We love that holidaying with your dog is getting easier and easier, and it just got even better with luxurious hotel chain Ovolo Hotels offering a V.I.Pooch package to ensure that your dog really feels welcome in all their hotels. We had the pleasure of trying out this package at their 5-star hotel “The Valley” in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane and we definitely felt like we were spoiling our dogs and ourselves.

Their holiday accommodation package provides you with the following:

  • A doggy bed where your furry buddy can snuggle and relax like a real boss
  • An eating/drinking mat and food bowl so they can feast in style
  • A doggy bag with specially designed dog toys and treats, and…
  • Dog-friendly staff on hand to provide assistance when you need it

My experience of the package

Keep in mind, this is a five star experience so it does have a five star price tag to go with it. So it isn’t for everyone’s budget but it is certainly great value with all of the inclusions. For those of us who couldn’t afford this regularly, it is worth considering for those occasions like birthdays when you are normally investing in spoiling your dogs anyway. Or maybe like me, you don’t like going on holidays without your dogs and have missed the hotel experience for your own special occasions.

Right from the beginning of the booking they asked for some information about our dogs, which was very much appreciated given my anxious girl. I felt comfortable then in letting them know that Shimmy would appreciate the staff not interacting with her directly and, if possible, a quieter room. I was really impressed that all staff adhered to this which meant that Shimmy was able to really relax and enjoy the holiday, too. They even considered the disturbance to the dogs when bringing things to our room in that, rather than knock on the door, they left things outside the door and rang to let us know it was there. This was a nice extra touch that showed the staff’s compassion and love for dogs.

The room was stunning! I kind of expected it to not be overly clean, given it was dog friendly, but it really was a luxurious hotel experience with beautiful finishings and luxurious dog beds to top it off and no long list of rules of what the dogs can and can’t do either. The goodie bags for the dogs and us was such a nice touch too. I appreciated that these treats were all natural too, and nothing that could potentially be toxic to the dogs.

Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this experience but would suggest that you speak to staff and google street view each individual hotel so you can ensure it will be a positive experience based on your dog’s individual needs.

My top tips and things to research and consider with individual hotels are:

  • A lot of hotels are based in the city, so if your dog is scared of traffic or doesn’t like being in a busy street then going in and out of the hotel may be problematic.
  • How will your dog get to the room? Is your dog okay in a lift if that’s the only option?
  • Is your dog sensitive to sounds like people coming in and out of their rooms?
  • Where are the locations with grass for toileting options?
  • What walking spots are around?
  • Pack with you for your dog: Adaptil spray, lickimat, long lasting chews to help them settle into a new environment.

Remember, if your dog has any issues that would prevent them from enjoying an experience like this such as dog reactivity or specific fears, we can help with a Behaviour Consult either face to face or via Zoom.