Luxury hotel with a difference opens near the German city of
Munich aimed at pampering our four-legged friends.

FREISING, GERMANY (DECEMBER 9, 2008) REUTERS -
It's just what the man's best friend has been waiting for - the
first ever five star hotel for dogs.
On December 15 a luxury hotel for dogs is set to open in Freising, near
the southern German city of Munich. According to the owners, the "Canis
Resort" promises dogs "a feeling of pure luxury" with an
"organic feel-good atmosphere."
This is what owner Sabine Gerteis says, who runs the Canis Resort
together with her brother Thomas. The canine expert and her brother have set
up a resort just a few kilometres from Munich's international airport.
So-called "Dog Lodges" can house up to five dogs at any one
time and have their own enclosed grassy outdoor area. If the animals fancy
stretching their legs a bit more, then they have a further 350 square metres
of land at their disposal. Their personal carer, or "Dog-Sitter",
who pampers them 24 hours a day, takes them to the field, where they can run
and jump and play to their hearts' content.
"The dogs can run around boisterously in the dog lodges which have
their own gardens. They can decide for themselves if they want to lie down
inside or be outside. They can relax. If they want to be patted then the Dog
Sitter is there. We have a large area for them to run around in and the dog
sitters care for each dog's individual needs," manager Gerteis told
Reuters TV.
Twenty so-called Dog-Sitters look after a maximum of 40 dogs day and
night, a ratio which far outshines many of the most luxurious hotels for
humans.
The 24 hour service means of course that the care and attention of the
dog hotel does not come cheap. A full day and night in the Canis Resort costs
80 euros.
But it's the pure practicality of the service that makes it such a good
offer, explains Gerteis.
"We are situated just nine kilometres from Munich airport. This
means that a businessman can fly to Hamburg on the LH 121 flight in the early
morning and come home in the evening, while we take care of his dog during the
day. We also offer a Gate-to-Gate service so we can take the dogs to the
terminal with our car, or even pick them up there," said Gerteis.
Gerteis also said it is services like this that give the Canis Resort
its edge.
"I also own a dog and I know that there is nothing better than to
come back from Hamburg at night and see my dog standing at the gate, ready to
greet me with a wagging tail," she told Reuters.
The resort will take on any canine, even those with special needs.
After a quick personality test, the dogs are then placed into the appropriate
group with other animals. However, owners can also book individual Dog Lodges
if they wish, which come with the corresponding price tag.
There are 5.3 million dogs in German, but this resort caters for a
smaller target group. It is households with an annual income of more than
200,000 euros at which the resort is aimed. Five star hotels are also
expensive in the dog world.
According to the owners, there are also plans to expand Canis Resort AG
worldwide. At the moment, a second hotel is in being built south of Munich and
in 2009, another in Stuttgart. Later on, the company hopes to go international
with it's first hotel in Zurich.