Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We will be making drive trip from DFW TX area to Sarasota FL area in July with dog and cat...
never traveled with pets before
any suggestions/recommendations for motel/hotel that are better with traveling with pets?
we will be driving to Shreveport LA then south on interstate to Baton Rouge area and across on I-10 into FL then south on I-75...
so if you have specific recommendations for places to stay on that route would also appreciate that
we hope to only spend 1 night on road but took 4.5 hr trip to see my SIL with our dog (who was a trouper) but it wasn't as quick as when we went by ourselves...part of that was due to road construction which could happen w/ or w/o pets...
but stopping to use restroom and get lunch to go takes longer cause we both can't go in at same time--
one has to stay w/dog and walk her outside the car...so time is x2 for something like that...
also any good info about road side rest stops along route with good areas for dogs (shady and places to walk them) appreciated...
can't believe that I got only one response
and frankly the Motel 6's I have seen are not places I would choose to stay in...
unless they happen to be new construction--which is crap shoot...
Now there are supposed to be lists of hotels/motels that will accept animals. They may charge you extra, if you care about that. They may also ask for a refundable deposit, just in case.
When I was young I had a German Shepard. My boyfriend and I traveled around with him and just stayed in the less expensive motels which we pulled up into at night, making sure we were on the bottom floor. Pretty much walked him late at night and then again early in the morning. No one saw us and the dog behaved well. We never asked permission.
Motel 6 is the only chain I know of that consistently allows pets. They certainly aren't fancy but if you only need to stay a night or two it's not a big deal. You can even look up reviews for specific motel 6's on the route to find one with good reviews.
ETA: I don't know what is near the areas you spoke of, but wanted to throw out hotels that do accept dogs in general in case you know of one where you'll be.
-La Quinta's are a step up from Motel 6's. Studio Motel 6's are usually a bit better than regular Motel 6s, but not always. (some charge maybe $25 flat fee, others per day, some no charge)
-Extended Stay America (flat fee of $150 per dog regardless of length of stay)
-Residence Inn (I forget what the fee is, but there's a fee)
Lots of big name hotels like Doubletree, Hilton, Sheraton, Red Roof, etc. I have stayed or know people who have stayed at these chains. You have to check the policies though as they are dependent on the hotel.
^ That's where you can research destinations and hotels/motels that allow pets. I've only been to a handful of places with my dog(s) as we sometimes travel a few hours away for Agility Trials and dog shows. I haven't been along the trail from Texas to Florida so I cannot give you any first-hand experience with any hotels along the way. But these sites here may have reviews from people who have.
LaQuinta is a good moderate to basic hotel that takes pets. Stayed at one on Monday, they asked me if any pets at check in, and we saw a guy with a couple of large (and beautiful, unsure of breed) dogs in the parking lot when leaving in the morning. Even LaQuinta is lower level hotel type than I usually choose but this place was clean and the bed was quite comfy, and it's certainly a step above Motel 6 and some others. And the night clerk was so friendly and cheerful. I'm sure like any chain some properties are in better shape and with better staff than others, but it was a good first impression finally. (I've never ended up staying at one before then.)
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
