Dogs in hotels: what to know
No French text requires a hotel to take your dog, and none stops it either. It all comes down to its booking conditions — and those vary wildly.
The hotel decides. It may welcome dogs freely, cap them by weight, charge a supplement, or refuse. Its policy lives in its booking conditions, not in the law.
One absolute exception: guide and assistance dogs are admitted everywhere, at no extra charge. Refusal exposes the venue to a €150–450 fine, €1,500 for a repeat offence.
What you will actually find
Reading the conditions hotels publish themselves, three patterns recur:
- Free and unconditional. Some make a selling point of it — "your dog can stay with you for free, whatever its size or breed".
- Free but weight-capped. The usual threshold sits between 5 and 15 kg, sometimes phrased as "as long as they fit in our lifts".
- Accepted with a fee. From €15 per stay to €20 per night in mid-range chains, up to €100 a day in a palace hotel, welcome kit included.
House rules come on top: dog on a leash in common areas, never left alone in the room, and — very often — not allowed in the hotel restaurant, even when welcome in the room.
The hotel restaurant is a separate case
The dining room follows food hygiene rules, not the accommodation policy. Several hotels state plainly that all dogs may stay, but that only guide dogs are admitted in the restaurant. See our guide on dogs in restaurants.
Guide and assistance dogs
Article 88 of the law of 11 February 2005 opens every place open to the public to them, breakfast room included. No pet supplement may be charged, and weight or breed limits do not apply to them.
Before booking
- Look for the policy on the hotel's own site, not the booking platform: that is the one that counts.
- Get the fee and weight limit confirmed in writing — they change from season to season.
- Ask what happens while you are out: many hotels forbid leaving a dog alone in the room.
Hotels whose policy we checked on their own website are listed in our city pages, with the source link: hotels in Paris, hotels in London.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a hotel refuse my dog in France?
- Yes. No law obliges it to accept dogs. Its policy sits in its booking conditions. Only a guide or assistance dog cannot be refused.
- How much does a dog cost in a French hotel?
- From nothing to €100 a day. Mid-range chains often charge €15 to €20, per night or per stay depending on the brand; luxury hotels charge more, welcome kit included.
- Can my dog come to breakfast?
- Often not, even in a hotel that welcomes it in the room: the dining room falls under food hygiene rules. Guide dogs do have access.
- Can I leave my dog alone in the room?
- Most hotels forbid it, to avoid barking and damage. Check this specific point before booking if you plan to go out without your dog.
The guides
- Dogs in French restaurants: what the law says
- Taking your dog on French transport
- Dogs in shops: one simple rule
- Dogs on the beach: the rule comes from the town hall
- Flying with your dog
Places, city by city
The verdict shows on the Google Maps listing, before you cross town.