OBSERVATION
by Stefania Revelli
WHAT’S HAPPENING
- This may be taking the dog days of summer a bit too literally. Pouncing off pet-sharing programs like Flexpetz, the hospitality industry is offering guests a rather unique amenity: pet leasing.
- At select Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, guests can “rent” dogs for several hours. At Quebec City, Boston and Vancouver locations, dogs even have their own email addresses so their part-time parents can K.I.T. post-vacation (WSJ.com 8.5.08).
- Guests staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Beaver Creek, Colorado, need to make reservations up to a month in advance if they want to spend time with the hotel’s yellow lab.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
- Like a loving aunt or part-time nanny may know, taking care of the kids is a treat — when it’s for a few hours. A trial run may be a great way for parents to experience all the fun and love of owning a pet, as long as they remember that full-time care takes much more than a walk in the park.
- There’s no time like vacation to take on a fully experiential stay.
RESOURCES
