[Feature] Behind the scenes at pet-friendly lodges

Staycation at a pet-friendly lodge or pension will not be prone to be a mere passing fad in South Korea — a rustic the place virtually 15 million folks or 30 % of the full inhabitants, as of 2023, are estimated to dwell with at the least one companion animal in keeping with knowledge by Korea Rural Financial Institute.

In a rustic the place 30 % of the inhabitants owns a pet, a rising variety of lodging are catering to company’ furry mates, with lodges even designating some rooms completely for these checking in with pets.

The Korea Rural Financial Institute estimated that just about 15 million folks in South Korea owned a pet as of final 12 months, making them an rising consideration in vacation plans.

Lodge officers and trade insiders agree that managing pet-friendly lodges requires greater efforts and has them on alert for numerous points, together with cleansing and hygiene, to maintain their company secure and comfy.

The 4 Seasons Lodge Seoul, situated in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, was one of many only a few Seoul-based lodges to permit company to verify in with pets when it opened in 2015, due to the lodge’s kid- and pet-welcoming insurance policies.

Company with a canine that weighs beneath 10 kilograms can keep on the 4 Seasons Lodge Seoul. Just one pet canine is allowed to accompany the visitor.

“All of our rooms can be found for company with canine. And the cleansing procedures for the room utilized by pet homeowners and their furry companions are very totally different,” Moon In-young, public relations director at 4 Seasons Lodge Seoul, informed The Korea Herald.

Moon shared that after room objects like mattress linen and carpet are cleaned by the lodge workers, a separate crew from pest management firm Cesco checks the hygiene intimately, together with mattress bug detection, tick and animal fur.

When requested whether or not there have been any company who felt uncomfortable or had points with fur allergy symptoms, Moon mentioned no such circumstances have risen but.

“The variety of staycations with pet canine skyrocketed in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, a interval when virtually everybody within the nation was delicate about hygiene. However, we didn’t obtain any grievance associated to the pet canine,” Moon defined.

Although company with pets are requested to pay further charges for sanitization and housekeeping, many are keen to pay the worth to make memorable stays with their furry mates.

In the meantime, Kumho Seorak Resort, situated in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, has 9 rooms for the unique use of company with canine out there since 2020.

Although cats and different kinds of pet should not allowed, as much as two canine (beneath 8 kilograms) can stick with homeowners at Kumho Seorak Resort.

“Vacationers are requested to submit rabies vaccination paperwork and quarantine certificates after they check-in. Further sanitization and upkeep procedures are carried out for the pet-friendly rooms. From our cleansing workers to the lodge officers, we pay nearer consideration to those rooms as effectively,” a resort official defined.

The pet-welcoming rooms are situated on the bottom ground for the pet homeowners’ comfort and for the security of the company.

Company with pets are additionally requested to stick with their pets so as to maintain the noise degree as little as attainable, the official mentioned.

A Yongin-based pet-friendly pension proprietor surnamed Park famous that he will get much less stress from cleansing pet-welcoming rooms than being hit with a messy room after partymakers check-out.

“Many pet homeowners have good ‘petiquette,’ making an attempt to thoughts their manners, keep away from making hassle with regard to noise ranges and hygiene,” mentioned Park, who switched her lodging enterprise to a pet-friendly pension.

“These constructive experiences inspire me to maintain the rooms at their highest high quality though the cleansing and upkeep prices is likely to be larger,” she mentioned.

Yoon Yoo-shik, a professor at Good Tourism Schooling Platform School of Lodge and Tourism Administration at Kyung Hee College, felt that pet-friendly lodging is not going to solely develop in quantity however come at larger high quality.

“Pet homeowners are a brand new enterprise market. And these homeowners are extra keen to pay than extraordinary vacationers. Motels and different lodging will attempt their finest to not lose these company by providing high quality upkeep and numerous pet-themed companies, together with pet remedy, diagnostic service, swimming pool, eating places and extra, within the close to future” Yoon informed The Korea Herald.

Nonetheless, Yoon defined that the expansion in pet-friendly lodging will not be adequate given the nation’s whole pet inhabitants.

“The brand new way of life of having fun with a secure staycation with pets has emerged and I imagine such a pattern will not be prone to finish any time quickly when backed with clear, secure lodging,” Yoon mentioned.