Canopy by Hilton Caters to the Travel Pet Set with New Amenities

MCLEAN, VA—Canopy by Hilton is partnering with Bark, the makers of BarkBox, to help dogs and their people feel right at home through its Paws in the Neighborhood program.

Upon arrival, human and furry hotel guests will receive an amenity kit curated for the hotel brand, featuring a Bark toy, dog treats and a guide to the locale. Once inside the guestroom, there’s all the necessities for a paw-fect stay, including food and water bowl as well as a dog bed.

“We are thrilled to partner with a dog-loving brand like Canopy by Hilton and help travelers—both two- and four-legged—enjoy their adventures away from home,” said Lisa Bernier, director of advocacy and social impact, Bark. “Dogs ultimately want to ‘stay with their pack’; in other words, they want to be with their humans at home and on the road, and Canopy hotels go the extra mile to make that possible and enjoyable.”

Gary Steffen, global head, Canopy by Hilton, added, “In choosing Canopy by Hilton partners, we look for like-minded brands who value our same approach to hospitality and customer service—fresh, thoughtful and local. Our promise for a positive stay extends to four-legged guests, so we wanted to make sure that our Paws in the Neighborhood program continued to offer our guests with premium, sustainable amenities for their dogs while away from home.”

Canopy guests with pets will receive an amenity kit.

Canopy found Bark to be the ideal partner for this program due to its name recognition among pet lovers and because it shares a similar audience as Canopy.

“Bark is committed to creating the best products, along with doing the research to see how they can better serve their customers in the lifestyle and travel categories,” said Steffen.

“In line with ‘Travel with Purpose,’ our corporate responsibility efforts to reduce travel’s environmental footprint and improve the communities in which we operate, Bark is committed to supplying sustainable dog accessories, promoting dog welfare and seeks to make the world a better place for all dogs. We wanted the ability to grow together. Bark is all of these things,” he said.

As part of the partnership with Bark, the Canopy by Hilton team worked together to create an amenity kit to help four-legged travelers feel at home at Canopy by Hilton hotels.

“Bark created a fun, custom (yet durable) sleep-themed toy that aligns with Canopy’s personality and selected a popular flavor of Bark treats for the kit. Together, we designed the cinch bag that holds the kit’s items, which also include a customized neighborhood guide for dogs and a roll of dog waste bags,” he said. “The Canopy team also supplied a plush dog bed, Canopy-inspired food and water bowls and a ‘Woof!’ door hanger to inform others of the four-legged guest of honor.”

It’s all about the locale for hotels, and this partnership aims to connect with guests and locals alike.

“Each Canopy by Hilton hotel is designed to be a natural extension of its respective neighborhood and to attract both travelers and locals to hang out. This approach is threaded through everything we do at Canopy, including our pet programming,” he said. “We encourage each of our hotels to partner with Bark to host dog-centric programs for guests and locals. These on-site gatherings can range from ‘yappy hours’ to puppy yoga and pet costume contests. Additionally, in true Canopy fashion, many hotels will partner locally to benefit neighborhood dog businesses and dogs in need. Several Canopy properties will also host adoption events and arrange for enthusiasts to volunteer with local shelters.”

There’s more to come as Canopy is planning activations and other ways to expand the partnership.

“You can expect many fun and exciting Bark activations at Canopy by Hilton properties next year, especially as we’re expecting to more than double our hotel portfolio in 2020,” he said. “In addition to the dog-centric activities I mentioned, we are exploring options to bring BarkPark, Bark’s unique solution to the first truly ‘third-space’ for dogs and their people, to some of our new hotels.”