Pet-Friendly Hotels Leave No Paw Unpampered

As hotels and resorts compete to provide guests with ever more luxurious amenities, a growing number are realizing that they've been neglecting a certain subset of their clientele: the kind with four legs -- or feathers, or scales.

Some 29 million, or 14%, of U.S. adults brought the family pet with them on at least one trip in the past three years, according to the Travel Industry Association.

Most travel with a dog (78%), while a few hardy souls traveled with cats (15%). A few folks even travel with birds, ferrets, rabbits or fish. As the number of non-human guests is substantial, luxury hotels are catering to these animal guests in ways that many people won't experience at more budget-friendly accommodations.

Since most pet people travel with their dogs, it stands to reason that the most pet-friendly hotels are prepared to cater to canines. ...