PAW Pet-friendly Accommodations Worldwide www.luxurypaw.com the only online luxury pet-friendly hotel booking engine
Archive for January, 2009
January 31, 2009 at 5:45 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Some retailers are only concerned with selling you a product. I love to share fantastic pet resources with my readers and this company is just as concerned with sharing knowledge with you as it is providing great retail pet products…maybe more!
Let me introduce you to Lola, the pup inspiration behind Paw Luxury. Not to be confused with LuxuryPAW :), Paw Luxury is an online retailer that offers eco-friendly pet products and shares simple ways in which you can, (& I love this) “Lower your dogs carbon paw-print”.
The owners, Wendy and Adam, (and the Lovely LOLA) were kind enough to let me interview them and here’s what we found out:
PAW: Tell us how you developed the concept for Paw Luxury:
PAW LUXURY: “Our love for our dog Lola and our desire to tread lightly on the earth has led us on a journey to mesh these passions together. Lola has given us so much so why not give her the best. So my wife & I wanted to help with the green movement by creating Paw Luxury, an online shopping destination for all things green inspired by the love of our dog for eco-minded dogs & their owners. This idea stemmed from wanting to provide a better life for our soon to be 2 year old boxer Lola.”
PAW: Are you the only company doing this online?
PAW LUXURY: “We searched high and low but found it hard & frustrating to find eco-friendly, all natural, & organic alternatives under one roof. So we wanted to create a place that does just that. Our site is safe, convenient, honest, fun and informative for that eco-conscious consumer. ”
PAW: What makes your site so different?
PAW LUXURY: “We educate our customers on how to go green in their daily lives and provide detailed, accurate & honest information on the products we offer. Our belief is that it starts with little paw steps to make a difference. We are also working on building out our site to offer eco-friendly cat products.”
PAW: That’s fantastic, people will love that! Does PAW LUXURY have a mission statement that you’d like to share:
PAW LUXURY: “Paw Luxury specializes in selling earth friendly products and are in business to spoil dogs healthy. We offer quality products that are stylish, durable, all natural, organic, holistic, sustainable, biodegradable, fair trade, and Made in the USA. We care about how the products are made, where they are made , a who makes them so the mission for social, environmental & economic change are one in the same. Many of the products are packaged in recycled or recyclable packaging, so the bottles can be taken down to your local recycling center. Our motto is “healthy dog, healthy earth, and happier life”.
PAW: I love that, “spoil them healthy”, that’s great!
PAW LUXURY: “Our goal is to cater to the growing demand for ecological and sustainable living while still allowing the cachet and comforts of luxury. We strive to offer the ‘best of the best’ to our customers in eco-friendly products by setting a high standard for quality. If it is not good enough for Lola, its not good enough for your dog. Before we retail products we want to make sure that the brands we retail align with our mission for a greener earth. We are proud to stand behind brands that “romp the romp” (in dog terms) or what we humans say “walk the walk”. These companies not only speak about green living but strive to live it. We not only want our consumers to rest easy, but we want to rest easy as well.”
“Like wise, we also operate our business with a socialy responsible mindset. We want to consider what our company consumes and find ways to recycle, reduce, reuse and purchase environmentally friendly and sustainable business products. Some of our earth friendly business practices include: business cards made from 100% recycled content, to using cradle to cradle USPS shipping boxes, from recyclable packing materials, and going paperless by corresponding via email just to name a few.”
PAW: Where can people find you online
PAW LUXURY: “People can check out our site at http:// www.pawlux.com to see our wonderful green products. We will be adding eco-cat soon so stay tuned!”
Boy, they’re great, so sincere and genuinely concerned! Please visit their site, they also have a following on twitter and Facebook.
Go to PAW to reserve your next gorgeous, pet-friendly hotel room!
