Animal House: Hotels That Leave the Dog Biscuit out for You
MIAMI BEACH, Sept. 26, 2006 — -- Hari and Mark Graham and little Bailey Graham make their way though the hotel lobby. Bailey waits obediently for the elevator and then eagerly clambers in when the doors open. Up in their hotel suite, Hari Graham gives Bailey a snack and then puts her on a blanket in the bathtub, where she's asleep in minutes.
Watch Jeffrey Kofman's report at 11:35 pm on 'Nightline' tonight.
It's a ritual the Graham family knows well. They spend a lot of their year in hotels, and they'd never consider traveling without Bailey. She's not the Graham's daughter. Although when it comes to Americans and their pets, it's becoming harder and harder to see any distinction. Bailey's their dog, a very likable, 11-month-old goldendoodle -- part golden retriever, part poodle. "There are our children," says Hari Graham, "I mean Mark and I don't have any children."
"Yeah," says Mark, "they really are our kids."
"And she's really our baby," adds Hari, "and we wouldn't leave her at home for anything. We need to take her with us."
Fortunately for the Grahams -- and especially Bailey -- major hotel chains are on top of the trend. Taking your dog on vacation may have been unthinkable a decade ago, but today it's hassle free.
Introducing the pet-friendly hotel, where dogs are just part of the family. The Loews Miami Beach has had more than 1,200 four-footed guests so far this year. Dogs, like kids, stay free.
"A lot of people just want to travel with their animals," says Shawn Hauver, manager of the Loews Miami Beach, where the hotel has a program called Loews Loves Pets. "We encourage guests to come to our hotels with their pets, and we have a pampering program we put together for them from the time they enter the door till the time they leave."
And Loews Miami Beach sure does knows how to pamper the pooches -- for a price. Fresh grapes by the pool for the discerning dog. A cup of ice cubes for the hot dog.
And don't forget the special doggie dinner menu. French chef Marc Ehrler's hotel kitchen caters to canines as well as their masters. Only the finest for Fido.
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