Luxury hotels in Miami are competing to pamper guests’ dogs with gourmet menus, spa treatments and canine concierges. The trend, dubbed “canine hospitality,” has made Miami one of the world’s leading destinations for dog-friendly luxury travel.

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Here are key takeaways:

Guise Bule, CEO of Roch Dog, calls the movement “canine hospitality” and says it goes beyond simply being pet friendly. “Almost every hotel in Miami will let a dog through the door for a fee. That is not hospitality — that is tolerance,” Bule said. “Canine hospitality is when the dog is treated as a guest.”Roch Dog named Miami’s five-star InterContinental its 2026 Hotel of the Year after evaluating more than 70 criteria, including whether dogs are genuinely welcomed in restaurants, bars and public spaces.The InterContinental recently introduced “Rocco,” an AI-powered virtual canine concierge accessible by QR code or WhatsApp that connects guests to dog-friendly restaurants, parks and waterfront walking paths. Dogs also receive plush beds, gourmet treats and custom bandanas at check-in.Guests at The Betsy hotel in Miami Beach can be greeted by two resident golden retrievers, Betsy and Rosa. The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort’s “Bring Fido” program introduces guests to resident goldendoodles Jack and Maddie. In this file photo, The Betsy hotel owners Jonathan Plutznik Lesley Goldwasserin posed with their golden retrievers, Betsy and Kate, in the lobby of their Miami Beach hotel. In this file photo, The Betsy hotel owners Jonathan Plutznik Lesley Goldwasserin posed with their golden retrievers, Betsy and Kate, in the lobby of their Miami Beach hotel. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com Curated dog stays at South Florida luxury hotels — including InterContinental, Loews, W Miami and W South Beach — run between $80 and $300, and the Michelin Guide has identified luxury pet travel as one of hospitality’s fastest-growing segments.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.


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Luisa Yanez covers real estate and the impact of wealth migration in South Florida for the Miami Herald. In her work, she will be using both traditional reporting and AI tools.