January 30, 2009 at 5:11 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
The Calistoga Ranch was far and away my favorite resort during our recent 13,000 mile road trip across country. I called my cousin Annie who lives in NYC and has traveled a fair bit and I said, “If anyone ever says to you, I want to take you to Calistoga Ranch, you say YES! Not, let me see if I can arrange a sitter, not when, just YES!” There were the blatantly obvious reasons for my enthusiasm; the spectacular setting - individual lodges nestled into the surrounding wine country hillside, the outrageous level of amenity in every detail from the full size (not 2 ounce sample size) scrumptious bath products custom crafted exclusively for the Calistoga Ranch, and the on-site Spa is world class! However, it was the meticulous attention to detail that really won me over! When we arrived, the valet knew Beaus name and had a biscuit in his pocket for him! The pet amenity was simple - pet bed, stainless steel bowls, a toy and treat, but it was executed with perfection! What really made me a groupie though was the fact that not only did they have a wonderful coffee maker in the room, (on the marble counter top, of course) but in addition, someone had really thought it through, “maybe not everyone drinks coffee..” and they provided a dedicated, electric tea pot, for anyone who didn’t want their tea water tasting like coffee! So thoughtful, (especially to a serial tea drinker like me) it made me feel like someone on staff had spent a week in the guest room and tried to anticipate absolutely every little thing a guest might desire.
The Calistoga Ranch in Calistoga, CA should be in that book, “1000 Places to Visit Before You Die”! They just do it right and the fact that they are pet-friendly is just icing on the cake! See the hotel feature page on PAW for pet weight and fee information and make sure to put it on your ‘to do’ list!
Go to PAW to reserve your next gorgeous, pet-friendly hotel room!
January 29, 2009 at 1:34 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
It is Wednesday, there’s still time to place your order, have it rush shipped, and treat your pup like just one of the guys at the ‘TAIL’gate party and super ‘BOWL’ festivities this weekend!
Visit http://www.3busydogs.com and place your order for a six pack of Bowser Beer; non-alcoholic beer for dogs! Available in two flavors; Beefy Brown Ale or Cock-a-doodle Brew it is the perfect host/hostess gift for the dog lover who is hosting a Superbowl party!
You could also email the owner and see if there is a distributor near you; really great upscale pet shops carry Bowser Beer, (and the accompanying pretzel treats that go with the beer…of course!).
You also don’t want to miss ‘Poodle Picks’ on twitter at http://twitter.com/poodlepicks. Poodle Picks is a video uploaded to Youtube where you get to watch a Poodle pick the winners of upcoming sports events…it is too funny, and too funny how accurate he is most of the time! Twitter Poodle Picks and you’ll find a direct link to the YouTube video.
Have a ‘Super’ day with your best bud and be the hit of the party when you arrive with the perfect gift and the winning prediction!
Go to PAW to reserve your next gorgeous, pet-friendly hotel room!
January 28, 2009 at 9:25 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
We just discovered this fantastic website called Alltop. Online at http://www.alltop.com it is a compilation of the best websites and blogs on hundreds of topics. Articles are updated every hour and PAW;Pet-friendly Accommodations Worldwide (www.luxurypaw.com) has just been added! We’re thrilled, thanks Alltop!!
Go to PAW to reserve your next gorgeous, pet-friendly hotel room!
January 28, 2009 at 4:26 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Sometimes it’s not all sunshine and dog parks! Sometimes you’re traveling and the city or town in which you’ve recently landed is experiencing ‘blizzard like’ conditions! What do you do when you can’t stay more than 5 minutes at the local dog park for fear of frostbite and your pup needs to expel some energy?
This has happened to Beau and I on more than once! Here’s how we handled it..
We were staying at a Westin and experienced severe snowstorms that lasted for days. After day 2, with Beau ready to jump out of his skin, I asked to speak to the manager and asked him if sometime throughout the day, when it was most convenient for them, and wouldn’t disturb any other guests, was there a ballroom or meeting room that I could use for half an hour to let Beau run around? He was all too happy to check the meeting schedule and set up a time with me when Beau and I could toss a tennis ball and run around. It worked out great! It also insured that Beau would continue to be well behaved in the hotel guest room, as long as he gets some exercise every day, he’s the perfect pet-guest!
Do you have any tips for fowl weather traveling with your pet? Share your comments below.
Go to PAW to reserve your next gorgeous, pet-friendly hotel room!
