Canine in the City: the Dog Friendly Residence Inn New York

Central Park view from the Residence Inn New York

As a New Yorker, my pooch has yet to stay in a hotel in New York City. And I don't usually frequent hotels in my hometown, though I have stayed at a few. So I was eager to see what the Residence Inn New York / Central Park had to offer, both for canines and for humans.

Residence Inn by Marriott

I was not familiar with the Residence Inn by Marriott brand, an extended stay hotel that has kitchenettes in every room. If you are have seen a studio apartment in NYC, the kitchen area is similar; there's a small refrigerator and separate freezer draw, along with a hidden dishwasher.

The fitness center, with outdoor patio

There was also a coffeemaker and a microwave, and pots and pans. If you want to cook more, a hot pot can be sent to your room.  And there are pots, pans and dishes.

The king sized room I saw wouldn't be great for a family, but there are larger rooms with ore beds and this is certainly ideal for families. The hotel also provides free breakfast and free WiFi.

Sustainability

The bathroom

The Residence Inn goes beyond the usual commitment to sustainability with rooftop beehives. The beehives are apparently the highest hives on a man-made structure.

The Residence Inn New York is atop a courtyard by Marriott hotel, with which is shares a lobby.

Since the hotel is so tall, rooms have amazing views of Central Park, the Hudson River and Times Square, though new construction blocks some of the vistas.

Exercise right

Dishwasher hidden in a drawer

The Residence Inn New York is a couple of blocks from Central Park, with biking and running paths, and multiple playgrounds. If you want to exercise in the hotel, there's a large fitness center. On a patio off the fitness center, there are free yoga classes.

Bring the dog

Residence Inn hotels charge a one time cleaning fee when you bring your pet, but then the dog is allowed in the lobby, or to get on the bed. You can take your dog to off leash in Central Park, where city dogs socialize and chase balls.

The hotel also has treats and food bowls is you forget yours.

Puppies at the dog-friendly Residence Inn

Bark-Fest with North Shore Animal League

I was at the Residence Inn for a bark-fest adoption event with the North Shore Animal League, so there were lots of puppies in the usual breakfast room of the hotel. But apparently the puppies agreed that the Residence Inn is a comfortable place to sleep.

Take Your Pet - To a Luxury Hotel!

The Freshpet bounty

There are hotels that take dogs, but charge you an extra fee. Of they accept dogs, but warn yo that they can't go on the furniture. Or that body shame your dog, allowing you to only bring dogs under a certain weight.

The Soho Grand Hotel takes dog friendly to a whole new level. This luxury boutique hotel has a bespoke dog park right next to the hotel. No exhaust fumes or cobblestone-sore paws for your pooch. The park has water stations, shade and benches.

The Soho Grand also provides dog beds, organic treats, bowls and waste bags.

Dr. Katy, 2nd from right, and pets up for adoption

I had always wanted to treat my dog, Karat, to an afternoon here and got an opportunity thanks to Freshpet, which had a "Take Your Pet to Work" day.  My dog, a labrador retriever, has a sensitive stomach, though she hoovers up trash from the streets. Freshpet uses real chicken and vegetables to create its food, and the table of people food and pet food was hard to distinguish.

As a vegetarian, what I liked about the food was the roll of chicken, turkey or beef could be sliced and served with minimal handling by me, the meat-averse. We hosted a dog who ate a raw food diet and just the smell was enough to send me searching for kale.

The Freshpet food is cooked at low temperatures, to preserve nutrients, and it has to stay refrigerated. No worries about it spoiling with Karat; she scarfs her food so quickly that we have a special insert in her bowl to slow her down.

The kitten missed her friend

Dr. Katy Nelson, host of The Pet Show with Dr. Katy and a veterinarian in Virginia, said the food meets an animal's nutritional needs and said that anecdotally, some overweight dogs actually lost excess weight by transitioning to this diet.

The Soho Grand bikes

The "Take Your Pet to Work" day included adoptions from Animal Haven and the ASPCA, but we just adopted a kitten and are maxed out on pets. If you adopt a pet from one of these organizations by July 31, you get free Freshpet food.

Dr. Katy said that pet-friendly workplaces are good for both pets and employees and it seemed true at the Soho Grand, where everyone was happy.

I know Karat wants to spend more time at the Soho Grand and I definitely want to check it out. The hotel provides free bicycles and my cocktail-loving cousin says the martinis are unparalleled. What a great base for exploring NYC.

Note: I was a guest at this event and did not receive any compensation, though Karat did eat a lot of treats.