Another dog related question

[dadmomh]

We're getting ready - I hope - to get our plans together for our move from West TN to Lakeland, FL in the next few weeks. As if things aren't chaotic enough, our DS, who is handicapped, cannot ride for more than a couple hours or so without getting out of the truck and walking around. We are selling darned near everything as the new house is completely furnished, but will rent a U-Haul to carry the things we are taking. The plan so far is that DH and DS will have the U-Haul with DS's truck on a dolly. They will take Cubbie, the Border Collie, with them. I will drive our F150 with my little car on a dolly and Foxy, Biscuit and Lily with me. With DS having to stop so frequently, it takes us 2 overnights to get 800 miles. So motels for 2 nights. I started looking online for pet friendly motels and to call themselves "pet friendly" is a joke. Many charge a $100 NON REFUNDABLE deposit per pet. I don't want to buy the place, just stay overnight. This move is enough of a challenge without looking at $800 in NON REFUNDABLE deposits for the dogs. Biscuit and Lily are crated at night, Foxy sleeps with us and Cubbie with DS. They are all well behaved, don't bark - usually, not destructive. Traveling with DS and 4 dogs is interesting enough without this. We'll be coming south on I-65 through Birmingham and usually a good stopping place for us is Montgomery and the second night Lake City, FL. Anyone have suggestions? DH said he'd get an airbag and sleep in the back of the truck (with topper) with the girls before he'd pay that ridiculous amount. That could work, but we're still stuck with figuring out 2 more people and 2 more dogs. We're surely not talking a 4-Star Hotel, but just something clean and.....inexpensive. I have lots more work to do on this, but any suggestions would be appreciated.

[westernrvparkow]

dadmomh wrote:
I actually have considered the "cat trick". But it's tough to conceal 2 Labs, and Border Collie and a Sheltie. With our luck, they'd give us a room where you had to walk through the lobby to get there.

I really don't object to a reasonable fee....whatever they want to call it - Cleaning Fee, Security Deposit, whatever. But if there is no damage caused by the dogs, I want to see that money back lickety split. And I don't want some cleaning person or even manager determining if there is a problem after we've left. But seeing those with the $100 Non Refundable Fee Per Pet really got on my last nerve. I looked for the site last night and couldn't find it, but it sure wasn't a 4-Star chain. For sure I'll be checking LaQuinta and Motel 6 in both Montgomery, AL and Lake City, FL. Makes me wonder why they don't charge a "child fee" or some others when you walk in and it looks like a tornado just came through. We've been known to go back to the office, get our money back and hope for something just down the road.

In your original post "many" properties were charging $100.00 per dog per night. Now you can't find any. The marketplace is really changing fast. Hint: One place charging $100 is many of the Residence Inns, but that is $100 per stay and Residence Inns market to weekly and longer executive stays. Spread that $100 over 7 or more days and it is a reasonable daily fee.
Like I posted before, children are covered by a damage fee, it is in the small print on your check in paperwork. And what properties do you stay in that the rooms look like a tornado passed thru due to children messing up the room? I have stayed conservatively in 1000+ hotel rooms and have never seen one that appeared to be destroyed by children. Have seen a few that were dirty and lacked maintenance, but they were all straightened up, surfaced cleaned, beds made, debris from previous guests removed.
Pets do create more clean up in a room. 95% of dogs and cats shed, and that requires additional vacuuming. Pets (especially cats and small dogs) are prone to getting on the chairs and bedspreads. To clean those, you have to use pet hair rollers which is a very time consuming process. Dogs also smell, and that requires additional ventilation and deodorization. I have no problem with pet fees and I travel extensively with a large dog.
One more thing, the "cat trick" is stealing. If you don't like the price of something you don't just take it. If you don't like paying $150 for a ticket to an NFL football game, you don't run past the ticket taker. If you think $15 a pound is too much for King Crab legs, you don't stuff them down your pants and walk out of the store. (well you do if you are a Heisman Trophy winner, but I am betting you are not) What you do is make your displeasure known by voting with your wallet and going someplace else.

[dadmomh]

I actually have considered the "cat trick". But it's tough to conceal 2 Labs, and Border Collie and a Sheltie. With our luck, they'd give us a room where you had to walk through the lobby to get there.