January 27, 2009 at 12:43 pm · Filed under In the News
A story today from the Miami Herald…This story seems so shocking! I try to see the motivation on the Ottos part; they talk about how ’special’ Lancelot was but they never say ‘love’. They never claim to have loved this first dog so much that they HAD to clone him. I fear it’s much less about the dog and much more about Mr. Ottos’ serial entrepreneur status…Keep an eye out for the first Otto Cloning facility in the US.
Read the story and tell us What you think by clicking the ‘comments’ link below.
Go to PAW to reserve your next gorgeous, pet-friendly hotel room!
January 22, 2009 at 3:54 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Soho Grand Hotel, NYC
What’s a girl to do? It’s Valentines Day and a little pampering, spoiling and snuggling is precisely what’s she’s craving in this mid February chill to restore a warm rosy glow, but the love of her life has yet to make the hotel or restaurant reservations.
Dropping a few not so subtle hints hasn’t seemed to do the trick. A deftly placed, ‘Honey, we haven’t been to New York City in a while, why don’t we go to the SoHo Grand or the Tribeca Grand for Valentine’s Day? We could shop ‘till we drop at Bloomingdales, Saks, Tiffany’s maybe, order in some fantastic room service from the Grand Bar and Lounge, get an in-room facial or massage, rent some overly romantic movies and snuggle up in all that sumptuous luxury; Frette linens, Malin+Goetz bath products, I think that would be heavenly! If that doesn’t excite you , maybe we could walk around Central Park, make a snowman, watch the families ice skate, eat whatever strikes our fancy from the street vendors…doesn’t that sound perfect?, she asked. This induced little reaction, no more than a slight tilt of the head in consideration.
Maybe something a little bit more active, athletic, “Let’s hit the slopes, Sky in Aspen, CO has put together a package that we will both love! I’m perfectly happy to go off skiing while you hang out by the hot tub or grab a beer * with the guys.” He’s starting to feel the pressure because this latest attempt only results in a low growl.
It’s not that her expectations are out of line, he’s happy to participate, he just isn’t a planner. The time has come for her to make the call and invite him away for the weekend! Now she just has to choose warm and steamy, a winter wonderland, a city escape or a country excursion?
So many choices, The W Hotel in Seattle is hosting a Valentines Day Mixer sponsored by City Dog Magazine on the 11th ; mid-week might be nice, and the W Hotel is GORGEOUS! Then there is also the Epic Hotel in Miami. A new Kimpton Hotel, the Epic has put together a ‘superhero’ package for Valentines Day. That might be just perfect; he is after all her superhero having swooped in, red cape flying in the breeze, to save her from being alone! Queue the music BA BA BAAAA! She does want him to know how much she loves and appreciates him, this weekend is not just about her, it’s about them, they could both use a little pampering, now that she thinks about it.
Either way, whichever hotel she chooses, they will be together and celebrate the fact that they were lucky enough to find one another! He isn’t perfect mind you, he will still act inappropriately in public sometimes, never excuse himself, despite numerous reminders from her ,when he burps, and then, there’s always the drooling, but she doesn’t care. She’s in love and love is after all, about acceptance.
Celebrate Valentines Day with the ‘Furry’ Love of Your Life:
In New York City, NY:
The SoHo Grand welcomes pet-guests of all sizes without any additional fees and has Queen, Pet-friendly rooms beginning at $395/night which includes the pet welcome amenity of food/water bowls, pet bed, and special treat.
The Tribeca Grand has the same pet policy and has King, Pet-friendly rooms beginning at $365/night.
Bloomingdales, Saks, & Tiffany’s all welcome pet-guests as long as they are well behaved and properly leashed.
The hotel concierge can arrange for facials, massages, etc. for an additional fee.
In Seattle, WA:
The W Hotel welcomes pet-guests of all sizes for an additional fee of $25/per stay plus a $100 non-refundable cleaning assessment and has King, pet-friendly rooms mid-week beginning at $270/night and on Valentine’s Day beginning at $221/night. W Hotels has the PAW – Pets Are Welcome program and provides a pet bed, toy, treat, and food/water bowl as a pet amenity upon arrival.
