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View Full Version : Dog friendly hotels on I-81 and I-95


tophcfa
12-09-2017, 09:20 PM
We are planning our drive to the Villages from up north and are looking for help from fellow travelers with dogs. Our last few trips we have encountered horrible luck with pet friendly hotels. There must be some pet friendly hotels that are not total dumps? Best Western, Red Roof, Days Inn, and La Quinta have all been terrible. We take 81 south from Scranton, PA and cut across to I-95 in Fredricksburg, VA toward Florida. Any suggestions for some decent hotel options would be most appreciated. Thanks : )

CFrance
12-09-2017, 09:31 PM
We are planning our drive to the Villages from up north and are looking for help from fellow travelers with dogs. Our last few trips we have encountered horrible luck with pet friendly hotels. There must be some pet friendly hotels that are not total dumps? Best Western, Red Roof, Days Inn, and La Quinta have all been terrible. We take 81 south from Scranton, PA and cut across to I-95 in Fredricksburg, VA toward Florida. Any suggestions for some decent hotel options would be most appreciated. Thanks : )
How much do you want to spend? Loews has beautiful rooms and caters to pets under their "Loews Loves Pets" program. They were one of the first chains to accept pets. https://www.loewshotels.com/loews-loves-pets

Don't know where they are located. We stayed at the one across from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Vanderbilt was right across the street, with massive grounds. They were on break, and I took the dog for a great run on campus.

Also some Hiltons accept pets.

There are some Drury Inns on the way south that accept pets and so far have been fairly nice. But not on a par with Loews.

The farther south you get, the rattier the less expensive chains accepting pets seem to be.

dbussone
12-09-2017, 09:39 PM
How much do you want to spend? Loews has beautiful rooms and caters to pets under their "Loews Loves Pets" program. They were one of the first chains to accept pets. https://www.loewshotels.com/loews-loves-pets

Don't know where they are located. We stayed at the one across from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Vanderbilt was right across the street, with massive grounds. They were on break, and I took the dog for a great run on campus.

Also some Hiltons accept pets.

There are some Drury Inns on the way south that accept pets and so far have been fairly nice. But not on a par with Loews.

The farther south you get, the rattier the less expensive chains accepting pets seem to be.



The Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel is a first rate dog friendly hotel. Great suggestion.


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Nucky
12-09-2017, 09:47 PM
Mrs Barefoot told us about La Quinta and we were happy each time. Maybe you just got a room that was a dud. Good Luck.

tophcfa
12-09-2017, 09:48 PM
How much do you want to spend? Loews has beautiful rooms and caters to pets under their "Loews Loves Pets" program. They were one of the first chains to accept pets. https://www.loewshotels.com/loews-loves-pets

Don't know where they are located. We stayed at the one across from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Vanderbilt was right across the street, with massive grounds. They were on break, and I took the dog for a great run on campus.

Also some Hiltons accept pets.

There are some Drury Inns on the way south that accept pets and so far have been fairly nice. But not on a par with Loews.

The farther south you get, the rattier the less expensive chains accepting pets seem to be.

Thanks for the response, but none of the suggestions are on the rout we take south. Both Loews and Drury tend to be in major metropolitan areas and are not on our travel rout. I tried a search on Hilton and only came up with an affiliate, Hampton Inns, which is on our rout but will only take service dogs. We don't mind paying extra for our dog, but any decent hotels don't seem to want dogs?

Mrs. Robinson
12-10-2017, 02:26 AM
Thanks for the response, but none of the suggestions are on the rout we take south. Both Loews and Drury tend to be in major metropolitan areas and are not on our travel rout. I tried a search on Hilton and only came up with an affiliate, Hampton Inns, which is on our rout but will only take service dogs. We don't mind paying extra for our dog, but any decent hotels don't seem to want dogs?

If you are a member of AAA, their Tour Books not only rate hotels and motels but will also tell you if they are pet friendly.

If you aren't a member, you might consider joining for a one year membership.
Travelling that distance with a pet and then having a car issue is a real headache.
Also, their TripTik will tell you areas to watch out for, where there is construction, etc.

BRN_RI_FL
12-10-2017, 08:46 AM
Have you tried the “Bring Fido” app. We’ve stayed at a couple 5 paw rated hotels that were pretty nice. We stop at one each way on our drive. Also we take 84 to 81 which bypasses 95 most of the way and avoids the tappan zee and George washington bridges. No tolls all the way down and a $1.25 toll coming back in NY. We stay at the comfort inn and suites in Stateville no Carolina on the way down and sleep inn in Staunton Virginia on the way back. Both are rated 5 star on the Fido app.

tophcfa
12-10-2017, 09:42 AM
Have you tried the “Bring Fido” app. We’ve stayed at a couple 5 paw rated hotels that were pretty nice. We stop at one each way on our drive. Also we take 84 to 81 which bypasses 95 most of the way and avoids the tappan zee and George washington bridges. No tolls all the way down and a $1.25 toll coming back in NY. We stay at the comfort inn and suites in Stateville no Carolina on the way down and sleep inn in Staunton Virginia on the way back. Both are rated 5 star on the Fido app.