I really don't object to a reasonable fee....whatever they want to call it - Cleaning Fee, Security Deposit, whatever. But if there is no damage caused by the dogs, I want to see that money back lickety split. And I don't want some cleaning person or even manager determining if there is a problem after we've left. But seeing those with the $100 Non Refundable Fee Per Pet really got on my last nerve. I looked for the site last night and couldn't find it, but it sure wasn't a 4-Star chain. For sure I'll be checking LaQuinta and Motel 6 in both Montgomery, AL and Lake City, FL. Makes me wonder why they don't charge a "child fee" or some others when you walk in and it looks like a tornado just came through. We've been known to go back to the office, get our money back and hope for something just down the road.

[Road_Phantom]

la quinta

[BurbMan]

Reminds me of the trip we took moving our DD and her cat to NJ. Suburban pulling a U-Haul trailer loaded to the gills. We hit a bad storm heading north out of Hagerstown on 81 and it was raining so hard you couldn't even see the road. Got to Harrisburg area, still raining, and I was pooped (about 11:00 pm) and so we abandoned plans to drive straight thru to NJ, and decided to stop. Of course some classic car show is in town and all the motels are booked! Used an app on my phone to find a hotel, I even forget what brand it was. They had a few rooms left. Get to the lobby and there is a giant sign on the wall behind the front desk that says "NO PETS"...ugh!

I check in, park around back, and carry the cat carrier in the side door with a blanket over it. Locked the cat in the bathroom so if there was an accident at least it would be tile and not carpet. Turned out all was OK, but certainly a story for the archives....

Best of luck on your move and trip!

[dadmomh]

Thanks for the efforts folks. I did a bit more online searching last night and found a couple possibilities. Cannot imagine how a hotel can consider themselves "pet friendly" and than gouge the owner as some post in their policy. La Quinta and Motel 6 appear to be the best chances and I will call and talk to the owner or manager.

I do realize that it's "only" 800 miles, but when you stop for 30 minutes every couple of hours, it really puts a dent in the travel time. We've made the FL trip for baseball - our DS's passion in life - for several years and 2 overnights is an absolute.

Flying is a possibility and I'm going to check into what's involved. However, this is not an older child/teenager. DS is 52, both physically and developmentally challenged, about 6'4" and 280# + needs his wheelchair if he has to cover any distance at all. Of course, this adds for the friend to care for him 2 - 3 nights until we can drive to Lakeland and then get to either Tampa or Orlando. Nothing is ever easy, but we've managed it for 52 years and will manage this one....I think.

Re using the TT....we're selling it before leaving here. We don't see our lifestyle allowing for using like we do here and surely not just parking it in storage to deteriorate. One concession for what we expect to be a much better life for all of us.

[rockhillmanor]

Karanavore wrote:
As a prior poster mentioned, check La Quinta Inns. I highly recommend them. My daughter and I went to Boise this past Thanksgiving. Because it was a short time frame, I left the trailer at home and we stayed at a La Quinta. We could not have done it if we had to leave our three dogs, one of which weighs 90 lbs. I called the hotel directly when I made reservations. There was no limit on the dogs and no deposit. And then when we got there, we found they upgraded us at no charge! Good luck.

X2

I just talked to a friend that moved down from Georgia with 2 dogs and one was a big dog. They used La Quinta Inns all the way down too and as you state they accept dogs, no limit and NO fees.
Sure wish I knew about them when I made the trip!

So to the OP here is your answer to one of of your problems!!

I just sold my house and moved from up North to around the same area you are moving to.

And yes it sure IS a production to get things sold, packed and loaded and figure out a plan on how to get everything where you are going to!

Now that you have the name of a motel for your dogs you can rest a little easier about your trip. :C

[Karanavore]

As a prior poster mentioned, check La Quinta Inns. I highly recommend them. My daughter and I went to Boise this past Thanksgiving. Because it was a short time frame, I left the trailer at home and we stayed at a La Quinta. We could not have done it if we had to leave our three dogs, one of which weighs 90 lbs. I called the hotel directly when I made reservations. There was no limit on the dogs and no deposit. And then when we got there, we found they upgraded us at no charge! Good luck.

[colliehauler]

Could you just use the trailer and sell after the move? It sounds like it would be less stressful.

