Hilton Expands Pet‑Friendly Offerings and Mars Petcare Partnership to Nearly 80 Percent of Hilton Properties in Canada

View the U.S. version of this news release.

TORONTO – As demand for travelling with pets continues to rise, a recent survey revealed that two out of three Canadians (66%) are likely to travel this summer. In fact, more than half of Canadian pet owners say that health benefits are key reasons to travel with pets, including stress relief and boosting physical activity.

To address the evolving needs of travelers with cats and dogs, global hospitality leader Hilton, and Mars Petcare, the world’s largest pet care company, are expanding their partnership across Hilton’s seven pet-friendly brands – Canopy by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton. Building on their strategic partnership established in September 2021, Hilton and Mars Petcare will now offer access to virtual support from the Mars Pet Expert Team (PET) during their stay via Mars PET On-Demand — a convenient online service to answer questions related to traveling with your cat or dog — at more than 4,600 hotels in Hilton’s portfolio across Canada and the U.S.

Perfect Pet-Friendly Stays

Hilton and Mars Petcare are delivering thoughtful programming that promotes a more seamless travel experience. 

• Mars PET On-Demand: The same survey showed that nearly one in five Canadian pet owners choose their vacation destination based on the availability of pet-friendly amenities, and Mars Petcare’s latest offering can provide some piece of mind for those travellers when they’re away from home. Guests and their pets staying at Hilton’s pet-friendly brands in Canada and the U.S. will now have access to convenient pet health, wellness and behavioural support resources to answer questions related to travelling with your cat or dog. The Mars PET On-Demand service content has been curated by a team of Mars Petcare professionals, including behaviour specialists from doggy day care and boarding franchise, Camp Bow Wow and trusted veterinary health experts from BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™ and VCA Animal Hospitals™. 

Spokespeople Insights

“The expansion of our partnership with Hilton helps us deliver on our purpose: A Better World for Pets,” said Suzanna Dalrymple, general manager Pet Nutrition Canada, Mars Petcare. “That’s why we’re committed to helping make communities across the country pet friendly so more Canadians can experience the benefits of a life with pets. We’re thrilled that through this partnership pet parents can now more easily travel with their pets knowing there are so many options available to them.”

“With 23 million families adding pets to their homes over the last two years, this summer will be the first time many of these pets hit the road with their pet parents,” said Jessa Paschke, pet behaviour consultant, Mars Pet Expert Team. “Through Mars PET On-Demand, we hope to be able to provide pet parents peace of mind through on-demand articles and one-on-one advice to make the whole travel experience, from packing to settling in at the hotel, as seamless as possible so everyone can enjoy their time away together.” 

Phil Cordell, global category head, Lifestyle Brands, and global brand head, Canopy by Hilton, said, “Leaving a pet behind or boarding them when traveling can be stressful for both pets and their owners. Most hotels in Hilton’s pet-friendly brands welcome our guests and their furry friends, especially now when pet-friendly accommodations have become such a key factor in not only determining the destination, but where to stay.”

Bill Duncan, global category head, Focused Service & All Suites Brands, said, “A trip is always more fun when you can travel with the whole family – pets included. Now with 5,000 pet-friendly Hilton hotels to choose from worldwide, and with more than 4,600 in Canada and the U.S. offering exclusive perks available through our partnership with Mars Petcare, we’re excited to provide the hospitality guests expect from Hilton in more places to make their stay feel more like home.”

Many of Hilton’s pet-friendly hotels also offer amenities such as pet bowls and extra waste bags. Canopy by Hilton’s Paws in the Neighborhood program provides guests with dog beds, food, water bowls and a “bark bag” filled with a toy, treats and guide to pet-friendly neighborhood activities. Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton team members provide local pet-friendly resources, such as where to find local dog parks, nearby 24-hour vets, pet stores and pet-friendly restaurants. 

To learn more information about how Mars Petcare and Hilton are setting a new standard in pet-friendly travel, visit BetterCitiesforPets.com or stories.hilton.com.

^[1] KRC Research conducted an online survey of 1,003 Canadian adults 18 and older between June 3 – 8, 2022.