As we are quickly heading into the holiday season, I thought you might be interested in reading this survey from the great folks at PetRelocation.com. I’d be interested to know how our readers might respond to this survey, so please add your comments!
International pet travel survey finds travelers pick holiday lodging, destination with pets in mind
AUSTIN, Texas – November 9, 2010: PetRelocation.com released today the results of its first annual Holiday Pet Travel Survey of more than 7000 pet owners worldwide, finding that sixty-three percent of pet owners say they travel at least 50 mi. (80 km.) with their pets during the holidays.
Staying Stateside
Of pet owners who travel with pets, a majority of them (71 percent) choose to travel within their state of residence during the holidays. Twenty-eight percent travel out of the state, and eighty-five percent of those who travel with pets for the holidays said that their pets influence the distance of how far they’ll travel for a holiday vacation.
Short and Sweet
Pet owners keep their holiday travel short and sweet. Most pet owners surveyed (45 percent) typically spend between $50-$100 on pet-related products and services during the holiday season. Eighty-five percent of those who travel with pets take holiday trips which last seven days or less, with the remainder of pet owners indicating their trips can last up to two weeks. A majority of pet owners (57 percent) said their pets do not influence the length of their holiday travel.
Friends and Family
While a third of respondents said they stay at pet-friendly hotels during their holiday travel, 66 percent said they stay at the home of friends or family during the holidays. This may have something to do with the availability of pet-friendly lodging during the holiday season-a majority of pet owners (85 percent) said that their pets influence where they choose to stay during the holidays.
Pets are Family, Too
Of those who travel with pets during the holidays, nearly all of them indicated they only travel with dogs. When asked why they choose to travel with their pets, a majority of pet owners (71 percent) said it was “because pets are part of the family and should be with the rest of the family during holiday occasions.”
Holiday Challenges
When traveling with pets during the holidays, 42 percent of pet owners listed making sure their pets don’t become stressed as their biggest challenge. Finding pet-friendly transportation or airlines was the second biggest challenge according to 28 percent of travelers with pets during the holiday season. This is a similar sentiment to the 2010 Summer Pet Travel Survey (http://www.petrelocation.com/summer-pet-travel-survey) results in which pet owners indicated airline fees and airline selection as the most difficult road blocks in their pet travel plans.
From M. Montagno:
We stayed at Captain Moe’s twice: once on our way from the U.S. to Sayulita,Nayarit and again on our way home from Nayarit. Moe and Dorothy are kind and personable folks,who run a very comfortable and super dog-friendly B&B. Our room was spacious, clean, and incredibly comfortable. The B&B is nicely decorated and located in a convenient,safe neighborhood, a short two blocks from a beautiful stretch of beach within Mazatlan’s Zona Dorada. Each room is well appointed. Our particular room had two queen beds, an air conditioning unit, a safe, as well as a small refrigerator with a couple of complimentary bottles of water. We were not sure where to eat during our brief visit to Mazatlan, so Moe and Dorothy happily offered us a few dining recommendations. We happened to be in Mazatlan during Dia de los Muertos, so Moe and Dorothy suggested that we see the festival at Plaza Machado and even offered to watch our dog while we were out. Every morning, Moe cooks up a tasty and full breakfast. He offers quite a few food and beverage options,making sure that his guests get plenty to eat before going about their days. Like many others who visit Captain Moe’s, we were travelers driving along Mexico’s highway 15. When it was time for us to get back on the road, Moe was concerned that we might get lost on the way to the highway. Wanting to help us avoid a construction mess on the way to highway 15, Moe hopped on his scooter, and personally navigated us through the streets of Mazatlan to the nearest highway entrance. We truly enjoyed our stay at Captain Moe’s Bed and Breakfast. Moe and Dorothy are a delight, and their B&B was a cozy and comfortable destination after a long day of road travel. We are sure to visit Captain Moe’s on any of our future trips to Mexico and would highly recommend this B&B to anyone planning to visit Mazatlan, especially to those traveling with dogs.
