Luxury Pet Hotel For Dogs Opens In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — There's a new luxury hotel in Stamford, and this time it's humans who aren't allowed to stay.

K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel of Stamford opened last month at 65 Harvard Ave. This represents the national franchise's first Connecticut location.

The brand was founded by brothers Steven and Jason Parker in 2005 in New Jersey. There are now over 30 locations across the United States.

The Stamford outpost is jointly owned by father and son franchisees Daniel and Matt Healy.

"My entire career has been in software on the business side. My dad and I always wanted to do something together. We just never found the right time, but the stars aligned with this," said Matt, a noted dog lover.

K9 Resorts of Stamford offers doggie daycare and boarding with state-of-the-art amenities including premium Kuranda bedding, antimicrobial material built into the floors, an advanced, hospital-grade air purification system, and a well-trained, dedicated staff team.

The lobby is clad with columns and Italian flooring. Overall, the facility is about 9,000 square feet, with 2,000 square feet of outdoor areas.

"This is a five-star hotel," Matt said. "When people choose us, they're looking for luxury accommodations at affordable prices."

The location has the capacity for 88 dogs for boarding and 120 for daycare. On the boarding side, there are several luxury suites, executive rooms and traditional compartments.

The luxury suites are cage-free, 8-by-8 soundproof spaces with luxury Kuranda dog bedding and a flat-screen TV. Guests can board up to two dogs in the same suite. The suites cost $129 per night.

If the luxury suites offer beach views, then the executive rooms offer golf course views, Healy said.

The most popular option for boarders features a 5-by-7 cage-free space and the same luxury dog bedding. Executive rooms are available at $99 per day.

The third level of accommodations is the traditional compartments for smaller dogs or dogs who are being crate-trained.

K9 Resorts has partnered with Blue Buffalo, the dog food company, to provide hard food in chicken and salmon flavors, or soft food. Owners can also request to bring their own food for their dogs.

Dogs who board spend their days on the daycare side in group play, although owners have the option of choosing individual playtime with staff if they want to avoid others.

According to their website, an example of a dog's day while boarding at K9 Resorts of Stamford is as follows:

• Wake up
• Outdoor elimination break
• Housekeeping (room cleaning and refreshing)
• Room service breakfast
• Playtime: All-day group play or one-on-one personal playtime (Includes outdoor elimination breaks)
• Room service dinner
• Outdoor elimination break
• Turn down service, tuck in and lights out

Check-out time is usually around 11 a.m. Dogs who stay for at least 48 hours are required to have a bath upon leaving, Healy said.

There is no limit to how long a dog can stay. Healy said people have come in to leave their dogs because they're in the military and will be away for an extended period of time, or they're going into the police academy for a few months.

In daycare, which runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., dogs are divided by weight into a large dog area and a small dog area. Dogs are able to participate in daily exercise through group activities and a cage-free environment. Half-day services are available.

Healy said dogs are thoroughly evaluated and assessed on temperament and their compatibility with a group of dogs before they're accepted.

What separates K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel of Stamford from others, Healy said, is the attention to detail to health and safety.

Both indoor and outdoor spaces get deep-cleaned and sanitized daily, and the General Manager of the location, Ruby Wilson, brings years of hospitality experience into the fold.

"Every detail is built around the health and safety of the dog," Healy said.

Healy added that the reaction from the community since opening has been "excellent," and more dog evaluations are being conducted each week.

The road to opening was long; Healy said he had been looking for a potential space since 2021, but the right opportunity didn't present itself until recently. Work began on transforming the facility this past April, and concluded in August.

About 20 employees have been trained extensively, and Healy said he should be adding more employees soon as the holiday season ramps up.

"When you build something from scratch like this, it's extremely rewarding," Healy said.

One of Healy's favorite aspects of the new venture is getting to know the dogs and their owners, he said.

Healy also noted he's looking at other locations in Fairfield County for a second Connecticut location.

For more information on K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel of Stamford, check out their website.