Last month, the Aloft Orlando Downtown hosted an event called the Bow Wow Luau, which celebrated 100 dogs being adopted. The hotel, which participates in a foster dog programme exclusive to Aloft hotels managed by Tampa-based McKibbon Hospitality, reached out to the people who have adopted the 100 dogs in the hopes of getting all to attend. Additionally, the event was open to other dogs, as well as their owners.
To make the creatures that turn into best friends feel extra special, the Bow Wow Luau included two Hawaiian-themed food trucks, live music, a Pawaiian costume contest and other fun activities.Plus, the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando showcased 14 tricked-out dog houses featuring custom tile work, which were all up for auction.
The Aloft Orlando Downtown, which adopted the much-loved pet adoption programme in May 2018, works in partnership with the Pet Alliance, an organisation that strives to provide positive and safe outcomes for pets, especially cats and dogs. The dogs, who have been vetted and chosen by the association, live in a 12-square-foot space next to the front desk. Inside the enclosure is a dog house that’s a replica of the hotel building, designed and built pro bono by a local architect.
The pooches are chosen for their ability to thrive in a hotel-lobby environment, and, of course, for maximum cuteness. Over the course of the programme, canines have been adopted by locals as well as hotel guests, some of whom have changed their travel plans to accommodate the adoption.
The scheme began at Aloft Asheville Downtown and was so successful it is now active in four Aloft hotels, including Aloft Greenville Downtown and Aloft Tallahassee Downtown. Likely to expand more, it has yielded benefits well beyond placing dogs in new homes. The programme provides guests with a novel and heartwarming experience unusual to a hotel stay, infuses a sense of purpose in the staff that surpasses their daily workflow and rallies the community to the cause.
