Luxury hotel for animals opens in Dubai

Dubai resident Aideen O’Mara has opened Urban Tails Pet Resort in the emirate, a “seven-star” hotel for pets, complete with air-conditioned rooms and an onsite gym.

Owners could pay up to US $105 per night to put up their pampered pets in the resort, which O’Mara said in an interview with SWNS online portal is the “pet equivalent of the Burj Al Arab”.

“I have always had pets and I feel that animals are given a bit of a raw deal in the UAE in terms of pet services on offer, and they do not have much freedom in comparison to dogs in Europe,” said O’Mara.

“I came up with the idea of a pet resort as, first of all, most of the pets in Dubai use boarding facilities, and secondly, there was no facility in the country that was attempting to make boarding stress-free for the pet and their owners."

The hotel caters to up to 70 dogs and 40 cats. It has plasma TVs in all of the dog suites to “give them company and let them hear sounds that remind them of home”.

Webcams are conveniently placed all over the resort so owners can catch up with their furry friends from wherever they are in the world.

Furthermore, classical music echoes throughout the communal areas of the resort to “promote calmness”.

Prices start from $31 for the Junior Suite, with the slightly larger Deluxe and Urban Suites costing $37 and $39 respectively.

The top-of-the-range Royal Suite would set a pet owner back $105 per night, with a personal butler and pick-up and delivery in the “pet limo” included.

“It’s been our first summer, but we were full for the whole season and the animals seem to love it,” said Irish-born O’Mara, commenting on the hotel’s performance.