Hotels are going to the dogs, literally, and the humans are not complaining. If anything, they are welcoming the presence of these canine beings amidst themselves wholeheartedly.
Brands including the ITC Hotels, Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), Marriott International and The LaLiT Group are rolling out the red carpet for these furballs to toddle into their properties along with their owners. Himmat Anand founded the Tree of Life Resorts as a pet-friendly and pet-loving chain of properties.
The LaLiT Ashok Bangalore went a step ahead by adopting a St. Bernard seven years ago. Today, he is an honorary employee of the hotel with a designation and his own ID card!
The hotel staffers christened him Burney, as they were unsure of his name when they brought home the abandoned pooch some years back. Today, as the hotel’s ‘Chief Happiness Officer’, Burney attends lobby meetings, demands belly rubs, acts all cute, and is a huge hit with the property’s guests.
Talking about him, Kumar Manish, General Manager, The LaLiT Ashok Bangalore, said, “Guests can choose to walk, feed and hang out with Burney during their stay and can foster him for the night. He ensures all his guests – young, old and four-legged – are comfortable, and he is always up for hugs. He is the star attraction of our pet-friendly brunches.” He added that Burney was the Kryptonite to his own fear of dogs and introduced him to the symphony of happiness.
His enormous size notwithstanding, Burney is friends with all employees at the hotel. Manish stated that having him in the hotel was a fantastic experience. “He makes our guests and employees smile and generates an unexpected mechanism for connection,” he noted. There have been several instances where employees skip their regular break to pet Burney, since they find it a great stress buster.
Every adoption story has the potential to make one believe in the good in people, just when one is set to swear off all humanity. This is one such heart-warming story and one that hopefully will inspire many other hotels.
