With its beaches, trails, and mountains, New England is a pup’s playground. Here are some pet-friendly lodging options that make traveling with furry friends a breeze.
By Yankee Magazine
Nov 12 2019
Best Pet Friendly Hotels in New England
Photo Credit : Corey HendricksonSometimes the hardest part about a vacation is leaving your furry friend behind. Fortunately, more and more hotels, inns, and campgrounds are making traveling with pets easy — and some even offer amenities, such as high-end therapeutic pet beds and customized baskets of treats, that will have Fido feeling right at home. Below are Yankee editors’ picks for top-notch pet-friendly lodging options in New England.
Search for #dogslovelopstick and you’ll see snapshots of pups gazing out from a mountaintop, cruising in a motorboat, hanging out at an ice fishing hole, and even just snoozing in front of a cabin fireplace. Furry faces are familiar ones at this Great North Woods getaway, where more than half of the 57 housekeeping cabins are pet-friendly. Gun dogs like retrievers and pointers are a natural fit at Lopstick, a longtime favorite of hunters — but any mutt will surely love hearing the call of the wild.
Cuter than a wee lobster chew toy, these 12 wharfside cottages at the Nantucket Boat Basin overlook no detail in welcoming dogs to island life: a basket of treats and toys, a personalized ID tag, a high-end therapeutic pet bed, and even doggie sunscreen. Owners, meanwhile, get a list of Nantucket’s many pet-friendly attractions — and can direct additional inquiries to Bailey the concierge, a black Lab mix who knows all the island’s ins and outs.
Though it’ll cost more than some kibble, you and your pup can live like tycoons at this 1909 Vanderbilt family mansion restored as one of Newport’s finest hotels. For hobnobbing, the garden terrace regularly hosts a “Yappy Hour” that features treats from the hotel’s “Gracious Canine Menu” (think: steak tips and wild grain pilaf, peanut butter–banana frozen yogurt). Even dog walking is elevated here, thanks to the hotel’s proximity to the ne plus ultra of seaside strolls, the Newport Cliff Walk.
Let’s face it: Rover won’t care much about Inn by the Sea’s many eco-friendly initiatives, from its native-plant gardens to its recycled paper key cards. But he’ll be swept off his paws by the dog-friendly touches at this upscale coastal Maine hotel. Plush pet blankets and Maine-made turndown treats are standard, while the “INNcredible Pets” package adds a doggie massage session, nightly snacks from the gourmet pet menu, and a personalized L.L. Bean bed.
Where are your favorite pet-friendly hotels in New England? Let us know!
These “Editors’ Picks for Dog Lovers” originally appeared in the May/June 2018 issue of Yankee.