It's a dog's life on holiday

A survey by Small Luxury Hotels of the World has revealed that 7.3 per cent (of 8000 people interviewed worldwide) would prefer to travel with their pets wherever possible. Photo / Getty Images

Hotels are now offering special packages for pampered pooches, writes Sarah Marshall.

The news that Mariah Carey was prepared to spend $35,000 on sending her beloved pooches to the Paw Seasons hotel in Bristol sounds like a typical episode of extravagance for the flamboyant singer.

But when it comes to splashing cash on prized pets, Mariah isn't alone. Pet travel is now big business, with more and more holidaymakers refusing to leave their animals at home.

A survey by Small Luxury Hotels of the World has revealed that 7.3 per cent (of 8000 people interviewed worldwide) would prefer to travel with their pets wherever possible, and 15.1 per cent would be prepared to pay a supplement.

But it's not just a case of bringing a furry friend along for the ride; most pet owners want their animals to get five-star treatment.

Top priorities include luxury bedding, food, and pet grooming - although some survey respondents had requests that would make even Mariah's antics look pedestrian.

The most bizarre suggestions came from China, where pet owners said they would ask for "jamon iberico and caviar", "unlimited playtime", and "a sausage dog girlfriend".

Mariah's home country also scored highly in the oddball stakes, with one American woman saying she'd spoil her pooch with "blueberry facials", and another wanting to go "bird watching at the zoo" with her cat.

In response to the bizarre requests, SLH has selected some of the top luxury hotels currently offering pet-friendly services.

In the UK, the Lainston House hotel in Winchester offers a VIP (Very Important Pooch) package, with dogs receiving their own bed, water and food bowls, poop bags and a special treat. Several of the rooms also have doors leading straight out to the hotel grounds.

Those looking for a more unusual stay should head to the Hoteldorf Grüner Baum in Bad Gastein, Austria, a wellbeing retreat where dogs can train in a play meadow and receive consultations from an expert dog trainer. Massages and lymphatic drainage are available, and a Fitness for Older Dogs programme.

The Belmond Hotel Splendido in Portofino, Italy, has bathrobes for pooches. It offers dog massages, a room service menu of canine treats, a dog walking service and a taxi to transport pets to and from grooming appointments.

Italy is clearly the top destination for pet lovers, coming out top in a survey of Europe's most pet-friendly cities conducted by holiday rental website Airbnb; it currently lists 30,000 Italian properties happy to accept pets.

So if Mariah is stuck for ideas on where to take her pooches next year, she might want to consider the land of pizza and pasta.

- AAP