Camille

The Kimpton Hotel Arras was absolutely beautiful! We stayed in the luxury mountain view suite for my dog’s birthday and had an amazing time. Every employee was friendly two our two dogs and cat. We were so grateful to be able to all stay together due to their amazing pet policy! Food was great, and valet parking was very smooth. The view from the suite was amazing!!!

Only con - it is a short walk to the park for grassy space and distractions are high. There is no immediate grassy space around the hotel. There are a lot of individuals lurking with their belongings in the park, so as a typically solo traveler, this would be important to be aware of. I would not feel safe taking my dog out alone after dark beyond the sidewalk surrounding the hotel. My dog had no issues, but our other family dog was not a fan of the hustle and bustle. Not a knock on the hotel, as they cannot control the surrounding area, but something to be aware of.

This hotel is located so nicely between Duck, KDH, and Nags Head. My dog and I took a great trip here in the spring and loved the whole area! Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by the front desk agents who were so kind! The lobby is very clean, and the restaurant was AMAZING! As a solo traveler, I was able to order online and my dog and I went downstairs to pick up our food from the host. The room was very clean and spacious with a nice view. We woke up early for the sunrise and weren’t disappointed! We will definitely be back!

Nice drive up and great views at the top! Louie was brave and made it across the bridge! Parking was spacious and easy when we went on a weekday afternoon. Would be nice to have access to the gift shop and restrooms as a solo traveler with a dog, but what can you do. Overall a nice stop on our trip!

This hotel has definitely had some upgrades and was very clean. Only spots where upgrades appeared minimal were the bathrooms/bathtub, where you could see aging. The rest of the room, halls, lobby, etc were in excellent condition. My dog was very comfortable and our stay was smooth. There is quite a bit of space around the parking lots for pets to use the restroom. Lots of restaurants on the main road where this hotel is located, no shortage of chain restaurants for easy curbside pick-up with your dog. Would definitely stay here again!

We stopped in last month on the road to VA, and what a great spot to stop for both human and dog! As a traveler with my dog, I have to plan well ahead for stops for myself at pet-friendly places. The Halifax County Visitor Center Dog Run was excellent inside and out. The dog runs were secure. Being able to bring my dog inside with me to use the restroom (private, SPOTLESS, individual bathrooms! Not stalls!) made this the perfect, safe stop. The lady at the front desk was SO incredibly nice and welcoming. You can tell how much she enjoys her job and meeting travelers and pets. Pets get treats, a ball, and a collapsible bowl. Halifax County Visitor Center deserves a 10/10 for being so welcoming to travelers with pets on I-95. We will definitely stop again!

My dog and I had a great experience at Colonial Williamsburg. Parking was a little tricky at first, as I had no sense of direction, but once we got in a spot and started walking, all was great. I used their maps on my phone to navigate as we made our way through. We got lucky with a beautiful 64 degree day in February, but any warmer and it'd have been hot! Definitely bring water and prepare for the temp of the pavement when considering your pet's paws. We saw TONS of dogs, some on leash, some in strollers. My dog enjoyed all the sights, sounds, and smells. His favorite part was seeing the sheep. Due to having a dog, I did not pay for the full experience tickets, so cannot speak on those experiences. However, just walking around, I was pleased. We spent a couple of hours walking and my pup was worn out that night!

Listen, I'm a bit of a spender and can talk myself into spending money pretty easily. However, $60 to walk around a property may be where I draw the line after this experience. Unfortunately, that's as cheap as the grounds passes come even on a weekday morning in mid-September! Way overpriced. I'd say $30 would be much more realistic. My dog and I drove onto the property, parked in the park and walk area (not too far of a walk), and made our way towards the house. Very quickly you can see the house in all of its glory with buses parked right out front of it, a line of people backed up (even early in the morning), and cars passing by. We took our photos and then made our way to the gardens. Given that it is between seasons, the rose garden was a bit crippled IMO, half the rose bushes looked worse than those in my own backyard. I am sure the upcoming seasonal flowers will be much prettier, we just went at a bad time of the year for gardens. Some of the walled garden looked very nice, but not worth cost of entry. There were also a lot of bees, so just be aware. My dog got tired after about an hour and a half, so we made our way back to the car. When they say spend "six hours" on the property, they must be including the half hour it takes just to get OFF the property. I felt like I would never make it out! I followed the exit signs without missing any and it took forever. Plan accordingly if you are in a hurry to make it to your next destination. Overall, nice place, but only if you've got money to blow. I'm sure the house is nice inside, but there is no reason it should cost as much as it does for what it is. This was a one-and-done location for us.

Very pet-friendly store with kind employees! We picked out an Asheville shirt for each family member and my boy picked out a new Fluff & Tuff toy downstairs. Definitely worth a visit!

Tropical system washed out a whole day of our trip, so my boy and I went to the car museum at Grovewood Village. Not super exciting by any means, but not a bad way to spend an hour. The drive onto the property is pretty and not a far trip from town.

