Fancy a weekend away but can’t bear to leave your dog (or cat) at home? Posh hotels are surprisingly pet-friendly, with many going that extra mile for well-behaved pets.

London As well as employing a Pet Concierge to take care of all your pet’s needs (personalised welcome, treat at turndown, grooming service, dog sitting, and so on), The Egerton House Hotel, above, has devised a special Doggy Afternoon Tea. On the menu are chicken and beef meatloaf, a homemade dog biscuit, dog-friendly ice-cream and a chew toy to take away. Owners get a rather more traditional spread of finger sandwiches and pastries, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and fruit preserves but, alas, no chew toy. £18 per dog; £40 per owner.Dogs at Hotel d'Angleterre, GenevaGeneva The Egerton is part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, made up of 17 family-run boutique hotels in the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Switzerland and the USA where making pets feel welcome is all part of the service. At the Hotel d’Angleterre on the shores of Lake Geneva, for example, four-legged companions get the full celebrity treatment, including a walk along the waterfront and through the best parts of the city. Pets are charged CHF50 per night on top of room rate. Terrier at the Mandarin Oriental ParisParis Pampered pooches are welcome just about everywhere in Paris (though not, frustratingly, in most of its parks). Room service at the Mandarin Oriental, for example, includes a special Posh Dog’s Menu comprising chicken breast (€21), chopped filet of beef (€26) or traditional Parisian ham (€18), perhaps with a portion of steamed carrots on the side (€10). All of the dishes have been given the paws up by the General Manager’s Border Terrier, Archie. Archie also gives visiting dogs a Welcome Card which outlines the house rules. And if Fido needs a new designer collar, Hermès is just around the corner. Sleeping dog at The Borgognoni, RomeRome Dogs are not as widely welcomed in the Italian capital as they are in Paris but it’s still a pretty pet-friendly city. The Borgognoni, perfectly located between the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, is the place to stay with a small (up to 6kg) canine companion. Dog baskets are placed in the room free of charge, though you will have to pay a €20 fee for extra cleaning on departure. Labrador in Manhattan© mauinow1/thinkstock

New York It’s not just dogs that are given a warm reception at the Kimpton Hotel Eventi in New York. Furry, feathery or scaly – all are welcome at no extra charge, just as they are at every Kimpton hotel, some of which even have a four-legged Director of Pet Relations. Ameneties include a dog bed in your room, food, water bowls and mats, plus a door hanger to alert other guests and members of staff to your pet’s presence. You can even take your dog to the hotel’s nightly wine reception, though obviously it’s strictly water only for pets.

BY MAGGIE O’SULLIVAN