Asheville ranks high on study of pet-friendly U.S. cities for travelers
ASHEVILLE - For those living in Asheville, it may not be a far-fetched notion to describe the city as pet-friendly.
According to a recent study, Asheville is not only welcoming but the most ideal place for travelers to bring their pets.
In August, Trips To Discover, a digital travel resource platform, released a data-driven study that ranked the top 10 popular tourism destinations based on how amenable they are to travelers with pets.
Asheville ranked No. 1 as the U.S. City Most Open to Pet Travel with high praise for its abundance of pet-friendly hotels, private businesses and public spaces.
Asheville's pet-friendly score
The study first sourced national tourism data focused on the top 100 U.S. tourist destinations. Then, a manual search was completed to find hospitality businesses that permit pets, including hotels, Airbnb rentals and restaurants. Finally, a 13-metric statistical analysis was applied to come to the results, which told a city’s Pet Acceptance Level and Pet-Friendly City Score.
“From my analysis, if you are genuinely passionate about pet travel, doggone it; you can’t do better than Asheville,” Noah Holtgraves, author of the study, stated.
Asheville earned the highest Pet-Friendly City Score with a 10 out of 10, based on the custom scoring system.
Overall, it was found that the Asheville community welcomes pets, garnering the city high marks in the area of Pet Acceptance Level. The measurement was based on the city’s availability of pet-friendly hotels, Airbnb’s, restaurants, parks, and stores per capita and square mile, according to Trips To Discover.
The city is said to have the most pet-friendly Airbnb listings and stores per capita in the nation and came in as the third-ranked city for pet-friendly hotels per capita.
The top 10 U.S. Cities Most Open to Pet Travel, based on a Pet-Friendly City Score with the highest score of 10, are:
Asheville, 10.
Orlando, Florida, 9.6.
Miami, Florida, 9.2.
Denver, Colorado, 8.3.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 7.6.
Portland, Oregon, 7.
Naples, Florida, 6.8.
Atlanta, Georgia, 6.5.
Tampa, Florida, 6.4.
Sarasota, Florida, 6.2.
In Asheville, one of Trips To Discover’s top stay recommendations is Kimpton-Hotel Arras, and the top restaurants with pet-friendly patios are The Funkatorium and The Corner Kitchen.
"Kimpton Hotel Arras, like every Kimpton hotel, understands that pets are an important part of our families. We allow ― and encourage ― our guests to bring their pets along during their travels. Animals of all kinds (and amounts) are permitted at no extra charge, including dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, lizards, etc. As long as your pet fits in the elevator, it can stay," General Manager David McCartney said in an email.
On average, the Asheville hotel accommodates 3 to 7 dogs on weeknights and 10 to 15 dogs on weekend nights, he said. Guests are provided dog beds, feeding bowls, a treat bag "filled with yummy snacks" and a ball for fetching, too, he said.
In addition, Asheville’s greenway, parks, trails and neighborhoods welcome leashed dogs, and the city offers French Broad River Dog Park, an enclosure where dogs can run free off-leash.
Just outside of city limits, dog lovers will find Wagbar, a private dog park that offers alcoholic drinks for human companions, in Weaverville.
And it’s common to see four-legged visitors in public at places like breweries, restaurant patios and farmers markets.
Read the full study of the 10 Most Pet-Friendly Cities at tripstodiscover.com/most-pet-friendly-us-cities-visit-data-study/#pet-cities-roster.
Pet-friendly hotels in Asheville
In a separate study, Trips To Discover ranked the most pet-friendly hotels and inns.
The Top 10 Pet-Friendly Hotels in Asheville.:
Aloft Asheville Downtown.
The Residences at Biltmore.
Black Walnut B&B Inn.
Hotel Indigo Asheville Downtown.
Comfort Suites Outlet Center.
Omni Grove Park Inn.
Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park.
Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville, Autograph Collection.
Holiday Inn Asheville East.
Abbington Green Bed and Breakfast Inn.
Read the fine print before booking, as additional cleaning fees may apply and strict policies in place for pet guests.
Read the full report of the Top 10 Pet-Friendly Hotels in Asheville at tripstodiscover.com/pet-friendly-hotels-asheville-north-carolina/.
Check out bringfido.com, a travel resource for dog owners, to find more pet-friendly hotels and businesses in Asheville and across the U.S.
Animal rescues
Plenty of canines and kitties are looking for loving humans and safe homes in the Asheville area.
Consider fostering or adopting a pet from these local organizations, such as Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, House of Black Cat Magic, Cats at Play Café and the Asheville Humane Society.
Stories you may have missed:
Dog-friendly restaurants in Asheville ranked for canine hospitality
Cat café opens in downtown Asheville: How to visit, adopt its furry feline residents
Former Greyhound bus station-turned-cocktail lounge opens soon in Asheville
Central Bark dog day care to open in Asheville amid pet boarding shortage
'Overflowing with kittens': Buncombe County Animal Shelter in urgent need of foster homes
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Pet-friendly cities ranked with Asheville topping national list
