Hotel puts out welcome mat for pets: dogs, cats, even cows

Visitors who check into the new Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando may encounter a few critters in the hallways.

That's because Loews Hotels, which operates the new $200-million hotel, is one of the few major chains to allow pets.

"It just dawned on me that people are so passionate about their pets today that many travel with them," said Jonathon Tisch, chairman and chief executive of the 17-hotel chain that also runs the Hard Rock and Portofino Bay hotels at Universal. "So if a pet makes a mess in a room, we just clean it up."

Fewer than 5 percent of Loews guests bring animals. Usually, they're small dogs. But one Great Dane has checked into 10 different Loews properties so far. And the chain let Siegfried and Roy of Las Vegas fame keep two baby tigers in their suite.

The company asks for advance notice because less conventional pets might require special handling or an advance damage deposit. One example: a cow that spent a night in the ballroom at the New York Regency for a New York ad agency shoot the following day.

Loews treats its pet policy as a marketing opportunity. Pet owners get a water bowl and mat to put it on to catch Spike's spills. Room service sports a menu of veterinarian-approved meals served with Evian Water and on "appropriate petware." Highlights include the $17 "Chow Hound Chicken" or "Kitty's Salmon Supreme." At $16, "Whisker Licking Liver" comes with eggs, brown rice and a promise the dish helps pets overcome jet lag and rehydrate after a long flight in the belly of a plane. Gourmet dog biscuits fetch $10, which Loews donates to an American Kennel Club program to train police and search dogs.

Rooms with pets have special "do not disturb" doorknob hangers so housekeepers aren't surprised when they come in to change the linens.

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