Pet-Friendly Hotels

If there's one thing that can sour a vacation, it's thinking about your furry friend caged up in boarding while you're laid out on the beach. In the past, it was hard to find a pet-friendly hotel, but these days it's hard not to find accommodations that welcome pets. According to an American Hotel & Lodging Association survey of 8,000 hotels in the U.S., 60 percent welcome pets. Here's a roundup of ten of the most easily found pet-friendly hotels in America.

Best Western: With more than 1,000 hotels nationwide that accept pets as overnight guests, you'll be hard pressed to be stranded with Fido at your next destination. Each has its own fee per pet -- from free to $50 a night. Check with individual locations to find out what their fee is and if they have any size restrictions.

Choice Hotels: 2,500 accommodations within the Choice family, which includes Comfort Inn and EconoLodge, allow pets in their rooms. Since each hotel is individually owned, make sure to visit Choice's website for pet-friendly franchises.

Kimpton Hotels: For those with large dogs, this series of boutique hotels in 16 U.S. cities has no size or weight limits, plus there aren't any extra fees for bringing your pet with you. Some Kimpton properties host special events like pet costume parties and meet-and-greet cocktail hours. All hotels offer dog walking services and chew toys, and, if you don't have a pet, they'll loan you a goldfish for your stay (housekeeping makes sure your new friend is well fed).

Hilton: Felines and canines are both welcome at most Hilton Hotels & Resorts throughout the US and Canada for a flat fee of $75. Only one pet is allowed per room and it must be under 75 lbs. At check-in your four-legged friend will receive a Creature Comfort welcome package that includes organic treats and bio-degradable poop bags. Once in your room your pet can cat nap on a Crypton Clean Pet Pillow designed by William Wegman. Concierge desks have lists of local pet-friendly activities including walking trails.

Holiday Inn: Nearly half of the 900 Holiday Inn's welcome pets. The 6th Ave., Manhattan location in New York City offers edible treats and a chew toy for dogs, and treats and a catnip toy for kitties. Walking services are available as well, along with Wee Wee pads and litter boxes on loan.

Hotel Indigo: All 34 U.S. properties accept pets, though each sets its own size limits and fees. Several locations host weekly Canine Cocktails Happy Hours -- Atlanta's Midtown weekly event was featured in the book, "Must Love Dogs." Four of the hotels have in-house dogs to greet you when you check-in.

Loews Hotels: A one-time $25 fee covers your pet's entire stay. There's a special pet-friendly room service menu that the hotel developed with a licensed veterinarian which includes foods designed to help pets deal with travel stress such as jet lag and altitude adjustments. You can also borrow litter boxes, leashes, collars, and pet beds. Loews Hotels also offers dog walking and pet sitting, and even has a "Puppy Pager" service, which gives guests a pager or cell phone that hotel staff can ping if there's a pet-related emergency.

Motel 6: Each of the 1,000+ locations accept one pet per room. There are no frills here, but you also won't have to pay extra to bring Fido with you.

Starwood Hotels: The W, Westin and Sheraton hotels accepts dogs and cats. The Westin offers a special pet bed complete with oversized pillows and a mini duvet. Every hotel in the Starwood family offers food and water bowls as well as personalized ID tags with hotel contact information.