Biophilic room designs, plus cross-ventilated, energy-efficient common areas? Check.
Water-wise, solar-smart, local-livelihood-generating operations? Check.
OK, what about…”furriendliness”?
Check out Eco Hotels. Hop off with your fur babies to your nearest furriendly Eco Hotel branch to celebrate World Animal Day, any day.
Eco Hotels support “The Triple Bottomline” and “The Four-Legged Bottomline”: People, Planet Profits/Prosperity—and Pets!
This October, #WorldAnimalDay is expected to once more bark and purr on social media. The day celebrates the welfare and rights of all animals: whether roaming in the forests, living on farms, growing with human families as beloved pets, or working as companions.
And whether you are planning on jampacking your van with everyone plus Taylor the Labrador and Bieber the St. Bernard, or quietly shimmying to a staycation with your sassy Siamese cat, all Eco Hotel branches will welcome you and your “furriends.”
A pioneer in supporting The Four-Legged Bottomline
Cabins by Eco Hotel in Tagaytay was the first Eco Hotel. Built in 2015, it is one of the first hotels to adopt the practice of sustainable tourism. It is also one of the pioneers on pet-friendly accommodations.
“We recognize the importance of pets to be with their humans,” explains Don Ramon Bagatsing, Eco Hotel chairman and chief vibe officer.
“We’re glad to be able to help pets go places with their humans! We’re firm believers in, and first-hand beneficiaries of, how being with pets can help reduce anxiety and depression, ease loneliness, and even help children grow up more secure and active,” agrees Alessandra Atienza Bagatsing, Eco Hotel president and CEO.
Cabins was a bit early for its time, anchoring on the concept of sustainability which was then still new to the market.
“Early on, we envisioned Cabins to have hotel rooms that were efficiently compact, resembling the size of a ship’s cabin, but thoughtfully designed so that it feels like the room encases the bed, yet offers a generous view of the garden or Taal Lake…like being inside a wooden picture frame,” explains Don Ramon.
He adds, “We already wanted to encourage people to bring their pets, thus, we had our house pet Blue, a paraplegic dog on a wheelchair, right inside the hotel.”
Zero dogscrimination: big and small pooches allowed
For her part, Alessandra laughingly shares that Eco Hotel’s roster of past guest pets actually included ”a rooster, a hamster, and even an iguana!”
Paws, er, hands down, though, 80 per cent of the beloved pet guests were dogs. The majority of the remaining 20 per cent were cats. There were also some birds and other less-common companions.
For a minimal housekeeping fee of P500.00 per pet per night, Eco Hotel branches will happily show you and your small dog—25 pounds and below in weight—to your room.
And if Twiggy, your clingy Chow Chow, insists on coming? No sweat. Eco Hotel provides a space for her and her uh, hefty friends (larger dog breeds weighing 26 pounds or more), at an affordable P1,000.00 fee per pet per night. These are comparable to, and in some cases even cheaper, than risking serious “sepanx” (separation anxiety) when you leave your furbaby behind in a pet hotel or pet boarding facility.
Sociable pets? There’s room for “mutt-ups” and “purrties”!
Maybe you want some peace and quiet but Barbie, your sociable Bengal, will have none of it because she is happier communing with fellow felines?
Eco Hotel’s branches provide common areas where pet owners and their fur babies can mingle. For instance, Containers in Tagaytay has an Eco Pet Park. Of course, Eco Hotel promotes responsible ownership, thus pets must be vaccinated and should be on a leash throughout their stay in the common areas.
After an activity-filled day, you and your pet can look forward to a really restful sleep. All Eco Hotel branches are happy to provide pet beds and pet mats upon your request.
Eco Hotel branches across the “archipetlago”
You and your four-legged companions have several options to choose from, starting from the original property Cabins in Tagaytay, and its equally unique sister nearby, Containers by Eco Hotel, and Mataasnakahoy in Batangas. You can also book in other locations: Kaliraya Surf Kamp in Caliraya Lake (Laguna), Suites by Eco Hotel and dormitels.ph by Eco Hotel in El Nido (Palawan).
There will be more Eco Hotel branches in various regions and provinces in the Philippines soon so that you and your friends can have many more World Animal Day and other celebrations to look furward to. Mila M. Lumactao