Review of Loews Loves Pets at Universal Orlando Resort

Fact: I travel. A lot.

Fact: I like my pets more than I like most people.

Fact: Until my pets get opposable thumbs and learn to Face Time me while I travel, I will miss them terribly when I’m on the road.

With this mind, I decided on my last trip to Orlando that it was time to bring the dog along. Lucky for me, Loews Hotels, the company that runs the four onsite resorts at Universal, is pet friendly – a program called Loews Loves Pets. And, as this trip was especially to visit Universal and Diagon Alley, it seemed a natural fit to take advantage of this policy.

For this trip, Len Testa and I chose the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. We booked one of the room types that is available for the program, which at Portofino is Garden and Bay View rooms only. There was no part of making the reservation online that designated that we were bringing the dog, and Loews states that if you show up with your pet after having booked a non-pet friendly room type (such as a suite), you’ll be reassigned at checkin.

We arrived at the front desk dog in hand (literally – Rosie is a toy poodle and roughly the size of a shoe). After everyone oohed and aaahed over how cute she is, we began check-in. Loews gives guests a welcome pack for pets along with the paperwork explaining how everything works. We were given first floor room that conveniently had a direct ground-level walk out toward the dog walking area.

The pet area was away from the hotel and very pleasant. We only ran into a couple of other dogs while we were there.

The welcome pack was adorable. It included a baggie caddy, food and water bowls, and dog treats. The hotel also has pet food available through room service. (This is laughable as anyone knows dogs like people food far more than dog food.) For our trip, we also brought along a collar and leash (of course), Rosie’s bed, puppy training pads, and her favorite toy.

Here is a run down of what you need to know about Loews Loves Pets:

• The nightly fee to participate is $50, which tops out at a total of $150, after 3 nights, that is to say the total charge is:
  • One night – $50
  • Two nights – $100
  • Three or more nights- $150
• No more than two pets per room.
• Housekeeping will not enter your room if the pet is inside – Loews gives you a door hanger to indicate a pet is in the room.
• Bring a copy of your pet’s vaccinations with you. We weren’t asked for them, but this is S.O.P. any time you travel with an animal.
• If your pet disturbs other guests, you may be asked to board the animal elsewhere (at your own expense).
• Pets are not allowed in pools or restaurants (this does not include service animals).
• Full details are listed on the Loews web site.

You probably have more questions about the program:

Q. Did your pet-friendly room smell?
A. Slightly. It did smell a bit of dog when we first came in, but the smell was unnoticeable after that.

Q. What about cats?
A. Loews does include cats in the program, but we chose not to bring the cat along.

Q. What if I have allergies? I’m allergic to dogs/cats and don’t want to stay in a room that has had one.
A. The hotel does do a deep clean between pet stays, but let the front desk know when you check in if you think you will have problems.

Q. Which Universal hotels participate?
A. Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel, and Royal Pacific Resort. The moderately priced Cabana Bay Beach Resort does not allow pets. We were told that Loews did not believe guests would be willing to pay the $50/day additional fee for a room that can often be found for less that $100/night. We disagree and would have happily paid it, but what are you going to do?

Q. Anything else?
A. We were happy to stay on site where we could return to the room regularly to walk and play with the dog. This is a big benefit for guests versus having to drive back to an off site resort in the middle of the day.

Q. What are my options if staying on site at Walt Disney World instead?
A. Nearly none. There are pet-friendly camping loops at Fort Wilderness, but these are campsites only. Cabins are not included. Some Four Seasons locations are pet-friendly, but the newly opened Walt Disney World location is not one. Most Starwood (Westin/Sheraton) locations are pet-friendly, but the Swan and Dolphin are not. The only onsite option for boarding your pet is Best Friends Pet Resort, close to Fort Wilderness and the Port Orleans resorts.

Off site chains that are pet-frienldy:

• Grand Bohemian Orlando and Bohemian Celebration
• Red Roof Inn
• Rosen Hotels (many locations around Orlando)

Q. So why didn’t you bring the cat?
A. So many reasons. When we travel, we have a pet sitter come by to watch Kitty (no, really, that’s her name). While dogs get attached to people, cats tend to get attached to places, and ours is most happy in her own spots in the house. Moreover, she really does not like being in a car. And further, no matter how much we brush Kitty, she leaves a trail of hair wherever she goes. We wouldn’t wish that on housekeeping, and frankly don’t want the inside of our car covered in it either.

Q. How did you experience compare to that at other pet-friendly resorts?
A. Very similar both in terms of fees and amenities. We recently took Rosie to the Bohemian Hotel in Savannah, which has locations in Celebration and Orlando and had a great experience. I look forward to trying out the Celebration location.

So how about you? Do you dream of bringing Fido or Fluffy along for your next central Florida vacation? Talk about it in the comments.