While you’ve probably started making Virginia travel plans with your family for the upcoming year, you may not have considered travel plans with those four-legged family members. Virginia has plenty of pet-friendly lodging options, but if you really want to go above and beyond for your pets, consider staying at one of these over-the-top, pet-loving hotels that feature extra amenities like homemade dog treats, toys for any visiting pooch, and lots of wide open spaces for you and your pup to explore!
SALAMANDER MIDDLEBURG—MIDDLEBURG
Photo Credit: Eric Stein, @ericsteinpixel
Set on 340 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Salamander Middleburg is a truly dog-friendly property, catering to your dogs with the same level of personalized service that they provide to every guest staying at the resort. There are miles of trails throughout the property open to you and your pet, and their terrace-level pet-friendly rooms allow easy access to the grounds. At Salamander Middleburg, you’ll get in-room amenities like a comfy dog bed, food and water bowls, organic treats made daily by the resort’s pastry team, a special toy, and waste bags. Before leaving the resort, be sure to stop by their pet step-and-repeat, complete with a “dog walk”, for a photo opp to remember your visit.
Additional Pet-Friendly Booking Details: Let Salamander Middleburg know you’ll be traveling with your pet ahead of time to ensure they can roll out the “turf carpet” for your pet. Learn more about the resort’s pet-friendly policies.
CRADDOCK TERRY HOTEL—LYNCHBURG
The Craddock Terry Hotel & Conference Center is a pet-friendly hotel in historic downtown Lynchburg that actually has their own on-site pup: Penny Loafer is the hotel’s tail-wagging mascot whose official duties include greeting and cuddling with guests. The hotel has a special package for visitors traveling with their pets, Penny Loafer’s Pampered Pet Package, which includes a night of deluxe or premium accommodations, a pet spa day at nearby Fur Kidz Pet Boutique, welcome treats for your pup, two bike rentals with a pet-carry attachment to explore downtown Lynchburg, and breakfast for two delivered to your room.
Additional Pet-Friendly Booking Details: Pets are welcome in any of the guest rooms at Craddock Terry with a one-time, non-refundable pet cleaning fee of $75 per stay.
GRADUATE HOTEL—RICHMOND & CHARLOTTESVILLE
The Graduate Hotel has two separate Virginia locations in Charlottesville and Richmond, but both are known as pet-pampering lodging options. Bring your four-legged friends along to the Graduate and at check-in, provide some basic information about your pet. Head to your room and the hotel staff will deliver a custom BarkBox to your door filled with Graduate-themed toys, treats, and bones, as well as a water bowl and blanket for you to use during your stay. If your pet happens to love the bowl or blanket, you can purchase them from the front desk before you check out.
Additional Pet-Friendly Booking Details: Add a pet to your booking for $25 per night.
THE KIMPTON FORUM HOTEL—CHARLOTTESVILLE
Charlottesville is home to several pet-friendly properties; the newest is the Kimpton Forum Hotel, which allows pets to stay for no extra charge. And they don't just mean dogs; the hotel pet policy boasts, "Doesn't matter if your extra family member is furry, feathery or scaly. It's okay by us, and there is no extra charge -- no matter their size, weight, or breed. We not only allow dogs, cats, and other pets at our hotels, we welcome them." Food and water bowls are provided in your room, as well as partnering with Wag!, a local pet caregiving service, to offer dog walking and sitting at a discounted rate.
Additional Pet-Friendly Booking Details: Feel free to bring your pet to the nightly wine reception, which is included in your stay.
SUNSET BEACH RESORT—CAPE CHARLES
Is your pup a beach lover? Take that good boy (or girl!) to Sunset Beach Resort Hotel, located just across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. In addition to pet-friendly rooms, the hotel offers the Sandy Paws Dog Beach, where your pets can doggy paddle their hearts out! This is one of the few places in Virginia that allows dogs to be off-leash, giving them the chance to splash around in the surf and frolic in the sand. The resort grounds also include the Beach Bark Dog Park, an off-leash area with plenty of space for your dogs to run around and enjoy the great outdoors.
Additional Pet-Friendly Booking Details: Dogs must be accompanied by their owners at all times. Guests are responsible for cleaning up after their pets on the grounds and the beach, and will be held fully responsible for their pets during their stay at Sunset Beach Resort.
