[Feature] Behind the scenes at pet-friendly hotels

Staycation at a pet-friendly hotel or pension is not likely to be a mere passing fad in South Korea -- a country where almost 15 million people or 30 percent of the total population, as of 2023, are estimated to live with at least one companion animal according to data by Korea Rural Economic Institute.

In a country where 30 percent of the population owns a pet, a growing number of accommodations are catering to guests' furry friends, with hotels even designating some rooms exclusively for those checking in with pets.

The Korea Rural Economic Institute estimated that almost 15 million people in South Korea owned a pet as of last year, making them an growing consideration in holiday plans.

Hotel officials and industry insiders agree that managing pet-friendly hotels requires bigger efforts and has them on alert for various issues, including cleaning and hygiene, to keep their guests safe and comfortable.

The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, located in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, was one of the very few Seoul-based hotels to allow guests to check in with pets when it opened in 2015, because of the hotel's kid- and pet-welcoming policies.

Guests with a dog that weighs under 10 kilograms can stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. Only one pet dog is allowed to accompany the guest.

“All of our rooms are available for guests with dogs. And the cleaning procedures for the room used by pet owners and their furry companions are very different,” Moon In-young, public relations director at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, told The Korea Herald.

Moon shared that after room items like bed linen and carpet are cleaned by the hotel staff, a separate team from pest control company Cesco checks the hygiene in detail, including bed bug detection, tick and animal fur.

When asked whether there have been any guests who felt uncomfortable or had issues with fur allergies, Moon said no such cases have risen yet.

"The number of staycations with pet dogs skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when almost everyone in the country was sensitive about hygiene. But, we did not receive any complaint related to the pet dogs,” Moon explained.

Though guests with pets are asked to pay additional fees for sanitization and housekeeping, many are willing to pay the price to make memorable stays with their furry friends.

Meanwhile, Kumho Seorak Resort, located in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, has nine rooms for the exclusive use of guests with dogs available since 2020.

Though cats and other types of pet are not allowed, up to two dogs (under 8 kilograms) can stay with owners at Kumho Seorak Resort.

“Vacationers are asked to submit rabies vaccination documents and quarantine certificates when they check-in. Additional sanitization and maintenance procedures are conducted for the pet-friendly rooms. From our cleaning staff to the hotel officials, we pay closer attention to these rooms as well,” a resort official explained.

The pet-welcoming rooms are located on the ground floor for the pet owners’ convenience and for the safety of the guests.

Guests with pets are also asked to stay with their pets in order to keep the noise level as low as possible, the official said.

A Yongin-based pet-friendly pension owner surnamed Park noted that he gets less stress from cleaning pet-welcoming rooms than being hit with a messy room after partymakers check-out.

"Many pet owners have good ‘petiquette,’ trying to mind their manners, avoid making trouble in regards to noise levels and hygiene,” said Park, who switched her lodging business to a pet-friendly pension.

"Those positive experiences motivate me to keep the rooms at their highest quality even though the cleaning and maintenance costs might be higher," she said.

Yoon Yoo-shik, a professor at Smart Tourism Education Platform College of Hotel and Tourism Management at Kyung Hee University, felt that pet-friendly accommodations will not only grow in number but come at higher quality.

“Pet owners are a new business market. And these owners are more willing to pay than ordinary tourists. Hotels and other accommodations will try their best not to lose these guests by offering quality maintenance and diverse pet-themed services, including pet therapy, diagnostic service, swimming pool, restaurants and more, in the near future” Yoon told The Korea Herald.

However, Yoon explained that the growth in pet-friendly accommodation is not sufficient given the country's total pet population.

"The new lifestyle of enjoying a safe staycation with pets has emerged and I believe such a trend is not likely to end any time soon when backed with clean, safe accommodations,” Yoon said.