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Going to the Dogs and Cats, and Birds Hotels add fuzzy staff to the payroll. Thursday, November 19, 2009 Francine Cohen

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To all you hotel employees whose job it is to make your guests happy, take note…you may have some competition. 

According to a survey undertaken by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (www.ahla.com), 60 percent of the approximately 8,000 hotels responding indicated that four-legged creatures were welcome on property.  Normally, these animals found at hotels are checking in with their two-legged human friends as the guest’s moment of arrival is heralded by the bellman or doorman who serves as a smiling beacon of welcome to the property. But for a number of hotels, that welcoming ambassador may have a tail. Or tail feathers.

A little tail wags hello to guests stepping up to the concierge desk at The Muse Hotel in Manhattan. Canine Concierge Ginger has her own business cards and uses them to remind guests of her wide array of services. Her owner, Concierge Lauren Myerson, makes sure pet-toting hotel guests meet Ginger and are aware of all the amenities that the hotel has to make this visit even more special than the last. Myerson explains Ginger’s role in the hotel, “As a pup-about-town, Ginger and I know the ins and outs of New York City, offering guests expert recommendations for pet-friendly shopping and restaurants, and pet sitting, walking and grooming services. We help guests and their pets navigate, as well as ensure they have the ultimate New York City experience. We point out the nearest dog-friendly shops like Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany’s, and map out the best places to explore, from New York’s only doggie playground - “Canine Court” with open land and an obstacle course - to the best dog runs in Central Park, among other things.”

Around the corner from Central Park, and down the block from The Muse, is the historic Algonquin Hotel where guests are greeted by the house cat, Matilda.  Since the 1930s a cat has been on staff at the Algonquin, adding a genteel and homey welcome for guests who stay here. While someone at the front desk may meet your eye when you enter, nothing beats the sensation of a cat slithering between you and your luggage to welcome you to the hotel.

Though only the bellman is going to carry your luggage into the Orlando Peabody Hotel, bringing a smile to the face of hotel guests isn’t just the purview of two-legged staffers, as evidenced by the fact that the Orlando Peabody’s ducks are as famous as their mouse neighbor down the street at Disney. Yes, ducks. In the hotel!  Treated like royalty, the ducks reside in a penthouse from which they depart every day to take up residence in the center lobby fountain, amusing visitors and themselves alike. Had a bad day at the Orange County Convention Center next door?  A kind word from the doorman may momentarily ease your stress, but catch one look at these mallards and you can’t help but smile, and relax. According to the folks at the Peabody Memphis, the tradition was originally started in 1933 when Frank Schutt, General Manager of The Peabody, and a friend, Chip Barwick, returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas. The men had a little too much Jack Daniel's Tennessee sippin' whiskey, and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys (it was legal then for hunters to use live decoys) in the beautiful Peabody fountain. Three small English call ducks were selected as "guinea pigs," and the reaction was nothing short of enthusiastic. Soon, five North American Mallard ducks would replace the original ducks. In 1940, Bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer, offered to help with delivering the ducks to the fountain each day and taught them the now-famous Peabody Duck March.

At the Tarrytown House Estate & Conference Center they weren’t smiling about the big fees they were paying a service to chase pesky geese away. Now, with Lady, a year-old black Labrador retriever and the newest member of the hotel team on board, geese are but a distant memory. Her nametag identifies her as Lady of the Estate, but you can just call her efficient. And free to interact with guests to their heart’s desire. Marketing Director Steve Sackman comments, “She is unbelievably effective!  In fact, she’s more of a deterrent at this point. They know not to even come back, so she doesn’t get as many chances to chase as she’d like. She’s very playful, she really just wants to play with the geese! Guests love her. We’ve even had some Trip Advisor comments about her, and several comment cards. Now that she’s started getting a bit more “exposure” through some fun press, as well as her Facebook page and web page, we’re getting more guests who are looking for her, and asking about what times she goes for walks. If you’re not having the best day, she’s the one staff member that can always cheer you up. You can’t not smile when you see Lady!”