Here are some of the best luxury accommodations to bring your pet or see animals around the world:
To bring your pet…
NORTH AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
· The Woof Cottages at Nantucket Boat Basin are designated for guests traveling with pets. Pups are welcomed with Draper Canine beds, a basket of treats and toys, food and water bowls, dog-walking services, and personalized pet tags. For tips on the best dog-friendly activities on Nantucket, guests can email Bailey, the WOOF Cottages’ resident Black Lab/Britney Spaniel mix and pet concierge at [email protected].
· For fashionistas and theater buffs alike, Chatwal’s ‘Pet Wardrobe Supervisor’ can curate a personalized pet closet for its ViPets with a Chatwal-red faux fur pet jacket, booties, bowtie, and a neck bandana. In-room amenities include a NYC yellow cab plush toy, a doggie treats menu printed as a Playbill, Chatwal-red food and water bowls and pet bed, plus a VIPet Tag.
· After a Mayan blessing by resident Shaman rids Fido of his anxiety, Viceroy Riviera Maya gives each pet his own handmade, portable pet palapa – complete with a personalized menu of made-to-order meals.
· Cab-Bone-Nay or Char-Dog-Nay dog biscuits (made with real wine) and a special blanket greet pets at Napa River Inn. At the spa, they receive a dog walk, dog cookie, and mini massage.
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
· In Lima, Belmond Miraflores Park welcomes its four-legged guests with a special letter from the hotel’s resident pup, Sariri.
EUROPE
· In Portofino, Belmond Hotel Splendido offers curated wellbeing sessions where trained pet therapists will practice Swedish massage in an open-air space overlooking Portofino Bay.
· Home to the city’s largest spa, La Reserve Geneva caters to guests and their pups. Dogs at La Reserve receive bowls personalized with their name and monogrammed blankets.
· Set in the Oxford countryside, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons has plenty of land for curious pets to explore before retiring back to the room with all-day doggy room service.
To see animals in their natural habitat…
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
· With the opening of Nayara Tented Camp in December 2019, the Sloth Sanctuary at the Nayara sister properties – that is currently a haven to more than 15 of Costa Rica’s native sloths – will expand as part of Nayara’s reforestation project. This undertaking will bring in 40,000 indigenous trees, including Cecropia trees, which are the main food source of sloths. Nayara’s expert nature guides are beginning to see more baby sloths, a sure sign that the animals are reproducing at Nayara and are likely to stick around.
· Often seen roaming freely across the front lawn, Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado invites guests to care for and bottle feed the baby alpacas. Prized for their hair which is woven into blankets, hats, and sweaters, the resort cares for the youngsters until early adulthood when they are returned to local communities in exchange for the next generation of crias.
EUROPE
· Families traveling to Cork can book the ‘Family Fun at The River Lee’ package and receive a turndown of milk and cookies, activity pack, and a trip to Rumleys Open Farm – kids can get up close to all kinds of baby animals including tiny chicks, lambs, bunnies, puppies, piglets, llamas, and more.
AFRICA
· At andBeyond Mnemba Island off the coast of Zanzibar, Green Turtle nesting season is year-round, peaking in February and March. The turtles lay their eggs on the beach and in September and October, baby turtles emerge into the world. With only 10 thatched roof bandas on the island, guests can watch the tiny hatchlings make their descent into to the water without a crowd.
· Travelers on andBeyond’s Gorilla Tracking Safari in Rwanda can get up close to families of mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. Hiking the forested slopes of the Virungas Volcanoes, guests set out in search of the world’s largest population of wild mountain gorillas – including the littlest members of the family and their childlike antics.
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