 
TRIPADVISOR – Find Hotels That Travelers Trust – including Captain Moe’s. Over 40 Million Unbiased Reviews!
 This photo of Catalina Beach Resort is courtesy of TripAdvisor Graham, who has already sent a review of the Hacienda Vayma in Acapulco, also added this great sounding hotel in beautiful Zihuatenejo:
The Catalina Hotel is right on the beach at La Ropa in Zihuatanejo. Well behaved Dogs are most welcome to stay in your a/c room (with refrigerator and TV). Your pooch is also allowed in the restaurant ( great views ) and bar, and in the private beach area. Most restaurants on the beach permit your pal to dine with you, the notable exception being La Perla – so give that one a miss. The hotel has had some renovation work done in the last year, but some rooms are a little dowdy. Zihuatenejo is an understated gem of a harbour close to the fly in/fly out hotels of Ixtapa, so has good amenities – airport, improved roads, golf courses and good stores and restaurants. High season is Halloween to Easter. Rainy in August/September.
Read Reviews and Discover Great Deals on Hotel Catalina and other great hotels in Zihuatenejo.
From our reader, Graham:
The Vayma has a menu for dogs in their restaurant, a pool for dogs and your well behaved pooch is even encouraged to take advantage of the beach beds and sun loungers. Pie de la Cuesta is a one street village just 15 minutes from the bustling city of Acapulco. It is so much better than the overly commercial beaches there, and has some of the most spectacular sunsets in all of Mexico. Go there. You’ll love it.
 This photo of Hacienda Vayma is courtesy of TripAdvisor I noticed that there are mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, but I find that’s not uncommon with many of the smaller hotels in Mexico. People go to a hotel on the beach in Mexico with certain expectations, and truthfully, I think that not everyone really ‘understands’ that luxury in Mexico is not always what Gringo’s expect. Still, this place should be on your list if you are looking for a pet friendly hotel in Acapulco. That beach looks lovely, and any hotel that has a restaurant that makes doggy dinners is hitting my soft spot.
Read Reviews and Discover Great Deals on the Hacienda Vayma at TripAdvisor.com
Reader Review of the Holiday Inn, San Luis Potosi from Ann B:
The Holiday Inn San Luis Potosi accepted our reservation with two large dogs about two weeks in advance for our arrival at the end of March 2011. They said they have only one room reserved for guests with pets. They have a nice walled yard with walking paths that are great for the dogs. Our great disappointment was that the plumbing backed up every time the toilet was flushed. I think that is why they put us there. There was no carpet, so I guess that made the clean-up easier. The place has great food and bar and swimming pool, exercise room, etc.
I wish that there was a better report on The Holiday Inn, but San Luis Potosi has very few alternatives for pet friendly hotels. Especially if you are with larger dogs (like Ann’s magnificent German Shepherds!), it may be worth considering. Hopefully, they will get the plumbing issues worked out. If anyone else has experiences with tHoliday Inn, I’d sure appreciate your comments below.
Holiday Inn San Luis Potosi-Quijote
Carretera Central KM 420 S/N Zona Industrial
San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Hotel Front Desk: 52-444-8344100
Reader review from Rebe:
my husband and I officially retired and after much research and prayer decided to move from houston, texas, usa to aguascalientes, aguascalientes, mexico…..it was one of the best decisions of our lives…..we made the move with six suitcases, two plastic tubs,and our dog…..a chow chow akita mix…..we stayed at the hotel medrano in one of their great little casitas for 8 weeks…..they are located in the back of the property in a beautiful garden area with orange, lime, mango, pecan, guayaba trees, and a beautiful assortment of colorful flowers……we had a great place to walk our dog, enough space for her to run around, roll in the grass, and just take a siesta …..we had a small suite with a separate bedroom, 2 full baths,a small kitchen, a small seperate indoor/outdoor area for supplies a couple of bikes and our pet that only had access from our kitchen……they offer a workout area, a restaurant, small gym and 2 pools……the staff treated us great….the owner lives on site and has her own furry friend…..and the city is very very pleasant….please visit the hotel medrano if you ever visit aguascalientes……they are wonderful to pet owners….
