Hotel Takes In 900 Dogs and Their Families During Hurricane Irma

Hotels aren’t always the most pet-friendly locations, but one Florida hotel went above and beyond to save hundreds of animals that were in danger during Hurricane Irma.

As the deadly storm approached Florida, residents were faced with the difficult decision of staying and putting themselves in danger or evacuating and leaving pets behind since most hotels don’t allow guests to have animals.

However, the Hyatt Regency Orlando opened their doors to anyone needing shelter, including those with four legs and a tail so that people wouldn’t have to make such an impossible decision. “We proudly welcomed over 4,500 guests and over 900 dogs during Hurricane Irma,” said Katie Satava, marketing manager at the Hyatt Regency Orlando.

“Our property is typically pet-friendly and we issue a $150 cleaning charge for guests traveling with pets. With Hurricane Irma, we lowered the cleaning fee to $50 due to the circumstances. We have dog-walking stations located in areas outside of our hotel, but with the winds and heavy rains we conveniently moved these stations to right outside of the lobby doors, beyond the valet, for guests to take their animals out with minimal effects from the elements.”