Everyone's welcome at the Sebel Pier One. Business people, romantics and families along with their dog or cat, but not their horse.
Ralf Bruegger is a pet-lover and the general manager of the Sebel Pier One and Harbour Rocks Hotel in Sydney. It was his initiative that launched the pet friendly accommodation at his hotel, in one of Sydney's prime tourist locations at Walsh Bay, alongside the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The pet friendly holiday theme began in mid-2009 and, although it's been a roaring success with a policy more familiar in Europe, there have been some interesting guest requests.
"We had one lady who wanted to bring two parrots," Bruegger recalled. "That time I said no."
And local breakfast radio pranksters Merrick and Rosso made an on-air call to the hotel asking whether they could bring their horse for a stay. That, too, was rejected.
Luxury Accommodation for a Pet Friendly Holiday
Bruegger said the idea of incorporating a pet friendly holiday theme at his Sydney Harbour hotel was a marketing strategy, designed as a point of difference.
"I'm German and I'm a pet-lover. This sort of thing is normal in Europe. You can take pets into coffee shops, people take them when they go shopping... in some restaurants as well, where they lie under the table," says Bruegger.
"I think up gimmicks from time to time and this was something of a gimmick at first, but it's absolutely taken off. We've had over 250 dogs here - and that's in eight months.
"People who take their dogs here - they love their dogs.. There's no barking, no noise. We have a $60 surcharge and all of that gets used to steam-clean the room afterwards."
Sydney Harbour Hotel
The Sebel Pier One is located in the historic Walsh Bay area alongside the Sydney Harbour Bridge, just a five-minute stroll from The Rocks, Circular Quay and the Opera House on the eastern side of the bridge, and around 10 minutes from Darling Harbour on the western side.
Created from the original shipping wharf, the hotel sits on Sydney Harbour, with restaurants and guest rooms opening on to the timber walkways overlooking the water. And it's these rooms which have been allocated to the guests with Fido or Whiskas.
They are equipped with leash hooks and food bowls, with sliding doors opening to the outdoor area - with a million-dollar water view for the pooch. But, as Bruegger points out, isolating the pets is not the intention.
"We don't want the pets left outside. The idea is to have them in the room with the guests." Hence, no horses.
Menus, Fashion Parades
The reaction from other guests has been positive - Bruegger says there's been not one complaint, perhaps with one exception.
"The chef initially thought it was a bit strange having to prepare separate menus for the pets, but he ended up doing it."
The Sebel Pier One and Harbour Rocks Hotel is not the first hotel in Sydney to welcome pets, but it's the first to openly promote the policy to the extent of a recent dog fashion parade to raise funds for the animal welfare organisation, the RSPCA.
Mike McCann - Mike McCann is lucky to be able to combine his three loves - travel, sport and his home city of Sydney. He is an international sports ...
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