A prominent seafront hotel in Llandudno, St George’s Hotel, has introduced a policy to welcome dogs overnight in a select number of rooms during the winter period, answering the calls from pet-loving guests.
The change is stirring up quite the stir among visitors to the ‘Queen of Welsh Resorts’.
Hailed as a superb move by some, it enables guests to have their furry companions join them on holiday. However, reactions are decidedly mixed.
Following the policy announcement on social media, the post garnered over 300 comments, sparking a debate with North Wales Live reporting that the hotel hadn’t anticipated such a “contentious” issue.
The Facebook announcement drew both support and dissent, with Angela Jane commenting: “That’s a shame, we love dogs but not in hotel rooms… our dogs were not allowed in our own bedrooms at home so why would we want them in our hotel rooms.”
Maria Lodge Smith expressed her dismay, saying: “Oh no. It’s like Crufts everywhere you go these days. I’m allergic to dogs and cats so a pain if I go on holiday anywhere pet friendly, end up on pills or constantly sneezing. We always booked the George because it was for humans only,” reports North Wales Live.
Adding to the criticism, Peter Knowles remarked: “Terrible decision, a previously high quality hotel going down this route is a mistake. The obsession with people taking their dogs on holiday is relatively new and unwelcome phenomenon.
“Dogs make many people feel uneasy, apart from the hygiene issues. A hotel stay is meant to be relaxing. Many hotels pander to dog owners, but I never thought the once prestige St George’s would cheapen itself in this way.”
The establishment responded to several complaints on social media, detailing more about their dog-friendly policy.
Their statement read: “I understand that comments often centre on concerns about cleanliness, smells, and allergens. These are areas where our team is highly trained, with over 170 years of hospitality experience behind us.”
“Our commitment to cleanliness and guest satisfaction is at the core of what we do, and we take every step to ensure that standards are met for all guests.”
There’s also a strong surge of support for the hotel’s inclusive approach.
Zoe Victoria Ridsdill posted: “All these people that will never come again will be replaced by us who have dogs and you’ll probably get more visitors now to outweigh what you’ve lost. We will definitely look at you guys for our next stay in Llandudno! Dogs are often better behaved than humans are! “.
Marilyne Bolton enthusiastically commented: “We don’t have a dog but this is a lovely idea for dog owners. It’s a sensible charge too. Well done.”
Sarah Beard contributed her insight: “Some of these comments are totally over the top! I work in the industry and the state some humans leave the rooms is absolutely disgusting! Give me a dog any day.”
Nathan Cousins, the general manager at the St George, commented: “We knew we’d get a mixed response, but we didn’t think it would be quite as contentious.”
“We are only accepting dogs between November 1 March 31, we are limiting it to three dogs a night and we only accept dogs who are staying the night.”
“We’d like it understood that the George will still have the same friendliness, cleanliness and appeal as it always has plus maybe a few cute four-legged friends quietly sat under a table at their owner’s feet.”