Amidst loud applause, Bello jumps into the large pool. The young dog is one of the first guests at the Mascots Resort in Tenerife. Together with nine other dogs, Bello is allowed to romp around the spa area of the luxury resort for an hour. The hotel is specially designed to meet the needs of dogs. But cats are also welcome to stay here.
Bello and his playmates aren’t the only guests at the hotel, which only opened in December. The hotel can accommodate up to 40 four-legged friends overnight. Day visitors are also welcome to use the facilities.
Aline Lemaire and Olivier Thys have struck a chord with their dream. Within just a few days, the hotel has already reached a 50 per cent occupancy rate over Christmas. And the order books for the resort in Las Zocas, in the municipality of San Miguel de Abona, point to a bright future.
The Dog Paradise is not just a playground and a hotel: thanks to the resort’s club concept, the four-legged friends of local residents and long-stay holidaymakers also pop round to the grounds regularly. For 25 euros a year, any dog can become a member of Mascots and, for example, use the large playground once a month.
Hotel guests are, of course, welcome to stay there for longer, depending on occupancy. However, there are never more than ten dogs in the large play area at any one time. Otherwise, it would become too chaotic and perhaps even dangerous, explain the proud owners.
Take a look now:
This is what Tenerife’s first dog hotel looks like
If the play area is full, guests can also enjoy their treatments in the meantime. For example, the separate indoor swimming pool offers various rehabilitation programmes and physiotherapy for animals with osteoarthritis. In the spa area, treatments using salts from the Dead Sea are also available for pets with sensitive skin or allergies. Furthermore, Aline Lemaire and Oliver Thys run a puppy school where dogs learn to get on with one another. And, of course, a dog grooming salon is a must. After all, under the Tenerife sun, a dog’s coat can do with being a bit lighter.
As well as all the activities on offer, there is, of course, plenty of good food to enjoy. And anything is possible: from specially tailored dietary plans for dogs with special needs to gluten-free, preservative-free dog ice cream, every four-legged friend is catered for individually.
The hotel offers three different room categories, each of varying sizes, which are very reminiscent of a luxury hotel. With their own bath and a view of the pool, the four-legged guests can relax after a tiring day. Depending on the size of the room, owners pay between 22 and 25 euros per night. Day visitors can play in the pool area for an hour for seven euros.
However, despite all the facilities reminiscent of normal hotels, the aim is not to ‚humanise‘ the dogs. After all, the owners explain, their instincts must be respected and they should not be treated like children. They simply want to ensure the dogs have a lovely time. And yet the resort is somewhat reminiscent of typical all-inclusive luxury hotels for humans. Instead of entertainment and children’s shouts, however, the background noise here is a little different.
Take a look now: Photos: This is Tenerife’s first dog hotel
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