[westernrvparkow]

dadmomh wrote:
westernrvparkowner.....if I weren't so blasted tired from all this, I would give you a piece of my mind, which is very minimal at this point. After 9 years on this forum, I have more to do than post garbage for people to read.

And what was so terrible about what I posted? I took two cities that were approximately one third of the way each, which would be the approximate distance you plan to travel if you plan to take three days. I found hotels in each city with $15.00 dog fees. And I found them in about 10 minutes, max. Just pick a town, search for hotels and check their pet fees. Most all pet fees at mid range motels (Best Western, Choice Hotels, La Quinta, Wyndham, Holiday Inn, etc) that accept pets run less than $25/ dog. Sure there are some that don't take pets, but a simple "pet friendly" search finds many properties. I didn't find a single example where there was $100 per dog per day fees, which you implied was common. The thread ran for a day without you responding to anyone's helpful posts, so it sure appeared you posted and ran, which is very common on this forum.

[stpauligirlmn]

Sounds stressful dadmomh! I might reconsider having your son fly. That does seem to solve many of the problems.

It may seem like a huge imposition, but you might find somebody willing to help. If not a friend, then maybe a pastor, priest or religious person could help. Maybe there is a foundation for blood disorders that has volunteers. Maybe the red cross or salvation army could help. Maybe there is a convent nearby and you could ask the nuns to help. You get the idea I'm sure. You never know until you ask.

You are in my thoughts!

[gmw_photos]

The last time I stayed in a motel room with my dog, it was a super 8, and it specifically said pet friendly on the website. I don't remember for sure, but I think it might have been an additional $15 "pet cleaning fee" ( non refundable ) but I'm going from memory, so that may be wrong.

[dadmomh]

westernrvparkowner.....if I weren't so blasted tired from all this, I would give you a piece of my mind, which is very minimal at this point. After 9 years on this forum, I have more to do than post garbage for people to read.

To those with helpful information, I do appreciate it. I have spent some time online and am beginning to find a few places with much more moderate charges. We have no problem with something like a Red Roof or Motel 6. Between getting this house ready, Dr visits, vet visits, more Dr visits, more paint my time is precious.

Rocky, our TT, is looking for a new home. Don't know if that would make this better or worse...we still have 3 vehicles to get from Point A to Point B.

Our DS has, among several other medical issues, a severe blood disorder. He clots when he should bleed and bleeds when he should clot...and you never know which it's going to be...therefore the frequent stops of about 1/2 hour each. If we're on a leisurely trip, it's not a problem. This is a whole different thing.

Our usual route is south to Corinth, MS or Tupelo, SW to Birmingham, south toward Tallahassee and on into Lakeland. It really has been the shortest and easiest.

I will do some checking on the specific motel chains you mentioned and see how we come out. I wouldn't have a problem with a minimal deposit, refundable with no damage...seems reasonable to me.

Have also considered having DS fly, but that means a huge imposition on a friend to get him and his wheelchair to the airport and all that entails, so that's a definite no.

Appreciate the helpful info.

[BurbMan]

How are you getting the TT down to FL? Maybe have DS drive his truck instead of using a dolly, then DH can tow your car on the dolly and you can tow the TT with the F-150? If DS drives himself, he can stop as he needs to and just catch up with you at the CG, where you will already be set up.

[westernrvparkow]

rockhillmanor wrote:

mrmichael80 wrote:
I don't understand if it's only a deposit you get it back after checkout assuming your pet has not damaged the room??

I have never been at one that had a 'returnable' deposit. They all were an 'additional' fee.

A returnable fee is based on the owners 'opinion' if it should be returned. I'm not about to hand over a $100 to some motel manager to decide if he or she will give it back. :R

And the hotel manager is not going to turn over a hotel room over to you and your dogs based on your "opinion" that nothing bad will happen. Cuts both ways. It is almost always a moot point since 99% of travelers use a credit card and the fine print on the bottom of your check-in paperwork includes a clause that you will be responsible for any damages. The hotel will put a hold on your credit card for the room charges, the deposit and an amount to cover any room incidental fees and that hold goes away when you actually check out. The only time they are actually going to get $100 to hold in their grubby little paws is when the guest pays cash and will not put up a credit card as a deposit. The deposit is much ado about nothing.