posted January 17, 2008 02:35 AM         

Excerpts:
“The best way to gauge an establishment’s pet policy is to determine whether they just tolerate pets or welcome them. That’s the key difference,”

Central reservations for the corporate-owned La Quinta Inns had all the relevant pet information on hand. There was no hesitation or double-checking needed — you may bring two pets, there are no size restrictions and all pets stay free. The only request was that they are “reasonably behaved.”

“When people call and ask about our pet restrictions, they always sound amazed to discover that we don’t have any,” says Heather Cowan, manager of Deerfield Lodge, which neighbors the Heavenly Ski resort in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Top 10 pet-friendly accommodations

Here is a list of 10 hotel favorites ranked by pet travelers on petswelcome.com (article recommended site)

Biltmore Hotel, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Camden Riverhouse Hotel & Inns, Camden, Maine

Deerfield Lodge Heavenly, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Shiverick Inn, Edgartown, Mass.

Hotel Marlowe, Cambridge, Mass.

The Chesterfield, Palm Beach, Fla.

Millennium Hotel, Minneapolis, Minn.

Feathered Star Bed & Breakfast, Egg Harbor, Wis.

General Sutter Inn, Lititz, Pa.

White Wing Resort, Branson, Mo.

Use this post to recommend your own pet friendly hotel experiences if you like?