Luxury hotel gone to the dogs with five-star kennel service

A LUXURY hotel is offering five-star kennel service, the juiciest bones, and long walks on a lead to new guests.

The exclusive 88-bedroom Hayfield Manor Hotel in Cork has added two new rooms to its award-winning facilities – two private, cosy top-of-the-range kennels to entice a new breed of customer – and their four-legged friends.

Each kennel has a sign over its door – one for the “Lord” and one for the “Lady” – of the Manor.

While neither has a mini-bar, a special breakfast menu is offered to the pampered pooches, and snacks, including healthy options, are available throughout the day. The hotel even offers a twice daily dog walking service.

So while their owners relax in the hotel’s Beautique Spa, with a full range of Elemis treatments, doorman Louis will take the dog guests for a walk along his preferred route to the Lough, while doorman Bart prefers to take the guests for a leisurely stroll along the River Lee.

Head chef Graeme Campbell has even agreed to keep the juiciest bones as a special treat for the four-legged guests.

The kennels were the brainchild of hotel owners and dog lovers, Joe and Margaret Scally, after they received several queries from guests last year about dog accommodation.

They hope to attract more Irish people taking short breaks but who don’t want to leave their beloved pets at home, or in the care of another kennel.

Joe and Margaret’s eldest daughter, Annemarie, who is the hotel’s deputy manager, and her husband, Ettienne Van Vrede, who is the hotel’s general manager, are enjoying a holiday at the moment. Their beautiful Huskies, Heidi and Hugo, are the first kennel guests.

Sales and marketing manager Lisa Leahy said because the two dogs are close, they have been sharing a kennel and enjoying the new facilities for the last few days.

She said future guests will be able to luxuriate in their own private, spacious and insulated kennel, cosy and warm underneath a pile of blankets.

“Our attentive staff will ensure they have a constant supply of water, and of course will deliver their meals to their kennels,” she said.

The hotel has launched a competition to celebrate the new facility. Dog owners have been invited to enter their pet’s name in a draw at www.hayfieldmanor.ie, to be in with a chance of winning an overnight stay at the hotel for themselves and their pet.

The Hayfield, off College Road, has welcomed several high-profile two-legged guests since opening in 1996 including Prince Andrew the Duke of York, Henry Kissinger, former President Mary Robinson, President Mary McAleese, Prince Michael of Kent, Pierce Brosnan and his family, the King of Malaysia and the Prime Minister of Canada.

It has also won a string of prestigious awards including the Condé Nast Traveller Gold List 2009, the Green Hospitality Award 2009, Expedia Insiders’ Select 2009 and it is in the Condé Nast Top 15 British Isles Hotel list.