Ritzy Pet Getaways: Kennel, What Kennel? I'm Going to a Spa!

Pamper your pets with a winter getaway.

Last week we told you about some above-and-beyond accommodations and amenities for your furry friends when you travel together. But what about those trips when you’ve got to leave them behind?

It used to be that a friendly neighbor or energetic dog-sitter was your pup’s sole alternative to the dreaded kennel while you were out of town—but not so anymore. Gone are the days of lonely kennel cages and the often-undeserved stigma attached to those pet owners who frequent them. In addition to the thousands of fantastic kennels across the country, a new breed (pardon the pun) of luxury pet “hotels” provides pups an experience so indulgent, they might never want to come home.

Let’s start at the Barkley (get it? “Bark”?) Hotel in Cleveland. We know, Orange Village, Ohio might not be the first place you think of when we say things like canine massage therapy, in-room television entertainment, “day camp,” and nighttime tummy rubs standard for every animal guest. But these are just some of the amenities you can expect for your pet during his or her stay in the Barkley’s 15,000 square feet of “Canine Quarters” and “Kitty City.” While at the Barkley, you can choose for your pup to stay in one of their luxury poolside, garden, or serenity suites (which are designed especially to cater to the needs of smaller dog breeds). And just in case you miss your pet too much, webcams throughout the facility provide 24/7 visual access to the hotel—with live video now available on your cell phone!

D Pet Hotels Hollywood—the “D” stands for “distinguished” (and also for “dog”)—are what you might expect an L.A. “luxury resort and spa,” although the pampered guests are a little furrier than the hairless glitterati to whom they belong. In every one of D Pet Hotel’s luxury boarding “suites,” pups rest on modern queen-sized mattresses (that’s right, the same ones we sleep on—just put that frame a little lower to the ground). And for their viewing pleasure, every room has a 42” flat-screen TV to entertain them should they get bored with the three indoor dog parks, fully-appointed day spa, organic food and treats, custom photo shoots, and shopping at D Boutique. If your pooch is feeling a little too pampered, there’s even a doggy gym complete with mini-treadmills, pet-cercise therapists, and fluffy white towels to dab off after a good workout.

But in spite of what you may believe, over-pampered Hollywood celebrities are not the only ones who spend exorbitant amounts of money on their already over-pampered pets. In Pompano Beach, Florida, you’ll find one of Animal Planet’s ten “most outrageous” animal digs: Château Poochie.

Here, the hotel’s canine “guests” are treated like royalty, from the door-to-door shuttle service that picks animals up at home and drives them directly to the hotel and spa, to the marble-and-mirror grand foyer, to the gourmet chef who prepares ready-to-eat versions of most adults’ favorite foods. By far the most excessively fancy dog hotel we’ve ever come across, Château Poochie’s crystal chandeliers and carefully chosen antiques make the place feel, according to hotel staff, like “the Ritz-Carlton of dog hotels.” Suites at the Château, which run from $47 to $109 per night, provide pups access to a spa with grooming, manicures, ear cleaning, facials and aromatherapy bubble baths. The “Zen Wellness Center” has a full-time massage therapist on staff, an exercise room, a nutritionist, and even a Senior Center for more “mature” guests who require extra care. And lest you think some dogs have all the luck, Château Poochie also boasts a “Palace Cat Boudoir” for the feline set.

Some call it luxury, others call it excess—I call it enough to make this reporter thoroughly jealous she’s not someone’s pampered poochie—because a blueberry facial sounds rather lovely.

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