Travel Trends: Resident Hotel Dogs and Fairmont’s Canine Ambassadors

We're the first to admit: we tend to obsess over the Fairmont Copley Plaza's canine ambassador, Catie Copley (pictured). For the last few years, the luxury Boston hotel has offered canine companionship for pet-deprived guests in the form of an eight-year old black Labrador Retriever. Originally trained as a guide dog, Catie Copley is a fixture at the hotel, resting in her dog bed near the hotel's St. James entrance when she's not out for walks/runs with guests. When guests sign up with the concierge to take Catie out on the town, they get a walk pack with dog biscuits plus a booklet illustrating the dog's favorite walks and commands.

Imagine our delight when we discovered recently that Catie is not the sole canine ambassador for Fairmont Hotels. In fact, the company offers this distinctive service at myriad hotels in the U.S. and Canada (even Kenya). These adored pets include Smudge (the golden lab at the Fairmont Algonquin in New Brunswick), Jordy (the black lab at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu), Sonny (Director of Pet Relations at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise), and Beau & Mavis at the Fairmont Vancouver, former Guide Dog trainees turned K9 Ambassadors.

Photo of Beau in the Fairmont Vancouver's Christmas-time lobby via TourismVancouver