Where to Find Pet Friendly Lodging, Hotels, and Motels in the United States

You love to travel across the United States almost as much as you love your pet. So when it is vacation time you have two choices: leave your best friend in a cold, sterile kennel; or forego your long-awaited trip. Those are your only choices, right? Fortunately not! Following is a list of pet-friendly hotel chains across the country so you can travel the U.S. to your heart's content without leaving your beloved pet behind.

All Loews brand hotels offer several pet-friendly amenities. Feel free to borrow Frisbees and pick up a collapsible water bowl and waste pick-up bags at the front desk. Your best friend is sure to feel like royalty when you order for them from the veterinarian developed, pet room service menu. To find out if there is a Loews hotel at your vacation destination, check out their website at http://www.loewshotels.com, or call 1.800.23.LOEWS (1.800.235.6397).

Best Western brand, with the philosophy that pets are family, boasts over 1900 pet-friendly hotels. Their website - http://www.bestwestern.com - has several pages and links devoted to traveling with pets. Check out their fun pet traveler photo gallery, and read tips including "Pack your pet's bed, blanket or favorite toy to remind them of home." No matter where you travel, you are likely to find a Best Western nearby. Check locations on their website, or call their toll free reservations line at 1.800.780.7234.

Microtel Inns & Suites makes vacationing with your pet easy. Most of their hotels welcome four-legged friends. There are a few common-sense rules you must abide by: your pet must weigh less than eighty pounds; you must have certification showing that your pet's vaccinations are up to date; pets must be walked on a leash. To read the complete list of pet policies and guidelines for Microtel, or to find pet-friendly locations, go online to http://www.microtelinn.com/petpolicy or call 1.800.771.7171.

Offering over 360 pet-friendly locations across the United States, Red Roof Inns encourage you to travel with your pet. At their website, http://www.redroof.com, Red Roof Inns provides a list of pet travel safety tips along with their company's pet policy. To learn about their comprehensive pet policy or to make lodging reservations check out their website or call 1.800.RED.ROOF (1.800.733.7663).

Days Inn offers nearly 1000 pet-friendly locations across the country. To view some of their helpful pet travel tips and use their uncomplicated drop-down list to find out if there is a location that offers pet amenities at your vacation destination, go online to http://www.daysinn.com/DaysInn/control/pet_friendly. You can also call Days Inn's customer service line toll-free at 1.800.329.7466.

LaQuinta Inns and Suites, with over 350 pet-friendly sites across the country, welcome cats and dogs that weigh more than fifty pounds. No fees or deposits are required for your pet, but you must be present or your pet must be crated in order for you to receive housekeeping services. Call LaQuinta toll-free at 1.866.725.1661 or make reservations online at http://www.lq.com.

As our pets are becoming more and more like our hairy children, many hotel and motel brands as well as many independent lodgings are offering accommodations to people and their pets. Before you assume your furry four-footed friend will not be welcome, take the time to check. You might be pleasantly surprised!