Layla Haddad · July 1, 2026 · 9 min read
'Pet-friendly' at a luxury hotel used to mean a tolerated pet, a cleaning fee, and a request to use the service elevator. In 2026 the best properties in the category treat dogs as guests: a monogrammed bed at check-in, a proper in-room menu of chef-prepared meals, a walking service, and — increasingly — a resident house dog who greets arrivals in the lobby. If you travel with a pet, the difference between a hotel that allows dogs and a hotel that welcomes them is enormous, and it's worth booking specifically for it.
In the United States, the Fairmont group's West Coast properties still lead the field. The Fairmont San Francisco has kept a resident lobby dog (a Labrador named Rider, most recently) for years, and pets stay free with no weight limit. In Los Angeles, the Peninsula Beverly Hills and the Hotel Bel-Air both offer full concierge-arranged dog services — grooming, on-property walks, and a menu approved by the same chefs who cook for humans. Texas has quietly become one of the strongest states for pet-friendly luxury too: the Post Oak Hotel in Houston, Hotel Emma in San Antonio, and Auberge's Commodore Perry Estate in Austin all take pets without surcharges and with genuine amenities on arrival.
In Europe, the Rosewood London runs one of the best canine programs in the city — a butler-served dog menu, custom-fit walking harnesses, and briefings on the nearest green spaces. In Paris, Le Bristol keeps its own resident cat (Fa-Raon) and welcomes dogs into the restaurant with the same warmth. The Gritti Palace in Venice, the Hotel de Russie in Rome, and Aman Venice all take pets without the awkwardness that still hangs over most Italian luxury properties. In the Alps, the Cheval Blanc Courchevel and the Badrutt's Palace in St. Moritz treat ski-season dogs as another member of the family — heated beds, sled walks, and off-piste routes tailored to pets.
In the Middle East and Asia, the field is thinner but growing. The Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach accepts small dogs into its beachfront villas, and Bulgari Resort Dubai allows pets under a stated weight into most suites with 48 hours' notice. In Japan, Hoshino Resorts' Risonare Nasu is designed around dogs — dedicated dog-friendly rooms, an on-site dog run, and grooming — and it's the reference point most other Japanese luxury properties are quietly copying.
A few practical things worth knowing before you book. First, weight limits are the single most common gotcha — many properties cap pets at 15 or 20 kilograms, which excludes a lot of medium-sized dogs. Confirm in writing, not by web form. Second, an official pet policy is not the same as a good pet program; ask specifically whether beds, bowls, and food are provided, or you'll end up carrying it all. Third, book the room type that matters: ground-floor rooms, garden-facing rooms, or suites with terraces are worth the upgrade if you're traveling with an active dog for more than two nights.
One last note on airlines and arrivals: most true luxury hotels will arrange airport pickup in a pet-appropriate vehicle if you ask 48 hours ahead — a small detail that turns the end of a long flight into a genuinely calm arrival. It's the kind of thing that separates a hotel that permits your dog from one that plans for them.
