Join the pet set: Hotels for animal lovers

A good hotel replicates every comfort and luxury enjoyed at home—and for many people, that involves being around their favorite animals. So whether you’re traveling with your own four-legged friend, or just want to encounter a resident cat, be visited by local sloths or walk the grounds with wild deer while you’re away from home, there’s the perfect hotel out there for you. 

01

Ballyseede Castle, Ireland

For all its majesty and awe-inspiring setting amid the mountains and meadows of County Kerry, Ireland’s family-run Ballyseede Castle still feels homelike. That’s partially because the owners’ much-loved mutts rule the roost: As new arrivals step over Molly the Irish wolfhound, slumbering on the front steps, they’re left in no doubt that this grand property embraces informality. Hope, the snow-white Pomeranian, and Charlie, the excitable cockapoo, complete the pack; in the grounds outside, the castle’s trio of donkeys greet visitors happily.

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02

JA Hatta Fort Hotel, Dubai 

Encircled by the dramatic Hajar Mountains and near the traditional farming community of Hatta, this serene retreat is 90 minutes (and a world) away from Dubai’s glitzy seaside properties. Scented by drifts of jasmine, the 80-acre resort packs in plenty to do for families, with miniature golf, padel tennis and archery among its many activities. Wander those spacious grounds and you might also spot a coterie of the hotel’s animals, ranging from free-roaming peacocks to deer, tortoises, rabbits and ponies. (Pet-friendly rooms also available.)

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03

Salamander Resort & Spa, Virginia

Riders of all levels make their way to Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to enjoy lessons, workshops and other related activities at this graceful retreat’s incredible equestrian center. But even with so many exceptional steeds in residence, most guests clamor for the chance to meet Cupcake—the resort’s miniature horse, and a local celebrity. At weekends she visits the hotel’s living room, where her fans are graced with a meet-and-greet session and a quick-fire photoshoot opportunity. (Pet-friendly rooms also available.)

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04

Le Bristol, Paris

As an extravagant palace hotel that thrums with good taste and beauty, it’s little surprise that Le Bristol’s pampered pet, a marshmallow-colored Birman called Socrate, is perhaps the chicest cat in all of Paris. Luckily for visiting dignitaries and celebrities, this much-admired aristo-cat is willing to tolerate others making themselves temporarily at home in his property. Relaxing in the lobby over afternoon tea, you might see him float past nonchalantly, or on sunny spring days he might deign to join the ladies and gents who lunch in the courtyard garden so he can snooze in the sun. (Pet-friendly rooms also available.)

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05

Pinewood Camping Pods, Port Lympne Reserve, England

A conservation center that is probably the closest thing there is to an English safari experience, Kent’s 600-acre wildlife park Port Lympne is home to scores of species ranging from playful lemurs to charismatic western lowland gorillas. Guests in these cozy heated huts enjoy morning access to the reserve before the general public is admitted, so any unscheduled wake-up calls should be seen as a potential benefit. The pods are 50 yards from the lions’ habitat, so don’t be alarmed if their roars rouse you unexpectedly.  

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