Atlantic City's Best Pet Hotel.

February 6th, 2010 |

Author: Pets // Pets, Livestock, and Wildlife // ArticlePros.com

Four years ago, Scott and Jackie Winston booked a room at a casino hotel with their Maltese named Baby. But while the couple was out, Baby, left alone in the room, caught the attention of hotel management through barking.
It turned out pets were prohibited.

“Security said either the dog leaves or you all leave,” Jackie Winston recalled.
So they packed up and left — and a business idea was born.
Looking to capitalize on the underwhelming choices for pet owners, the Winstons in 2006 opened Atlantic City Pet Hotel and Grooming — billed as the resort’s only 24-hour pet hotel — in a mostly-residential neighborhood near Bernie Robbins Stadium.

The boarders, primarily cats and dogs, usually stay for a couple days, and during that time they are let out of their cages to play, get walked several times a day and are trained and groomed — all extras that differentiate this “hotel” from a typical kennel.

The hotel is preparing to open five specially designed suites for animals whose owners want them to get five-star treatment: Think platform beds, armoires, toys, slides and entertainment centers with DVD/VCR players.

There also are plans to get Internet cameras set up for owners to check on their pets at any time.
While a pet hotel concept may be unique to the resort, similar businesses are growing in popularity across the country,
especially near airports, where those traveling with pets are often hard-pressed to find a convenient kennel.

In Cape May County, several cottages and inns allow guests with pets, including the Billmae Cottage. The rooms have dog-inspired décor, and there’s special “yappy hours” for the dogs to get treats and mingle outside.

“It’s been great for us because we’re dog lovers, and I don’t think I could go through all this work if I didn’t have the enjoyment of having the dogs around,” said Linda Steenrod, who owns the cottage with her husband, Bob.

Pet-permitted lodgings can be serious moneymakers. Americans spend about $3.2 billion annually on boarding and grooming their pets, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturing Association, based in Greenwich, Conn.

The Winstons say about 70 percent of their customers are visitors to Atlantic City.
Jim and Thelma Vlantes, of Jersey City, picked up their yellow Labrador last week after staying at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. The couple said finding a place to lodge their dog was key.

“Otherwise, one of us wouldn’t have been able to come” to Atlantic City, Jim Vlantes said.
The Winstons were from out-of-state, moving from Long Island to the resort after opening their business.
They hired 12 employees, including four groomers. Now they’re planning on opening a grooming school on-site later this year.
“There’s a very severe shortage of groomers and schools in the area,” said Jackie Winston, who formerly worked in the travel industry with her husband.

A pet hotel is a convenience to locals like Lori Melman, of Ventnor. She makes weekend trips to Maryland and needed a place she could trust to leave her two dachshunds, her “babies.”
“I could never bring my dog to a kennel,” Melman said. “I’d die.”
The Atlantic City Pet Hotel was just what she was looking for, she said during a recent visit there, because her dogs get ample attention.

Melman watched as Scott Winston cradled one of her dogs in his arms. “They’re treated with love,” she said.

To e-mail Erik Ortiz at The Press: EOrtiz@pressofac.com

- There’s a 24-hour pick-up and drop-off service for owners staying in nearby hotels and area residents within a half-hour drive.

- Dogs can participate in a complimentary “day care” service in which they can play with other dogs.

- Daily lodging rates depend on dog size: up to 25 pounds is $25, 26 to 49 pounds is $30 and 50 pounds and above is $35. Cats are $20 per night. Private, personalized attention for a pet is $125 per night.

- Information: 609-348-8660 or www.atlanticcitypethotelandgrooming.com

Atlantic City Pet Hotel and Grooming is an exclusive 24 hr Pet Hotel, an Animal Kennel Boarding that also provides complete professional Pet Grooming for cats and dogs of all breeds and sizes. Give Your Pet the Luxury of Atlantic City Pet Hotel today!Visit http://www.atlanticcitypethotelandgrooming.com to know more!