What is a hotel pet fee?

How do hotels usually charge a pet fee?

Two shapes dominate. A per-stay fee is charged once for the booking, so the cost is the same whether the guest stays one night or five. A per-night fee is charged for every night the animal is in the room, which makes longer trips noticeably more expensive. Some properties quote per animal rather than per booking, so a household travelling with two pets may pay twice.

Hotels also separate a fee from a deposit. A fee is money the property keeps for allowing the animal, while a deposit is taken up front and returned if the room is left in acceptable condition. Either can appear on the bill, and some properties use both. Whichever applies, the charge is normally settled with the hotel rather than paid in points, and it is itemised on the guest's bill alongside other incidentals — see hotel folio for how those charges are recorded.

Beyond the money, a policy usually covers behaviour: when the animal may be left alone, whether it must be crated, which areas are out of bounds and how housekeeping handles a room with an animal in it. Damage or deep cleaning is handled separately under a cleaning fee, which is distinct from the pet fee itself.

What else do hotel pet policies usually restrict?

Species and size are the most common filters. Many properties accept dogs but not cats or other animals, and many set a weight ceiling or a cap on how many animals may share one room. A few apply breed-specific rules as well.

Room type is the second filter. Pet-friendly rooms can be a subset of the inventory — sometimes ground-floor rooms, sometimes a limited block of rooms on particular floors — so the pet-friendly count is narrower than the hotel's total room count, and an upgrade may move the guest out of the pet-approved stock. It is worth confirming the room, not just the hotel. Many properties also keep animals out of food and beverage outlets, pools and fitness rooms.

Where a hotel bills separately for service — a resort or hotel service charge — the pet fee is normally a further line of its own rather than part of that charge.

Do loyalty programmes cover hotel pet fees?

A pet fee is a property charge, not a programme benefit, so the policy that decides whether an animal is accepted is the hotel's. Programme terms instead govern the points side of the same bill, which is where the two subjects touch.

Marriott Bonvoy defines which spending counts as Qualifying Charges: charges a member incurs during a stay in a guest room at a Participating Property, as the registered guest, on their folio — including the Qualifying Rate, food and beverages, in-room telephone and fax, and in-room movies — provided the member gives their membership number at reservation or check-in and pays. [1] The same terms set out a separate list of charges that do not qualify for Points. [1]

Programme terms can also defer to the property. Marriott Bonvoy's rules incorporate additional terms for properties that participate in a limited or unique capacity, and state that specific benefits, amenities, offers, awards and services may not be available at those properties. [1] Award stays show the same split between what the programme covers and what the hotel charges: for Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, Marriott Bonvoy says an Award Redemption Stay includes the standard room rate and room tax only, and that extra-person charges, resort fees, service charges and other property charges are the member's responsibility and are not included. [1]

The pattern to carry to any property: the programme governs the points side of the stay, the hotel governs what it charges for an animal.

Exceptions and limits

• Assistance animals. An assistance animal is generally handled under local law and the property's access policy rather than under a pet fee schedule, so the fee table is not the right document to check. Confirm the position with the hotel before arrival.
• Policies attach to the property, not the brand. Two hotels trading under the same name can set different fees, weight limits and room restrictions, and a policy can change between the time of booking and check-in.
• Deposit versus fee. Only the fee is normally kept; a deposit is returned if the room passes inspection. A quoted charge can therefore be refundable, non-refundable, or partly both.
• Award stays do not convert a property charge into a programme charge. At Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, Marriott Bonvoy's terms place resort fees, service charges and other property charges on the member. [1]
• Compounding. A charge that is both per night and per animal is where budgets slip, since a long stay with more than one pet multiplies the amount rather than adding it once.

Frequently asked questions

Is a hotel pet fee charged per night or per stay?

Both forms exist. Some properties charge once per booking, others for every night of the stay, and the figure to plan for is the one in the hotel's own pet policy.

Do elite members get hotel pet fees waived?

There is no general rule that a membership tier removes a pet fee; it is a charge set by the property, so ask the hotel rather than relying on status.

Are service animals charged a pet fee?

Assistance animals are usually dealt with under local law and the property's access policy rather than under its pet fee schedule, so confirm directly with the hotel before booking.

Is a pet fee refundable?

A fee is normally kept by the hotel, while a refundable deposit comes back if the room is left in acceptable condition. Check which of the two the property is quoting before you book.

Related pages

Terms: cleaning fee, hotel folio, hotel service charge. Browse the full frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Loyalty programmes other than Marriott Bonvoy, and the pet policies of individual hotels, are not covered here.

1. Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions, checked 18 October 2026