What pet fees should I expect when staying at a hotel with my dog?

There isn't a standard hotel pet fee—and the number alone doesn't always tell the whole story.

A hotel might charge one nonrefundable fee per stay. Another may charge by the night or week. Some fees increase after a certain number of nights, while others are assessed for each pet you bring.

That means a $50 pet fee could mean something very different from one hotel to another.

Here are a few current Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky examples.

At Graduate by Hilton Cincinnati, the current policy lists a one-time, nonrefundable fee of $75 per stay, per pet, with a maximum of two dogs. So the number of dogs affects the total charge even though the length of the stay does not.

At Hampton Inn & Suites Newport/Cincinnati, the current nonrefundable fee is $75 for a 1–3 night stay and $125 for 4–7 nights, with a maximum of two pets. In this case, the length of your stay changes the fee.

Ashley Quarters Hotel in Florence uses another structure: its published pet policy lists $20 per night per pet or $90 per week, with a maximum of two pets per room.

Staybridge Suites Cincinnati East–Milford currently lists a $50 nonrefundable pet fee per week, with a $50 minimum.

Same general idea—bring the dog, pay a pet fee—but four noticeably different ways of getting to the final number.

Look at how the fee is calculated

When comparing hotels, don't stop at “Pet fee: $75.”

Look for the words around the number.

Is that:

• per night?
• per stay?
• per week?
• per pet?
• a flat fee regardless of how long you stay?
• a fee that increases after a certain number of nights?

That distinction becomes especially important for longer stays or when you're traveling with two dogs.

For example, a modest nightly charge can eventually cost more than a larger one-time fee. And a per-pet charge can double when the second dog checks in—even though the room rate itself hasn't changed.

A pet fee and a damage charge aren't necessarily the same thing

Another useful distinction: paying a hotel's normal pet fee doesn't necessarily mean you're covered for anything that happens in the room.

A published pet fee generally covers the hotel's regular charge for accommodating the pet under its policy. Hotels may separately hold guests responsible for damage or other costs.

Hampton Inn & Suites Newport/Cincinnati, for example, explicitly notes that an additional charge for damages may apply.

So when you're reading a policy, distinguish the routine pet fee from possible additional charges.

Service animals are different

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a trained service animal is not treated as a pet. Hotels covered by the ADA cannot charge their usual pet fee or deposit simply because a guest is accompanied by a service animal.

That doesn't mean a hotel can never charge for damage. If a hotel normally charges guests for damage they cause, it may also charge for damage caused by a service animal.

Emotional support and comfort animals are different under the ADA. An animal whose presence provides comfort but that has not been trained to perform a specific disability-related task does not qualify as a service animal under the ADA. Other laws can apply in other settings, but for a typical hotel stay, don't assume that an emotional support animal is exempt from the property's ordinary pet policy.

Check again before you book

Pet policies and fees can change.

They can also differ between properties carrying the same hotel brand. Staybridge Suites' own guidance, for example, says fees vary by hotel and directs guests to ask the individual property about its policies and applicable fees.

So third-party travel sites can help you discover hotels, but when the fee matters to your decision, check the current first-party policy for the individual property before making the reservation.

And if the wording leaves you wondering whether the charge is per pet, per night, or per stay, that's worth confirming with the hotel before you click Book.