CityDog Magazine www.citydogmagazine.com
In Miami, FL
The Epic Hotel ‘Superhero’ package is available for pets of all sizes beginning at $802. This two night package includes sleeping accommodations for two nights, pet bed and food/water bowls for use during stay, toy, Superhero pet welcome gift, complimentary wine/treat hour in the main lobby each evening, $25 credit for in-room dining per night and a pawdicure and shampoo for the pup and an in-room, 90-minute massage for you! 14-day advance booking required!
In Aspen, CO
The Sky Hotel welcomes pets of all sizes at no additional cost and has put together a cost-saving ski package. The two night package Begins at $676 per night and includes room accommodations, a daily lift ticket, and breakfast. Pet sitting arrangements can be made for an additional fee through the concierge.
Visit PAW;Pet-friendly Accommodations Worldwide at http://www.luxurypaw.com to make your reservation for any of the luxury, pet-friendly hotels mentioned here or to view and reserve hundreds of luxury, pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, activities and resources for your Valentine’s Day Celebration!
*Bowser Beer – non-alcoholic beer for dogs (www.3busydogs.com)
Go to PAW to reserve your next gorgeous, pet-friendly hotel room!
January 18, 2009 at 12:12 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Kimpton Hotels have wonderful pet ambassadors in residence in some of their hotels and below each ambassador offers his or her best advice to the newly appointed presidential pooch…everyone’s got an opinion!! 
Look for a Kimpton Hotel on the PAW website at http://www.luxurypaw.com the next time you need a gorgeous, pet-friendly hotel!
Presidential pooch advice from Bosco, FireSky Resort & Spa, Scottsdale
Make the White House go green by barking your case for LED lights in the Oval Office. Not only are they eco-friendly, but their soft glow gives my fur a pawlish that makes other dogs green with envy.
Presidential pooch advice from Sigmund, Hotel Lumen, Dallas
Practice posing in front of the mirror to find your best angle. With all the puparazzi around, you don’t want an unflattering picture to appear on the front page of the papers.
Presidential pooch advice from Charlie, Hotel Monaco, Alexandria
Stop and smell the rose garden. Life can get pretty hectic being the first pooch of America, lay on your back, relax and enjoy top dog treatment.
Presidential pooch advice from Art, Hotel Monaco, Portland
I love getting my paws on leftovers after a big meal, especially bacon. Since the White House dining room is so big, start your scavenging rounds at the head and concentrate on the ladies, they can never resist my charm.
Presidential pooch advice from Ginger, Muse Hotel, New York City
With the puparazzi constantly on your tail, make sure you are always dressed in appropriate presidential style with outfits from my favorite designers, Chewy Vuitton and Manolo Barknick.
Presidential pooch advice from Georgie, Hotel Vintage Plaza, Portland
Make sure they double your daily walks at the White House, as your crumb detail will be pretty hefty with all of those international meetings. It’s not easy for me to maintain my figure after all of the staff meals at the Hotel Vintage Plaza.
Look for a Kimpton Hotel on the PAW website at http://www.luxurypaw.com the next time you need a gorgeous, pet-friendly hotel!
January 18, 2009 at 12:03 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Loews Hotels has created an “Indoguration” package to celebrate the inauguration of President Elect Obama with the “Presidential Pooch” package. Available for the first 100 days of Obama’s presidency, (January 20 through April 29, 2009) all 17 Loew’s properties are offering a special pet-friendly amenity: · A one-night stay at the Loews Regency Hotel or any one of Loews Hotels 17 properties for guests and their pets (all properties are participating) · A special “Stars and Stripes” room service meal for pups · A patriotic-themed bandana for dogs to wear home The package is offered at a 10% discount off the Best Available Rate, which generally starts at $139 depending on the property, and the idea is to make your pup feel like the presidential pup himself! Loews Hotels have implemented the ‘Loews Loves Pets’ program, and treats their pet-guests to a welcome pet amenity of food & water bowls, mat, dog bed and usually a toy or treat. Loews charges $25/stay to bring your pet with you and each hotel has individual rules about the size of pet allowed, so be sure to check the weight restriction information on each hotels PAW feature page. A fun and clever promotion for the doldrums of January!! Look for a Loews Hotel on www.luxurypaw.com when you are searching the PAW Website for your next Luxury, Pet-friendly hotel accommodation!
