Yes, I’ve come across that stipulation too (although I’ve never had the misfortune of making the mistake of booking a room at such an establishment).

Hotel policies are like the blind leading the blind, it seems. If you simply require people to leave the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door if/when they leave their pets alone, that removes any concerns about hotel staff being surprised by a pet.

Responsible owners confidently leave their pets alone at home (dare I point out…”uncaged”?) for any number of reasons. When one is travelling, one’s hotel room is considered “home.” I wonder how parents would feel if those same hotels required children to be caged? Oh yeah, that’s right. Children can go everywhere you’re going, so there’s no need to leave them behind. …I forgot. (winking)

Pretty much everything else is down to the responsibility of the owner. Clean dog. Quiet dog. Well-behaved dog that won’t damage anything. Hold individuals responsible for their individual actions.

I wrote an article on pet travel, that’s still available online:

http://www.goodpooch.com/MyGoo.....elling.htm

As for cages, I’d laugh in the face of anyone who suggested I cage my dog. Again, that kind of thing goes back to hotel staff who know next to nothing about canine behaviour, training, and responsible ownership, but fancy themselves expert enough to dictate what someone like me (a 30 year dog training veteran who specialized in extreme behaviour problems) can do with her perfectly-behaved, silent, scrupulously-groomed dog.

Uh, huh.

Oh, and I should mention that I naturally followed-up with the staff member who contacted me and encouraged me to book a room at the Four Seasons (Yorkville). I explained my disdain about the surprise I discovered at check-in (not being able to leave the dog alone in the room). His comment? “Well, Marjorie, rules are made to be broken.” …Nice.

I’ve found it generally nightmarish dealing with allegedly “pet-friendly” hotels of every ilk. Never trust a “listing” that claims a place allows animals. 90% of the time, I find one or more of these “friendly” features in place:

* Size limitations. Under 30 pounds. Under 20 pounds. “Small” pet, not defined. (If our desk clerk is scared of dogs, yours isn’t “small.” We’ll leave you hanging until you try to check in.)

* “One small pet.”

* Smoking room only. Room formerly inhabited by a slots addict named Marge who was sucking unfiltered Camels through her stoma and snubbing the butts on the side of the mattress. Housekeeping thoughtfully gave the room a five-second spritz with Glade, so it’s all okay.

*”Non-refundable deposit.” Ummmm … that’s called a FEE. As high as $100 per night/$100 per animal per stay. These “deposits” can easily cost more than the room rate.

* Breed bans. None o’ them rockwilders or pibbles. Or in our case, German shepherds. Usually not stated outright. When making the reservation “What kind of dog is it?” “A medium-sized dog, ma’am. That’s all you need to know.”