For those of us that love to travel, it can be hard to leave our furry friends at home. They always seem to give you that look that says, “how could you??.” Well, it seems the tourism industry is waking up to the fact that a lot of us consider our pets family, but we don’t necessarily want to stay at a roadside motel when we bring them along. Finally, you and your four-legged friends can travel without sacrificing any of the accoutrements. From doggie massages to herbal teas, FirstLantic has created the definitive guide to traveling in style with Rover or Miss Kitty.

 

Luxury Hotels

Your pampered pooch can take advantage of everything from pet psychics to in-room gourmet dining menus or even a special greeting by a canine concierge. Hotel groups like Kimpton and Starwood (now part of Marriott group) have been catering to people with pets for quite some time, but some hotels are taking it to a whole new level. For example, L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills has a doggy menu which features Tuna Tartar, Fois Gras and even Osetra Caviar with Hard Poached Eggs. Spoiled anyone?

 

Dog Festivals

Most of you have heard of music festivals like Coachella so why shouldn’t there be a festival for pampered pooches? Well, now there is. The first Pupchella was held In August hosted jointly by Paséa Hotel & Spa, in Huntington Beach, California, along with Vanderpump Dogs. In addition to brunch, there were plenty of activities like dog flower crown making, a pet fashion show and a pet-inspired photo booth. The best part was that the event supported the Vanderpump Dogs Foundation whose mission is to end the abuse and inhuman treatment of dogs worldwide. And for those of you that don’t plan on a trip to Huntington Beach, CA any time soon, there are plenty of other dog festivals you can attend around the country.

 

Private Jet Travel

While this might be a stretch for most of us, it’s nice to know that some pampered pooches are able to fly first class. Although many people now take advantage of commercial flights that allow service pets, there are some canines or kitties that feel commercial is a bit too common and they prefer a more lavish mode of travel. For those pets, there are a few companies that specialize in creating custom experiences so that they can fly in the lap of luxury including PrivateFly, Magellan Jets, and Paramount Business Jets. And if you don’t want to have to worry about the logistics for you and your pet, there are even travel agencies that specialize in creating bespoke experiences for you and your friend such as Top Dog Pet Travel. Oh, and don’t forget to bring the Louis Vuitton’s $4,000+ dog carrier!

 

In summary, the luxurious options now afforded to some travelers and their lucky furry companions has never quite been so over the top. After all, animals give us unconditional love, so don’t they deserve a little bit of opulence? That said, for most people and their pets, the ultimate luxury is just being together. So, while not all of us can afford to spend the money to travel in such style, I would bet that for most pets they would be more than happy with a good belly rub and a long walk. But a gourmet dog meal every now and then can’t hurt either!

 

And if you don’t have a pet but love being around animals and you want to see the world, check out this site. It will help you find some of the best pet sitting jobs around the globe.

 

Finally, if you want to adopt a kitty or a pooch that you can pamper, go here.