PEAKS OF OTTER LODGE—BEDFORD
Book the “Pampered Pooch” package at Peaks of Otter Lodge for a Virginia vacation that your dog will remember forever (or at least until he sees the next squirrel!). The pet-friendly package includes your overnight accommodations, a dog bowl, tasty bone, and a stylish bandana for your sidekick. Dogs are also welcome in the nearby Peaks of Otter Winery tasting room, and if you’re both outdoorsy types, take your pal for a hike up one of the three mountains comprising the Peaks of Otter: Sharp Top, Flat Top, & Harkening Hill.
Additional Pet-Friendly Booking Details: No weight or size restrictions, but no more than two dogs per room. Dogs are not allowed in the public buildings and must be leashed at all times on the grounds. $30 per pet per night.
FOX HILL BED & BREAKFAST—FAIRFIELD
Located on 38 acres with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background, Fox Hill Bed & Breakfast received 5 bones on BringFido in recognition of their pet-friendly efforts. The B&B gives your dog a welcome kit upon arrival that is filled with all-natural treats, clean-up bags, and paw wipes and towels to help keep your pup clean during his or her stay. Additionally, the B&B owners are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to other pet-friendly restaurants and businesses in the area, ensuring your stay is enjoyable for all guests, whether they be two-legged of four-legged. The grounds of the bed and breakfast have a large play area for throwing the frisbee or tennis balls, and there are also well-tended trails on the property through meadows that look out onto the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Additional Pet-Friendly Booking Details: All house-trained dogs over 6 months old are welcome, regardless of size or breed, with advance notice and a fee of $24 per dog per night. The owners also have two friendly dogs onsite willing to play with other dogs their size.
THE BLACKBURN INN—STAUNTON
Photo Credit: Chad Williams, @echadwilliams
The Blackburn Inn in Staunton has special pet-friendly rooms located on their first floor that feature an exterior door opening directly to the grounds so that you can conveniently take your pet outside. All four-legged friends visiting the Blackburn Inn receive complimentary dog treats, waste bags, a water bowl, and a dog bed. Explore the nearly 80 acres of beautifully-maintained grounds during your stay, including numerous dog walking trails. The town of Staunton is also very pet friendly, with many attractions, restaurants, and businesses welcoming leashed pets.
Additional Pet-Friendly Booking Details: An additional fee of $50 per stay is required for pets.
LANSDOWNE RESORT—LEESBURG
When traveling through Northern Virginia with your furry family, stay at Lansdowne Resort, a dog friendly property surrounded by lush grounds perfect for exploring with your pup. At check-in, dogs are welcomed by the staff with a treat, and the rooms are outfitted with dog beds made locally, extra dog treats, and a water bowl. Head outside to the resort grounds to their Bark Park, where they can play and do their “business”. Follow the Heritage Trail along the Potomac River and discover the beauty of Virginia’s waterfront landscapes without ever leaving the resort.
Additional Pet-Friendly Booking Details: Dogs are the only pets permitted at Lansdowne Resort. A maximum of two pets are allowed per room, with a weight restriction of 75 pounds. Dogs must be crated if left alone in the room. $150 nonrefundable fee per room for one dog up to six nights or $225 for two dogs; additional deep-cleaning fee charged for longer stays.
SHERATON NORFOLK WATERSIDE—NORFOLK
Norfolk’s only waterfront hotel, the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside, gives guests traveling with pets a welcome box that includes a doggie bed and food dish for their furry friends. Plus, the Sheraton Norfolk is one of the few hotels that explicitly allow both dogs AND cats, so if you prefer to bring your feline friend, you’re good to go! The hotel is walking distance to the waterfront, the Elizabeth River Trail, and nearly 20 pet-friendly restaurant patios in the downtown area.
Additional Pet-Friendly Booking Details: Maximum of two pets per room. Dogs up to 40 pounds. Nonrefundable fee of $150 per stay. Well-behaved pets may be left in the room unattended.
THE WESTERN FRONT HOTEL—ST. PAUL
Photo Credit: David Robinson
In Southwest Virginia, the Western Front Hotel is a fantastic option for travelers with pets who want to explore Virginia's Great Outdoors. Book the Pooch Package, which includes welcome dog treats from a local bakery, a luxury memory foam dog bed and handmade water bowl for your pet to use during your stay, and a keepsake dog toy.
Additional Pet-Friendly Booking Details: A standard pet fee of $50 is included in the package. The locally crafted pottery water bowls and dog treats are also available for purchase in the hotel gift shop.
Take your dog along for some memorable adventures this year and stay at one of these ten hotels and bed & breakfasts that go above and beyond for their furry guests!