Thanks, Rebe! Enjoy your retirement – I hear that’s a beautiful part of Mexico.
Medrano Hotel – Aquascalientes
Jose Maria Chavez, 904
Aquascalientes
One of my readers told me that the Plaza Inn Hotel in Los Mochis was pet friendly. Because so many people travel down Mexican Highway 15, I do get a lot of requests for hotels on this route. When I contacted the hotel to confirm their pet policy, I received this delightful response:
Hi I hope this having a great day.
Your writer was right, at our hotel we have services for pets and are treated like any other guest, we have rooms with king-size beds and queen-size for both people and pets sleep in comfort.
We also have rooms with tubs, if your dog needs a shower, all rooms have luxury bathrooms with walls covered in marble and tempered glass. The entire hotel has air conditioning and heating, high speed internet and complimentary breakfasts, and last but not least we give you the transportation airport-hotel and a welcome drink.
AN APOLOGY FOR MY ENGLISH, IS NOT VERY GOOD, BUT I TRY JAJAJAJA
I just love the SUPER pet friendly attitude of this hotel, and I’d love to have someone who has actually stayed there comment below. We might just have to stop on our way home to Arizona!
Plaza Inn Hotel
Leyva y Cardenas
Colonia Centro, Los Mochis, Sinaloa
Reader Review from MaryEllen:
The Mona Lisa is quaint Mexican style resort which has RV parking, campgrounds, motel rooms and beach houses for rent. And it is pet friendly which is the primary reason I chose this place. Accommodations are reasonably priced and great deals esp. during the week. The charming owner, Elisa, has been here for many years. The Mona Lisa has direct beach access and a great place to take a morning or evening beach stroll with your pets. Estero Beach is much quieter and more private than downtown Ensenada. There’s a great little restaurant, El Pescador, located 1/4 mile from the resort which serves great chile rellenos and vegetarian burgers at reasonable prices with friendly management.
www.monalisabeach.com
Tel: 646-177-5100
rtopik@gmail.com
As I’ve written before, my father retired to Hendersonville, NC and I’ve visited that beautiful area many times. Asheville is a great smaller city, and I’m delighted to report that the one of the premier hotels in Asheville, The Grove Park Inn and Resort, has just become a pet friendly hotel.
The Grove Park is a veritable historic monument in Asheville, courtesy of its 100 year long history of illustrious guests such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Harry Houdini, Will Rogers, George Gershwin, Thomas Edison, Eleanor Roosevelt and Henry Ford. Recent awards include
• American Culinary Federation Achievement of Excellence 2011
Each year the American Culinary Federation presents the Achievement of Excellence award to a select number of extraordinary properties that demonstrate excellence and passion for the culinary arts through their unparalleled food and beverage program.
• SpaFinder Readers’ Choice Awards — 2010
Top 10 Best for Romance
• Travel & Leisure “World’s Best Awards” — 2010
7th Best Hotel Spa in North America
The inn has opened the 126 rooms in the Vanderbilt Wing to cater to humans and cats and dogs. Guests with pets are charged an extra $95 fee per stay (up to 60 pounds per pet, two pets per room). You can have the fun of ordering from a special pet menu, featuring such dishes as “chicken pup pie” and “meatwoof.” The hotel has set aside special walking areas, and has special bedtime treats for your four-legged buddies. Imagine you and Fido spending the night in the same room as Presidents William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Guess who’s probably smarter? Interested? Click Here to make a reservation at The Grove Park Inn and Resort.
Click here to see other historic inns and B&B’s in Asheville, North Carolina.
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