Hotel chain planned for man’s best friend

A Czech-Slovak chain of pet shops, Pet Centres, is planning to open a network of dog hotels in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the daily Hospodářské noviny reported on Tuesday. The company, owned by former managers of the Czech-Slovak investment group Penta, is set to build 17 hotels. Their construction is set to start in the Spring of 2017 and the first dog hotel is set to open in Brno.

Illustrative photo: Kristýna Maková

According to Katřina Holnová, marketing director of Pet Centres, dog hotels are one of the pillars of the company’s marketing strategy. “We would like to offer a complex system of services, to make pet care easier for their owners,” she told the daily.

Pet Centre already operates a dog hotel in Prague. It was opened in July this year and is part of Pet Centre’s largest outlet in the district of Horní Počernice. Its cost exceeded 3.0 million crowns.

The hotel features a garden and an inner playground furnished with sofas and armchairs. Each dog has its own separate bunk where it spends the night. The owners are required to provide the dog with food and other personal items.

The dog hotel, which currently employs seven people, accommodates small and medium dog breeds and doesn’t admit fighting dogs. The hotel charges 450 crowns for medium-sized dogs and 350 crowns for smaller specimens.

“The hotel operates 24 hours a day and in the future we would also like to offer our customers daily and night care, in case they want to go to the cinema or for a dinner but cannot leave their dog alone,” Holmová said. Other plans include a dog salon and training services.

Last year, Pet Centre posted a profit to the tune of 900 million crowns, with more than half of that amount coming from pet food and 30 percent from pet toys and other supplements. The company currently owns 130 outlets across the Czech Republic and Slovakia and it is planning to open another 10 stores by the end of this year.

Within the next three to five years, Pet Centre is set to open several superstores in Prague and Brno.

Pet Centre also provide veterinary services, provide by a partner network. One of them is part of the Prague store in Horní Počernice and another one is set to open in Brno at the end of September. In the future, small veterinary clinics should be part of all Pet Centre stores.