March 18, 2021, 12:15 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Which hotel is best when traveling with a dog? This question has been examined for the third time now. The result is that a hotel in Bavaria is once again the most dog-friendly. TRAVELBOOK presents the pet-friendly hotel ranking.
What is the most dog-friendly hotel in Europe? A total of 645 accommodations were considered, and the vacation portal hundehotel.info from Austria has now awarded the top 50. Most of the hotels are located in Germany, Austria, South Tyrol, and Switzerland, according to a press release. And once again, a hotel in Bavaria took the top spot, just like last year. How was the evaluation done, and which are the top ten hotels?
Bavaria has the most dog-friendly hotel in Europe
What makes a hotel dog-friendly? Standard amenities include rooms with a special sleeping area for dogs. Water and food bowls are also a must. The services get more specialized from there. The winner of the ranking, Haus Waldeck in Phillippsreut (located in Bavaria right on the Czech border), for example, has its own indoor dog hall. Other facilities even offer special physiotherapy or have professional dog washing stations with warm water and a drying system.
“The service that hotel operators offer to dogs and their owners is becoming increasingly comprehensive, ranging from daily fresh meals to dog-friendly fitness equipment and special dog physiotherapy,” said portal manager Christoph Reichl in the statement.
The most dog-friendly hotels in Europe
1. Landhotel Haus Waldeck in Phillippsreut, Bavaria
The overall winner is a family-run business that has been around since 1979. In addition to the aforementioned indoor dog hall with special agility equipment, there is also a natural swimming pond for the dogs and four different dining rooms. Additionally, an animal behavior consultant offers courses, and an animal healer provides massages. The cheapest double room costs 88 euros if you book at least four nights.
2. Hotel Magdalena in Ried im Zillertal, Austria
Austria’s most dog-friendly hotel also offers guests a swimming pond. There are special dog washing facilities and even a dog-walking service. There is even a treadmill for sporty dogs, as well as yoga classes and massages. The cheapest double room costs 115 euros per night, with two nights included for free.
3. Naturforsthaus, Carinthia, Austria
Third place also goes to Austria with the Naturforsthaus. Here, animals can romp on a 15,000-square-meter dog meadow, in a dog sniffing forest, and on training equipment. Prices per night start at 106 euros and vary depending on the season.
The complete top 10 at a glance:
| Rank | Hotel | Country | State | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Landhotel Haus Waldeck | Germany | Bavaria | Philippsreut |
| 2 | Hotel Magdalena | Austria | Tyrol | Ried im Zillertal |
| 3 | Naturforsthaus | Austria | Carinthia | Preitenegg |
| 4 | Seehotel Moldan | Germany | Bavaria | Postmünster |
| 5 | Natur-Hunde-Hotel Bergfried | Germany | Bavaria | Rötz |
| 6 | Hotel Grimming Dogs & Friends | Austria | Salzburg | Rauris |
| 7 | Hotel Gravas Lodge | Switzerland | Graubünden | Vella |
| 8 | Genießergasthof Kutscherklause | Austria | Lower Austria | Eggern im Waldviertel |
| 9 | Hotel Mair am Ort | Italy | Trentino-South Tyrol | Dorf Tirol |
| 10 | Maifelder Uhlenhorst | Germany | Rhineland-Palatinate | Gappenach |
Also interesting: Flying with a dog – 11 valuable tips
How was the evaluation done?
The editorial team at hundehotel.info first researched the features and services of the accommodations regarding dog-friendliness. Then, guest reviews were scrutinized, both on their own website and on Google, Tripadvisor, and Holidaycheck. These were also included in the evaluation. For the first time, the current ranking includes the so-called “No-Fake Factor.” This is intended to neutralize manipulated reviews by relating the number of negative reviews to the number of rooms offered.