Seeing four-legged furry friends in Israel’s hotel lobbies has not been so surprising in 2024 with Israel still at war but for how much longer?
By Motti Verses
(*This article appeared first in THE JERUSALEM POST)
Pet lovers treat their dogs and cats like children, siblings or grandchildren. No doubt that most dog and cat owners think of their pets as family. It is also not surprising to learn that in 2024, 2 out of 3 households in America own a pet, while in Israel it is estimated at 1 out 3 families. If furry friends are part of the family, they surely deserve to join its members on a vacation in hotels. However, this family desire is tricky and certainly challenging. While some hotels warmly welcome pets, others have strict rules against dogs and cats accompanying guests.
The primary reasons behind world hotels implementing ‘No Pets Allowed’ policies are to maintain cleanliness and hygiene standards. Pets shedding fur, leaving behind odors, or even causing damage to furniture or carpets can create an unpleasant environment for other guests. Hence, hotels – always considering what is in the best interests of its guests – will take into account that some guests may have allergies or sensitivities to pet dander or fur and that could potentially trigger allergic reactions.
Pet policies ensures that hotel managements can provide peace of mind to its guests.
Minimizing noise disturbances for their guests is yet another reason. There is always a possibility of barking or other noises that could disturb guests in neighboring rooms. Hotels have a responsibility to ensure the safety and comfort of all their guests. This includes considering those who may have fears or phobias related to animals. Even if a pet is typically well-behaved, unfamiliar surroundings and the presence of other guests could potentially trigger anxiety or aggression.
But sometimes – usually in times of crisis – even hard and fast rules may be broken. When the war in Gaza broke out following the October 7th massacre, hotels in Israel faced an unexpected challenge. More than a quarter of a million Israelis were evacuated from their homes on the southern and northern fronts. They found shelter in hotels in safe areas across the country. While most left everything behind, that which they could not leave behind were their beloved pets!
“They are family,” was the common sentiment expressed.
Not only did they want to take them along – but needed to take them in this time of existential crisis. Pets provide huge emotional support. However, not all these evacuees were allowed to bring their pets – dogs or cats – to hotels that were providing a safe haven. In response, the Lawyers’ Forum for the Protection of Animals in Israel (ILFAP) appealed to numerous government ministries requesting that the government address this issue as a matter of urgency and show sensitivity to the plight and misery of the evacuees with their pets. The petition presented the case that there was a symbiotic relationship between owners and their pets who desperately needed each other and should not be separated in times of dire crisis. The petition argued that a refusal to accept pets caused “real harm” to both owner and animal and that it amounted “a violation of the Animal Cruelty Law.” They argued further that evacuated pets should be treated under the same law that was established for the more familiar and universallyrespected, “guide dogs.”
Dani Shahar, General Director of the Ministry of Tourism, supported the petition and appealed to the hoteliers in an emotionally crafted letter to allow pets to live with their evacuated families. He added in his appeal that:
“Past experience elsewhere in the world has shown that evacuees accompanied by their pets not only has proven best for public and animal well-being but supports national resilience.”
The result was that the majority of the hoteliers indeed ignored their standard pet policies and allowed “furry family members” onto their properties.
When asked in a recent podcast what was the weirdest thing he had to handle during the Gaza war, Lior Raviv, Managing Director of Isrotel, revealed:
“There are endless cases, but what stands out is that it is the first time in the company’s history we have hosted hundreds of dogs. Suddenly we have a new type of guest that we didn’t know. We even opened a kind of a dog care department.”
Is the war inspiring a rise of pet-friendly hotels?
Clearly the impact of the war included impacting on people mindsets. “Once the war started and we hosted evacuees, we accepted their pets without hesitation, as we believe they are part of the organic family,” expressed David Tucker, the General Manager of Ramada by Wyndham Jerusalem Hotels and the voluntary chairman of the Jerusalem Hotel Association. He explained:
“It wasn’t at all easy to face pets in the hotel facilities, but we understood that it is part of a major crisis. We made sure that dogs must be on a leash at all times; barking dogs are never left alone, and entrance to restaurants of pets was forbidden. But once the war is over and hotels in Jerusalem will return to routine, I am sure there will be a return to previous policies of no pets.”
