Marketing & Communication at Van Spronsen & Partners hospitality consultancy. Would you like to establish contact, that is possible through marjoleinvanspronsen@spronsen.com or by telephone: 071 541 88 67.
Van Spronsen & Partners hospitality consultants are a hospitality consulting firm for the Dutch hospitality and leisure industry with more than 30 years of experience. Our activities include feasibility studies, performance improvements for restaurants and hotels, developing new catering concepts, marketing & communication, consultancy for municipalities and management support. We know all the details of the Dutch hospitality market.
