Pet-friendly hotels getting own listings
Columbus is laying out the welcome mat — and water dish — for travelers with pets.
DogsInCBUS.com, a site attached to ExperienceColumbus.com, is dedicated to dog-friendly attractions, hotels and events.
The site lists more than 100 hotels, shops and service providers in central Ohio of interest to dog owners.
The website also promotes special events such as the Grandview Heights Public Library’s 9th annual Yappy Hour “doggie mingle” on May 11 and the PetPromise
charity Rescue Run in Downtown on May 27.
Experience Columbus, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, launched the effort in acknowledgement of consumer demand.
The percentage of pet owners who take their animals on the road with them has almost doubled over the past 10 years, from 19 percent to 37 percent, according to the American Pet Products Association. A number of major hotel chains have made being pet-friendly a policy across all their properties.
“We’re responding to the increased demand we’re seeing from visitors in the marketplace to bring their pets along,” said Kari Kauffman, vice president of tourism for Experience Columbus, in a statement.
Even some of the city’s most upscale hotels welcome dogs: Le Meridien Columbus, The Joseph, in the Short North neighborhood offers complimentary doggie beds and bowls, as well as free dog treats from Three Dog Bakery across High Street from the hotel.
Kellee Marker, director of sales and marketing for the two-year-old hotel, said parent Starwood Hotels has had a a chainwide petfriendly initiative. She said it works well for the neighborhood, as The Joseph is just a block from Goodale Park, a popular spot for dog walkers.
“Every single weekend, I see dogs in the hotel,” Marker said. She said a number of couples staying at the hotel for a wedding have brought their dogs and had them included in wedding photos and activities including the marriage ceremony.
One place Experience Columbus can’t currently direct travelers is to restaurants.
Although some restaurants informally allow leased dogs in outdoor areas, Ohio code officially prohibits animals from restaurants.
Experience Columbus spokeswoman Megumi Robinson said the tourism group is working with the Columbus Chamber “to explore changing” the law, as has been done in some other places.