I am obsessed with my dog. I find her to be silly, sweet, curious and more intelligent than she should be. She is my savior, my reason for getting up in the morning when I do not want to. God blessed me with a furry gift and her name is Bristol.
One of my favorite EDM artists was performing in Chicago. It was one of two cities that would be as close as he would be getting with his performances before heading to take his tour overseas. With my plans to see a concert in Chicago, initially I was not going to take Bristol, but things last minute changed. My hotel had not been booked yet, and the search began to find a hotel that would allow me to being B. Quickly I discovered it was going to be a challenge to find a dog friendly hotel that was not going to charge me a ridiculous fee. Some hotels had charges around $100.00 or more! I realize this is to discourage people from staying there with their dog. These charges also derive from past experiences with dog owners who were not responsible and allowed it to misbehave. These unfortunate situations from dogs who did not behave well caused damages that were costly to the hotel. Yet, it is frustrating when I know my dog and work with her daily to behave and be obedient.
I am very fortunate to be blessed with a well behaved, obedient canine critter. Even without being consistent with her, she amazes me by her willingness to do the right thing. I knew the $100.00 was uncalled for and not going to work for my budget.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered LaQuinta Inn does not charge for dogs! I was thrilled and booked my room. Bags packed, doggy treats loaded and we were on our way.
Thankfully B travels quite well and she will go from what most dogs do in a vehicle. She alters from looking out the window and circling the front seat getting comfy. Once we were at the hotel I verified I had a dog and they had me fill out a form.
Once I got her out of the car I quickly discovered we were one of many people there with their dogs. I got her settled in and got myself ready for the concert. With the tv on with something I thought she would enjoy I went down to wait for my Uber.
During the concert I kept checking my phone. The hotel told me they would call if there were any issues or if there were complaints about her barking. She is not one to bark a lot, so I was not too concerned. But, being in a new space, new sounds, new smells, I wasn’t 100% sure how she would be.
Turns out, there was nothing to worry about at all. When I got back I found her sweetly greeting me at the door. I grabbed her leash to take her outside. As we got back into the room I looked at the bed and I was a little confused. I did not remember moving the pillows. A review at the photos I took before I left confirmed I had not moved them.
While I was gone, she created her own pillow fort to hang out on. One pillow had small doggy intentions in it that gave me the impression it was where she layed watching tv. Another looked like a wall to her fort. She had been busy! Each pillow was thoughtfully placed for her ease of comfort while I was gone. She is such a little princess.
The next morning we slept in, she had made herself comfortable with the blankets and pillows. After a quick morning walk for her to go potty, I went to the hotel gym for a little bit. Then it was time to take on the complimentary breakfast. A fantastic selection of items to choose from and fill my plate. Onward back up to the room where I folded like a chair and shared doggy approved items with B for breakfast.
Once breakfast was over we packed up our things and checked out. LaQuinta is a hotel that I have overlooked for years. Their exterior is simple, it is not flashy, but it does not need to be. Maybe their lack of flare on the outside allows them to focus on good customer service on the inside. I can’t help but wonder, if the more low key facade on the outside, allows their property taxes to be lower and results in more affordable room rates?
The room was clean, it smelled clean, the sheets were wonderful and comfortable. The comforter on the bed was quite pretty and made the room feel more cozy. The front desk staff was delightful and very sweet to my dog. (This is very important to me.) I felt safe even when I went outside to walk my dog or to meet my Uber.
The view from my room overlooked an empty courtyard. This actual helped me feel cozy in my room. The artwork on the walls of the courtyard made it pleasing to look at from the room.
The bed was wonderfully comfortable and I wanted to extend my stay to relax on it longer. But, our stay was only for one night and we needed to head back to Tennessee. Years and years ago I had been told the LaQuinta hotels are nice places to stay. I have to admit I did not believe this information and I was quite wrong. They are nice hotels for a relaxed stay while on the go. Yes, they are a no frills hotel. But, honestly when all we need is a safe place to stay, especially if we are trying to be conscious of our spending, do we need a high end hotel with a spa that we won’t use? I am a budget girl who likes to travel wisely. I would rather use my money to go towards decent and healthy meals and experiences that creates memories. For me, my hotel doesn’t necessarily need to come with high end amenities. Don’t get me wrong, those are nice once in a while as a splurge. But, for my budget conscious travels, the LaQuinta hotel is high on my list of great and affordable places to stay.
I will be staying at LaQuinta a lot more often in the future. Since they were considerate to my canine critter I may even plan trips around their locations. I think they just made traveling with my pup a lot easier. Thanks, LaQuinta, I look forward to visiting more of your locations!
When you travel with your dog, be considerate. Pick up after them, no one wants to see the mess left behind by someone else’s pet. Be honest if they tear something up. Try to make it right so other’s who follow are not punished. It helps to travel with familiar items, toys, blankets, something comfortable that helps them feel secure. Help them get enough exercise just like when at home. But, mostly IF your dog does not like to travel, please do not force it on them. Get a doggy sitter or another alternative for their care during travel plans. Everyone will be more happy and content by the end of the trip.