Good information, I will get the app and check it out. I will also check out AAA as mentioned in another post. Sounds like we take a similar route south but our trip is about 1,400 miles, which is too far for us to drive in two days. We typically spend night one in the Winchester, VA area and night two in the Manning/Santee, SC area.

vintageogauge
12-10-2017, 09:47 AM
We gave noticed recently that many of the chain motels are now pet friendly along I-95 at least south of I-26. Not necessarily advertised that way but call a few and ask, you might be surprised.

Sgroemm
12-10-2017, 09:52 AM
I have made the trip numerous times from the New Jersey Shore to TV. The best place for me and my two maltese to stay is Comfort Suites, Lumberton, NC on Wintergreen Drive. It is clean, safe, has a small dog park, right off I-95, drive in and take out restaurants right on the street. Easy on and off I-95. Safe to walk the dogs at night. I've tried others and this is my #1 pick. It is also about half way from NJ to TV and just at my 8-9 hour mark.

BRN_RI_FL
12-10-2017, 10:56 AM
Good information, I will get the app and check it out. I will also check out AAA as mentioned in another post. Sounds like we take a similar route south but our trip is about 1,400 miles, which is too far for us to drive in two days. We typically spend night one in the Winchester, VA area and night two in the Manning/Santee, SC area.

Ours is about 1,330 miles. We try to do between 750 and 800 miles the first day which makes the second day a lot easier.

jimbo2012
12-10-2017, 11:45 AM
La Quinta, numerous times always great

BoatRatKat
12-10-2017, 12:16 PM
LaQuinta has always been pretty good for us though we have stayed at one that was horrible as well as one that was like a 5 star hotel. Most fall into the totally decent and acceptable range. You may have just got that one bad one. Check out the reviews on each hotel you might stay at along your route and then go from there.

npwalters
12-10-2017, 02:32 PM
Most Embassy Suites will accept dogs if you wan to pay an extra $100. I go to La Quinta,

OpusX1
12-10-2017, 04:54 PM
Pet Friendly Hotels: Find a Pet Friendly Hotel and Lodging for the Pet Friendly Family (http://www.pet-friendly-hotels.net)

thomp679
12-10-2017, 07:09 PM
Try Staybridge or Holiday Inn Express. They work well for us. Here a search site with a lot of info:

Dog, Cat & Other Pet Friendly Hotels at Petswelcome.com (https://www.petswelcome.com/)

SteveGny
12-11-2017, 04:19 AM
All Residence Inn by Marriott hotels are dog friendly and very nice. Because they charge a pet fee, they tend to only have a few dogs staying at one time.

Yucatan2
12-11-2017, 10:49 AM
If you use Booking.com, you can specify pet friendly. At the bottom of the page it will say pets accepted but there may be a charge. Then I go to the hotel website to check it's policies. Residence Inn, Staybridge, Home 2, Townplace Suites allow pets but the fees are higher than I am willing to pay, so we usually end up at La Quinta, which by the way has a 15% Military discount. Recently we stayed at a Staybridge (in Mexico) for $80, and they wanted $100 extra for the cat! She got to sleep in the car that night.....

Bosoxfan
12-11-2017, 08:55 PM
Red Roof Inn

cypress
12-12-2017, 08:48 AM
Battleboro, NC Hotels & Motels - See All Discounts (https://hotelguides.com/north-carolina/battleboro-nc-hotels.html)

We get off this exit and the motels are all pet friendly at a decent price. It's at the halfway point for us from Albany, NY

Daddymac
12-12-2017, 04:50 PM
.
Red Roof Inn
Dogs stay Free
Owner must Pay

carolkowalski52
12-12-2017, 08:09 PM
Comfort Inn & Suites in Lady Lakes is pet friendly. Beautifully appointed

Barefoot
12-12-2017, 08:11 PM
Mrs Barefoot told us about La Quinta and we were happy each time.
We've always been happy with LaQuinta and their "two pets stay free" policy.
We've found a few LaQuinta's that we wouldn't recommend, but very few.

CFrance
12-12-2017, 08:21 PM
According to OP, on their particular route south, " Best Western, Red Roof, Days Inn, and La Quinta have all been terrible." I think s/he is looking for something more upscale. I'm sorry I can't recommend anything on their route, but perhaps altering the route to have the day's travel end in a good-size metropolitan area might bring them more choices.

dbussone
12-15-2017, 08:21 PM
According to OP, on their particular route south, " Best Western, Red Roof, Days Inn, and La Quinta have all been terrible." I think s/he is looking for something more upscale. I'm sorry I can't recommend anything on their route, but perhaps altering the route to have the day's travel end in a good-size metropolitan area might bring them more choices.



I agree. The only upscale chain I can recommend is Hilton, but they will charge a dog fee.


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pauld315
12-15-2017, 08:31 PM
I know the Marriott has at least one and it is in either Savanna or Jacksonville FL...can't remember which.

tophcfa
12-15-2017, 10:39 PM
Thanks for all the good information. Based on recommendations and reasearch we are booked at the La Quinta in Winchester, VA and the Sure Stay Best Western in Manning, SC, which both have favorable reviews. Will never again stay at a Red Roof, last trip was not good at two different hotels.