There's nothing too fancy about this hotel, but it is clean and pet-friendly, which meant it was perfect for us. My dog and I stayed with no issues. King bed room was small, but good enough for us. The hotel is a bit outdated and could use a little bit of refreshing in some spots, but nothing unclean about it. The bathroom in the room was clean, but water pressure was weak with poor draining in the shower. The grassy space for pets to use the bathroom is right in front of the main road, so if your dog is skittish to cars, reconsider this location for safety. Pretty sure there was a smokers convention in town given the amount of people sitting outside smoking in the parking lot at all hours. Pet bags/waste disposal area is at the back right of the property, but it is there. Just take into consideration the space you and your pet need for the room and potty space. Not a bad stay for one person and a dog, but a family may be tight on space.

Louie gives two paws up to the La Quinta Greensboro Airport location! The hotel is incredibly clean and modern. Online check-in allows for you to add the pet fee and confirm payment + ID before ever arriving. Check-in at the hotel took less than a minute - just picking up the keys! Pet fee is only $25 for any size pet, amazing! The room was incredibly clean and spacious. Louie and I stayed overnight in the king executive room, which features a king size bed, two TVs, a sectional that also has a pull-out.

The layout is perfect. Shower was HOT! Dove products are provided, which is also nice! The window was huge and my dog loved looking out of it. If you're a plane lover, be sure to ask for an even-numbered room, facing the airport! We had awesome views of departures all day long. It felt like our own little observation tower! TONS of outdoor area for potty time. There are a couple of undeveloped fields around the property, as well as groomed grassy areas against the building. Pet relief bags are provided in the grassy area in the rear of the property. All staff members were friendly and we had no issues. Overall, 10/10 stay!

My dog and I stayed for one night at the Holiday Inn Express in Blowing Rock. The location is super easy to get to, right in the middle of everything we wanted to do on our one-night trip. Downtown dining with patios is very close (few min drive), but it was cool and super windy out so my dog and I ordered curbside Outback a couple mins away to take back to our room.

The first room we got had an issue with the bathroom. The girl at the front desk immediately switched us to the room next door, no problem. The rooms were clean and spacious with plenty of space to put our things. We stayed on the first floor with easy access to multiple exits. The bathroom was mildly outdated, but nothing horrible.

The space for the pet bathroom was HUGE compared to other hotels. Out back, you will find a pet relief area with pet waste bag holder and quite literally a "lot" of grass behind the parking lot. It was well-lit, but there were a few characters sitting in their vehicles, so at night I opted to go out front for safety, as a female solo traveler.

The staff gave us late checkout, which allowed for us to go have fun at Mystery Hill the morning of our departure, and still come back for me to be able to stop by the room once more before we left for our long drive home. We will definitely be back!! Louie gives Holiday Inn Express Blowing Rock two paws up!

We had a great time visiting The Blowing Rock. My dog and I entered the front door and there was a cat by the front desk that immediately caught his attention, but he isn't cat reactive, so he quickly refocused. The lady at the desk asked if he was allowed to have treats, and offered them as she went over the information on the property. Know your dogs limitations in regards to cats and other dogs, as the paths are narrow and the gift store entry is tight. My dog is not reactive, and we went on a windy weekday afternoon, so it was pretty relaxed and enjoyable. I think we saw about two groups of individuals the whole time. On a busy day during the best times of year to visit, I could see this being a tight fit for a dog that is not great on a leash. I would suggest using a short lead or traffic lead in these situations. I would also suggest having two points of contact for safety purposes, as there is a steep drop-off. The location has a few different ways to modify your "hike" as there are different layers of the trail/bridges you can take. For older dogs, or individuals with injuries/limitations, you can walk on the flat path without much effort. There are also spots to sit down. The views were gorgeous and even on a super windy day, we had a lot of fun. Louie gives The Blowing Rock 5 bones! We will be back to visit again!

My dog and I checked out Mystery Hill while in Blowing Rock and had a great time. The entire place is pet-friendly. My dog is very calm and well-behaved with great leash manners, but I could see how a more energetic dog may get a bit restless during the group tour. Determine your own pet's tolerance before taking them. I personally chose to stay at the back of the group and my dog was on a short leash next to me (50-lb dog) with no issues during the tour. The group moved smoothly through the tour. It is much quicker than the time states on their website, but once through the tour, you are free to enjoy the vortex room and bubble room on your own time. The vortex room really messes with your equilibrium, and you can feel it instantly, but there is an "escape route" hallway behind the room that is flat. My dog and I chose to stay in the entrance to the room and leave through the hallway just for his safety, but he tolerated it well and just braced his legs with no signs of distress or concern. He was more tolerant than most the people in the group!!! My dog and I also took the old time photos and LOVED it! Professor Finnegan's studio is just a few steps away from the main entrance and gift shop. She was so incredibly kind and patient with my dog and I! All in all, this is a great pet-friendly option for solo or group travelers. I did not do any activities that would have been unsafe for my dog to be around, or that did not interest me (axe throw, mechanical bull), but these were also options. We went for the very first tour of the day at 10:15 am on a Thursday and the guide was efficient, not super cheesy, and gave a lot of information about the story of Mystery Hill. Definitely worth checking out, and my dog gives it two paws up!