Canines are Top Dogs at the D Pet Hotels:

As the pet services industry continues to boom at unprecedented rates, pet friendly lodging is more in demand than ever, with much more upscale accommodations now available for our furry friends.
In the past, people who traveled would board their pets (especially dogs) in no-frills kennels.But nowadays, there are pet hotels, posh pet spas that offer boarding and pet friendly retreats that welcome people who opt to travel with their pets that offer luxury and comfort fit for furry kings and queens.Aside from the fact that more people are traveling with their pets than ever before, those who leave their pets behind when they travel now seek much more elaborate accommodations, services and amenities for their four-legged family members.
Dog Don't Have to 'Ruff It' at These Upscale Hotels

A big star on the dog lodging scene is D Pet Hotels, the first of its kind luxury pet franchise with locations in Los Angeles (the flagship operation), New York City’s Chelsea section and Scottsdale, Ariz.These are upscale accommodations that feature amenities people rarely get to enjoy including limousine service, plush suites with designer people beds, flat screen TVs, gyms with doggie treadmills, boutiques, spa services with everything from grooming to massage and paw-dicures and more.Lest I forget, the hotels also feature five-star canine cuisine prepared to order by a private chef.From People to Pet LodgingsWhat's interesting about this franchise (which is available for purchase) is that this was launched by a former people hospitality real estate industry professional, Alissa Cruz, a dog lover who is originally from Miami."I worked for Starwood Hotels' St. Regis Residence Club for seven or eight years, selling their fractional real estate," she said. "Then the banking industry took a fall in 2007.

So in 2008, I decided that I needed to change gears."Cruz took a tremendous risk because a recession was looming on the horizon. But the gamble paid off, as these hotels have become very successful, with very little in the way of promotions."One amazing thing that happened is that our publicity has come to us," she said.To date, D Pet Hotels have been featured in a dazzling array of newspapers, magazines, on TV and Internet sites such as People magazine, The New York Post, CNN Travel and "The Tonight Show" when Conan O'Brien was host.Dogged Determination Inspired by PoochesCruz – an admitted "nervous dog mom" - was inspired to explore this venture by her own two dogs, Twix and Snickers, a Chihuahua and miniature Doberman."Because I used to travel so much, I had to board them," she said. "I hated to leave them in traditional kennels with the cage settings, or the cage-free boarding facilities where the Chihuahuas were running around with the big dogs. I don’t have kids; these are my babies. So this would frustrate me."So she relied on her expertise in developing people hotels to come up with a unique plan."When I developed hotels, I thought of what I love. I love staying in luxury hotels, and my dogs do too."Pooches Get Top-Notch PamperingSince the franchise was first launched in Hollywood, Cruz got in a crash course in servicing very well-pawed clientele. This has become a hallmark of the franchise, and enabled her to set her operations apart from others."What makes us different is that no request is too large," she said. "Some dogs are vegetarians because they have a skin condition. Some dogs eat filet mignon and rice for dinner every night. In L.A., that's the kind of clientele we have. We have celebrity clients. Or they work as producers or in the record industry. We also offer limo service. We pick the doggies up in the morning and take them home at night. We not only make the doggies comfortable, there is no request that we can't provide for."Although Cruz was not at liberty to reveal the identities of her celebrity doggie parents, she did share some of their more elaborate requests."The food requests are pretty interesting. We have picked up dogs that were flown in on private jets. We get clients from overseas. Dogs from Tokyo will come in with their own bottled water from Japan. We want to keep the dogs in the same environments as they have at home."The Future Holds Far-Flung Fido LodgingsFollowing the success of the New York and Scottsdale branches of D Pet Hotels, both of which debuted in 2012, Cruz plans to launch others throughout the country."For 2013, we have a couple in the pipeline in major U.S. cities," she said, although she wasn't able to reveal the exact locations just yet. "People can buy these as a franchise. It's definitely a for select and discriminating clientele."Note:These accommodations are for dogs only; no humans are allowed! For information about franchise opportunities, visit the company website.