Tripngirl
12-19-2017, 09:35 AM
We are planning our drive to the Villages from up north and are looking for help from fellow travelers with dogs. Our last few trips we have encountered horrible luck with pet friendly hotels. There must be some pet friendly hotels that are not total dumps? Best Western, Red Roof, Days Inn, and La Quinta have all been terrible. We take 81 south from Scranton, PA and cut across to I-95 in Fredricksburg, VA toward Florida. Any suggestions for some decent hotel options would be most appreciated. Thanks : )
Like you we were not happy with LaQuinta.... but try Bringfido.com
It gives reviews of the hotels and you can book from that website too. I’ll try to find the name of the place we stayed whichhad doggie treats and tennis balls
for our golden. We had a good nights sleep and snack. Safe travels!

Barefoot
12-19-2017, 02:39 PM
Thanks for all the good information. Based on recommendations and reasearch we are booked at the La Quinta in Winchester, VA and the Sure Stay Best Western in Manning, SC, which both have favorable reviews. Will never again stay at a Red Roof, last trip was not good at two different hotels.We have also had bad experiences at Red Roof so we don't stay there any more.
We find LaQuinta Inns are generally reliable with a few exceptions.
I agree, we all should read hotel reviews before booking. Please let us know how you like your hotels.

TimeForChange
12-21-2017, 08:47 AM
All La Quinta Inn's are pet friendly nation wide! No extra charge!

Barefoot
12-21-2017, 03:31 PM
All La Quinta Inn's are pet friendly nation wide! No extra charge!

La Quinta Inns have no extra charge, even for two dogs! :doggie: :doggie:
Some hotels claim to be "pet friendly" but charge a substantial amount per dog.

Nucky
12-21-2017, 10:16 PM
Some of the hotels are not worthy of our pets. Many are pet-friendly and don't advertise it.

Our kids just drove here from N.J. yesterday with two of the biggest most beautiful German Sheppards and because they have designer everything and Gucci Woochi this and that they drove straight through to save a yard. I don't even say a word anymore. Not my monkey, not my circus. Thankfully they made it safely.

CFrance
12-21-2017, 11:04 PM
Some of the hotels are not worthy of our pets. Many are pet-friendly and don't advertise it.

Our kids just drove here from N.J. yesterday with two of the biggest most beautiful German Sheppards and because they have designer everything and Gucci Woochi this and that they drove straight through to save a yard. I don't even say a word anymore. Not my monkey, not my circus. Thankfully they made it safely.
Whose yard were they saving!

Barefoot
12-22-2017, 07:51 AM
Our kids just drove here from N.J. yesterday with two of the biggest most beautiful German Sheppards and because they have designer everything and Gucci Woochi this and that they drove straight through to save a yard. I don't even say a word anymore. Not my monkey, not my circus. Silence is golden where adult kids are concerned.
P.S. For some weird reason, I love the expression "Not my monkey, not my circus".

blueeagle65
12-22-2017, 06:35 PM
Best Western is pet friendly, but you must reserve because they only have so many rooms that are designated as such.

Spikearoni
12-23-2017, 02:34 AM
We are planning our drive to the Villages from up north and are looking for help from fellow travelers with dogs. Our last few trips we have encountered horrible luck with pet friendly hotels. There must be some pet friendly hotels that are not total dumps? Best Western, Red Roof, Days Inn, and La Quinta have all been terrible. We take 81 south from Scranton, PA and cut across to I-95 in Fredricksburg, VA toward Florida. Any suggestions for some decent hotel options would be most appreciated. Thanks : )

We had a wonderful experience at The Aloft Hotel in Jacksonville. Modern, clean, nice location.

tophcfa
12-23-2017, 09:23 AM
We had a wonderful experience at The Aloft Hotel in Jacksonville. Modern, clean, nice location.

We always stayed at the Aloft Hotel in Winchester, VA and enjoyed it, but it just changed ownership. It is now a La Quinta and we will be staying there for the first time on our upcoming drive to the Villages. It's still pet friendly with no upcharge and has been updated, so we expect a good experience.

Veecee
02-09-2018, 02:00 PM
I've had great experiences with Hilton hotels. Home to Suites and Homewood Suites off I 95 coming down from New York. Very clean and spacious. Hope this helps.

tophcfa
02-14-2018, 11:19 PM
We always stayed at the Aloft Hotel in Winchester, VA and enjoyed it, but it just changed ownership. It is now a La Quinta and we will be staying there for the first time on our upcoming drive to the Villages. It's still pet friendly with no upcharge and has been updated, so we expect a good experience.

We always have stayed at the Aloft in Winchester, VA also. It was our favorite stop because it was totally pet friendly, a very nice/clean/modern hotel, and we could play ball with the dog in a very big field a short walking distance from the hotel on the grounds of the Shenandoah University. Then the University build a huge football stadium and put in parking lots, so thats gone. Then the Aloft changed to a La Quinta Inn. Oh well, we still stayed there on our last trip south because it remained pet friendly and it's in a good location for our first day stop. It's not as good as it used to be, but it's still as good a pet friendly option as we can find.