Kimpton Hotels

Last week I was traveling for work and we stayed at the Kimpton Hotel and Spa in Scottsdale Arizona. Always being on the lookout for good places to bring pets, the doggie bed and bowl of dog biscuits immediately caught my eye at the check in counter. They have a resident Cocker Spaniel, Bosco (that I never got to see due to being in a conference most days) and state that "pets and children are part of your family so there is no extra charge for either".

Now, this isn't an inexpensive hotel but for a special occasion, it would be a great place to bring the whole family. I saw people walking around with their dogs and people sitting on the patio dining with their dogs beside them. I wished Seymour had been with me. I only saw one area where the dogs couldn't "go" and that was a small astro turf area that they use for outdoor parties. I could understand that - dogs probably wouldn't know the difference between real grass and fake grass so it's better to keep them off of the fake stuff.



I talked to one man with a beautiful golden retriever. They were there because his daughter got married at the hotel the night before. He said that they got there a few days early and the hotel was booked. They tried the Best Western that wanted to charge him $25 extra for a dog less than 20 pounds. He said his dog was 70 pounds so they upped the rate to $50 extra. They decided not to stay there. It would be one thing if they used that money as a deposit and gave it back if the dog didn't mess up the room but they just pocket it. This man said he thought his room at the Kimpton was a good as everyone else's room (another common problem - what does a hotel do with rooms they have yet to remodel? They give them to hapless pet owners!)

The customer service in this hotel was the best I've ever seen. They said that all of their hotels have the same pet policy but I would check before going. Their website is www.kimptonhotels.com

I'm going to have to save my pennies - and pick up those pennies I see on the ground that I often pass up - so I can go back to Scottsdale or another of their hotels. I need Seymour to experience clean and friendly. I'll talk about our past experiences with hotels next.