January 17, 2009 at 11:49 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
PAW Names the 2008 ‘Top Dogs’ in Luxury, Pet-friendly Hotels
PAW;Pet-friendly Accommodations Worldwide, (www.luxurypaw.com) the only on line hotel booking engine specializing in luxury, pet-friendly hotels releases the results of their 13,000 mile, 30-state, 50-luxury, pet-friendly hotel adventure and reveals who the ‘Top Dogs’ are when it comes to luxury pet-friendly hotels in the US.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 7, 2009 (Nantucket, MA) – Janine Franceschi and her Irish Setter, Beau, the owners of PAW;Pet-friendly Accommodations Worldwide set off across the country four months ago from the East Coast in a ‘paw-print’ adorned 2008 Honda Element. Their mission was three-fold; to source, visit, and review luxury, pet-friendly hotels for inclusion on the PAW website, (www.luxurypaw.com) as well as their weekly podcast for the Travel Tails Series on PetLifeRadio,(www.petliferadio.com/traveltails), and to discover and recommend unique pet-friendly activities, resources, and restaurants in each PAW hotel city.
13,000 miles, 30 states, and 50 luxury, pet-friendly hotels later, PAW is proud to announce the ‘Top Dogs’ in luxury, pet-friendly hotels from across the country in four major categories; Luxury Pet-friendly Resort, Luxury Pet-friendly Hotel; Chain and Individual, and Best Pet Welcome Amenity as well as the ‘Top Dog’ in the pet-friendly restaurant, activity, and resource categories. And the winners are..
The PAW ‘Top Dog’ Luxury Pet-friendly Resort 2008
Calistoga Ranch, Calistoga, CA
The PAW ‘Top Dog’ Luxury Pet-friendly Hotel Chain 2008
First Place Tie: WESTIN HOTELS and KIMPTON HOTELS
The PAW ‘Top Dog’ Luxury Pet-friendly Hotel 2008
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Santa Monica, CA
The PAW ‘Top Dog’ Luxury Pet-friendly Hotel BEST PET WELCOME AMENITY 2008
The Woodlands Resort & Inn, Summerville, SC – (Personalized Dog Collar pictured above)
Honorable Mention: Hotel Palomar, Dallas, TX (The Goldfish pictured above)
The PAW ‘Top Dog’ in Pet-Friendly Restaurants 2008
First Place Tie: 50 Plates, Portland, OR – for the food
Fetch, UES NYC, NY – for the atmosphere
The PAW ‘Top Dog’ in Pet-friendly Activities 2008
New York Dog Tours, NY, NY
The PAW ‘Top Dog’ in Pet-friendly Resoures 2008
Dining With Sophie, San Francisco, CA
Along the way PAW discovered some fantastic pet-related vendors and considers ArfDog (http://www.arfdog.com), Bowser Beer, (http://www.3busydogs.com), Dog Lovers Wine Club (http://www.dogloverswineclub.com), and Dog Is Good, (http://www.dogisgood.com) to be among the best; all offering a unique, well designed and high quality product line!
For more information or to reserve one of the luxury pet-friendly hotels mentioned here or view all of the luxury, pet-friendly hotels on the PAW website visit www.luxurypaw.com. To find more information about any of the activities, resources, or restaurants mentioned visit the Canine Concierge State pages on the PAW website (www.luxurypaw.com/canineconcierge).
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About PAW
PAW;Pet-friendly Accommodations Worldwide, LLC was created after Janine Franceschi spent countless hours searching in vain for luxury, (4-star or higher rated), pet-friendly hotels that would accept a 60lb dog. PAW is the oly online hotel booking website that specializes in luxury, pet-friendly hotel accommodations and the first to let you searh for a pet-friendly hotel using your pets weight as part of the hotel search criteria. Janine and her 2-year old Irish Setter, Beau, have made it their mission to searh out and identify luxury hotels with the highest level of pet-comfort and amenities available. They have just completed a promotional tour around the country spotlighting the luxury pet-friendly hotels in your area.
Contact:
Janine Franceschi
PAW;Pet-friendly Accommodations Worldwide
http://www.luxurypaw.com
Janine@luxurypaw.com
Go to PAW to reserve your next gorgeous, pet-friendly hotel room!
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