Travel > Places > Getaways > The Real Deals

If it's Rover you want as your traveling companion, it'll cost you

By Richard P. Carpenter, Globe Staff, 03/21/03

		All Along  Destinations  Get in gear  Going Strong  Outbound  Real deals  Sensible traveler  Taking Off  Where they went

When your traveling companion has fur and barks or meows, the trip becomes more complicated. Flying with an animal is not cheap (anywhere from $75-$300 each way, depending upon the airline and whether the pets fly in the cabin or cargo area), and not all lodging places are as enamored with Rex or Tigger as their owners might be. The simple solution is to arrange for care and leave the pets home, but according to the Travel Industry Association, 78 percent of people with pets say they would take them on vacation if they could. So for those who won't leave home without them, here are some possibilities:

The Water Club, a boutique hotel in San Juan, has a Hip Dog Package for $15 a day. Dogs stay free in their owner's room at rates that range from $199-$319 through April 30 and $209-$269 May 1-Dec. 23. Upon arrival, dogs are ceremonially paw-printed, after which the dogs enjoy licking the "ink" off their paws because it's colored sugar. The canines may romp on the beach that fronts the hotel, and balls and Frisbees are provided. Room service stocks doggie food and bones, and delivers biscuits and treats on silver platters. There is also scented shampoo. Dog walkers and sitters are available around the clock for $15 an hour. And to keep things peaceful, no cats are allowed.

Call 888-265-6699 or visit www.waterclubsanjuan.com.

The Washington Plaza hotel has a feline-friendly deal for visitors to the nation's capital. The Here Kitty, Kitty Package includes a standard room with king-size bed or two double beds plus a kitty bed complete with matching pillow. Mouse-shaped catnip treats are provided, and a sign alerts the staff that a feline is in residence. The cost is $109 a night plus tax; litter box rentals are $10 nightly. Doggie packages are also available.

Call 202-842-1300 or visit www.washingtonplazahotel.com.

Listed rates at California's Beverly Hills Hotel begin at $345 a night, but you and your pooch will be staying in style. In the hotel's Canine Connoisseur Program, dogs are greeted by name and, upon arrival, are escorted to their rooms. Once there, they find custom-made doggie beds, food and water bowls, and bone-shaped canine cookies. Dog-walking service is available 24 hours a day at the Beverly Hills and all Dorchester Group hotels.

The nonrefundable deposit is $200 and covers cleaning and disinfecting the room after the dog departs. As there are no designated "pet-friendly" rooms at the hotel, all carpets, draperies, upholstery, and soft goods are cleaned so that no guest will ever be in a room with potential allergens. The dog-walking fees are 30 minutes for $17; 45 minutes for $21; and a full hour for $25.

Call 800-283-8885 or visit www.thebeverlyhillshotel.com.

Your pet may not be allowed to swim around the Bellagio fountains, but nonetheless can enjoy Las Vegas. A partnership between Vegas.com and America Dog and Cat Hotel allows Internet bookings for pet suites at the hotel, which is near the Strip. Dog care is $49 for a free-range stay or $79 for a "private suite." The cost per pooch diminishes if there is double or triple occupancy. Cats stay in three-story condos for $29. Two cats in a condo costs $47. Vegas.com will donate proceeds from its bookings of this special to the nonprofit Animal Foundation.

Visit www.vegas.com or call 800-851-1703.

There are books to guide you, too. "The Portable petswelcome.com" by Fred N. Grayson and Chris Kingsley (John Wiley and Sons Ltd., $19.99) is a supplement to the popular Internet site, providing information and tips and listing a range of pet-friendly hotels, motels, B & Bs, and campgrounds, along with listings of services of interest to pet owners, including emergency veterinarians, boarding kennels, pet sitters, and pet day care facilities.

Grayson and Kingsley note that despite the extra work, taking a pet along can enrich your vacation wherever you go or whatever you do. They put it this way: "Wouldn't it be great to sit in a bar in Key West with your golden retriever . . . as both of you watch the sun go down?"

Caribbean site

Whether you're visiting the Caribbean by land or sea, it may be worthwhile to visit www.a-guide-to-paradise.com, where you'll find a lot of information on the principal Caribbean islands, plus links to lines that cruise the Caribbean, as well as golf courses, yacht charters, and dive spots. Connecting to the Holland America site presented the chance to win a $4,200 cruise aboard the MS Zuiderdam. Good luck.

Extra nights

Travelocity has 12 Caribbean offers, in which your fourth, fifth, or seventh night is free, depending on the package. The offers, which must be booked by March 31, start at $212 for three nights.

Go to www.travelocity.com, click on "Vacations," and then "Caribbean Vacations."

Cleaning up

Homewood Suites by Hilton will help with your housecleaning if you stay on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night for $69-$99 when booked online. The Spring into Homewood package includes a standard suite that sleeps four, a hot breakfast, and a coupon for $25 off cleaning by Merry Maids. In addition, if you present a AAA card at check-in, you will get a ServiceMaster Clean coupon for $20 off cleaning carpets, upholstery, drapery, and windows.

(The fine print: The Merry Maids coupon will be e-mailed to you within 14 days from the date of your reservation.)

Visit www.homewoodsuites.com or call 800-CALL-HOME and ask for the Spring into Homewood promotion.

Free DVD

Four Points by Sheraton hotels will give you a free DVD of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" with two-night weekend stays, Fridays through Sundays to April 20. Four Points is a mid-priced brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, with rates starting at $59.

Visit www.fourpoints.com or call 800-368-7764 and mention code EWFFPR.

Free night

Buy three boxes of Stash Tea and send the proofs of purchase, $3.95, and a completed offer form to Stash Tea. In return, you will receive a 63-page guide to bed-and-breakfast inns and a certificate for a free night's stay. The free night is good through April 30 but carries the proviso that you buy a night at the regular rate. So depending upon how you look at things, that's a free night or two nights at half price.

Information can be found in specially marked tea packages, the company's catalog, and at www.stashtea.com/bboffer.htm. Or call 503-684-4482, e-mail stash@stashtea.com, or write to Stash Tea, PO Box 910, Portland, OR 97207 to request the offer form.

About those dollars

Last week we mentioned that a new Visa credit card provides a 1 percent rebate in the form of Disney Dream Reward Dollars, good for merchandise, theme park tickets, hotel rooms, and other Disney items. We added that if you want to pay for one of the costlier items totally with reward dollars, it would take a lot of buying to get the necessary amount. In response, Bank One, which issues the card, stresses that you can partly pay for such items with the reward dollars if you want, necessitating a lot less credit-card charging. (Dollars can be "earned" in increments as low as $20. With a 1 percent payback, that represents $2,000 in charges.) We thought we had made that option clear, but if not are doing so now.

It pays to surf

A survey by usatoday.com found that on average Internet air fares were 33 percent less than published fares, although many Web deals required a Saturday night stay. Published fares were defined as prices offered to travel agents, corporate travel managers, and consumers by the airlines through computerized reservations systems. Web fares were any offered through the Internet, whether from an airline or agency.