Vacationing with a pet is a new level of luxury. Most people consider their pets to be part of the family, and many can’t stand the idea of having to leave them behind when they go on vacation. This makes the demand for pet-friendly hotels greater than ever and growing all the time. When you run a pet-friendly hotel, you’re guaranteed a constant influx of guests, both two- and four-legged. One downside of pet-friendly hotels is the furniture can sometimes get damaged. Check out this guide to keeping furniture safe in a pet-friendly hotel to maximize the lifespan of your furniture.

Decide which furniture to allow pets on

A lot of pet-friendly hotels will have rules that prohibit pets on certain pieces of furniture. This helps protect the more costly items while being reasonable to your guests. Decide which pieces of furniture you are okay with pets being on and shield them with protective furniture covers. Many hotels decide pets are not allowed on the bed but make an exception for the couches. If this is a policy that may work for you, consider it or a version of it that makes the most sense for your hotel, clientele, and location.

Use furniture covers

Slipcovers are perfect for pet-friendly hotels, as they cover and protect the furniture from accidents, pet hair, drool, chewing, and even kitty claws. It’s a great idea to place slipcovers over the furniture, as they can be easily washed between visitors to tackle issues with territorial pets “marking” their territory in the hotel rooms. It can be beneficial to keep replacement slipcovers on hand because your slipcovers will need washing often and may even be damaged by pets, so keeping a few spares around the hotel is wise.

Require pets to be critter-free

If a pet comes to stay at your hotel and has fleas or other critters on them, they can easily pass on these bugs not only to other pets at the hotel, but also to your furniture as well. A bug infestation can quickly ruin a piece of furniture, not to mention deter guests from staying at your hotel. Require your fluffy guests to be up to date on the latest vaccines and to use a form of flea prevention to stay at your hotel. Request that if the owner notices a bug on their pet, they must inform the staff right away so the problem can be contained.