Doggy divas given red carpet welcome by U.S. hotels

By Dana Ford

LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) - At the Beverly Hills Hotel, dogs are greeted by name, served food prepared by world-class chefs and walked in the hotel's luxurious gardens.

Yes, it's a dog life, and it's not so bad.

From hotels to airlines, the travel industry is opening its doors to four-legged guests, said Kim Salerno, founder of TripswithPets.com, one of a growing number of Web sites that cater to people that travel with their animals.

"Pets really are, now more than ever, considered part of the family and when they go on trips, people don't want to leave their family members behind," said Salerno.

Her Web site lists more than 20,000 pet-friendly accommodations in the United States and provides links to different airlines' pet travel policies.

Another Web site, www.bringyourpet.com, lists pet-friendly accommodations from beach houses to hotels and penthouses, and estimates that up to 36 million U.S. households travel with their pets a year.

Alberto Robles, the head bell captain at the Beverly Hills Hotel, said he is responsible for greeting guests' "little designer dogs" by name.

"They have to be treated the same as children. We take care of our guests and we take care of their pets," said Robles, adding many dogs travel with their own luggage, clothes and jewelry.