Itamar Elitzur, Head of the Eilat Hotels Association, explains that accepting pets in hotels during the war was a challenge but one certain hotels were willing to accept “because of the situation and the emergency.” He cited instances where dogs were left for hours alone in guestrooms causing disturbances and cases of other guests experiencing fear from these pets.” Ilitzur believes that once “Israel returns to normality,” so hotels will return to it standard policy of not allowing pets. “I am not aware so far of a single hotel that changed its official pet guidelines.”
Isrotel with its 23 hotels, Managing Director Raviv points out that “We will certainly return to our previous policy of no pets.”
“Is it because of the operational challenges you experienced during the war?” I ask.
The main reason, asserts Raviv is the “hotel guests in Israel are less fond of vacationing with dogs. In the USA, due to the vast distances and hence people go on vacations for longer periods, there is a more of an openness and acceptance of travelers being accompanied by their pets.” Raviv cites as an example, the US state of Florida where “the hotel business model there is suitable to accommodate this reality. In Israel where vacations are short, pet owners prefer to find suitable short-term pet solutions at home.”
Positive views in favor of pets regarding the future are also being heard. Atlas Hotels is an Israeli brand with 16 urban properties. It is a family business of co-founder Danny Lipman and his sons Yaron and Lior, who nowadays carry the torch. Atlas is exceptionally pet friendly and one may well ask, “How come?”
“It all started with our other co-founder Leslie Adler who arrived daily to work with his labrador named Trixie,” reveals Vice president Yaron Lipman. “Most hoteliers adopt a conservative approach towards pets; however, we do not see any obstacles. I can safely say that in most cases, dogs are better than human beings. We have no problem hosting guests with pets and we even supply beds and snacks for the animals. We hosted thousands of pets over the years and the problems were negligible. I am optimistic. During the war, hotels hosted evacuees with pets and they noticed that the problems were minor. Regardless of traditionally being against hosting pets, this experience of the war may prove positive and more hotels will accept the challenge in the future.”
In the US during the crisis of Covid-19, pet friendly hospitality also made headlines. Booking.com reported at the time of the pandemic “the pet-friendly filter was the third most-used filter in the hotel facilities section, behind swimming pools and parking.”
“While in the US the trend of pet-friendly hotels continues to grow, the supply of such hotels in Israel remains limited”, says Eran Ketter (PhD),the Head of the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management at Kinneret College. “Presenting a pet-friendly offering is an effective way for accommodation venues to create market differentiation, enhance customers’ loyalty, and increase revenues. However, what works well in the US does not necessarily work well in Israel. Most hotel rooms here are in large buildings that don’t have the facilities to host pets, unlike cabins and lodges in the US. Israeli clientele is not renown for following regulations, and having pets in local hotels might increase the level of chaos, which is already quite high. Israelis are much more open than Americans to leaving their pets with family/friends or having a dog-sitter coming into their homes, leading to a lower level of demand. Lastly, many hotels in Israel, especially in a leisure destination like Eilat, already enjoy high occupancy rates, and don’t need to make the extra effort in hosting pets.”
I prodded Ketter to envision a possible future of pet-friendly hotels in the wake of an end-of-war scenario in Israel. He responds smiling:
“Perhaps this is a trend waiting to happen, and when enough hotels will follow a pet-friendly path, a threshold may well be reached in the Israeli market and the demand will follow.”
About thr writer:
The writer, Motti Verses, is a Travel Flash Tips publisher. His travel stories are published on THE TIMES OF ISRAEL https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/motti-verses/.
And his hospitality analysis reviews on THE JERUSALEM POST, are available on his Linkedin page LinkedIn Israelhttps://il.linkedin.com › motti-verse…Motti Verses – Publisher and Chief Editor – TRAVEL FLASH TIPS
And his hospitality analysis reviews on THE JERUSALEM POST, are available on his Linkedin page LinkedIn Israelhttps://il.linkedin.com › motti-verse…Motti Verses – Publisher and Chief Editor – TRAVEL FLASH TIPS
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