We came with our large dog. Overall, we had an okay visit but I would not bring a dog to stay here again.
We chose this hotel because 1) it has been claimed to be very dog friendly and 2) we were in town for a birthday event nearby.
Let's start with the good:
The staff: Wow, the kindest staff ever! Seriously! I reached out to ask if they could accommodate an early check in and they did. Thank you!! Everyone we talked to (including the manager, the front desk workers, and all the servers in the restaurant and lounges) we all so SO kind! I have zero complaints about staff. Truly, some of the kindest folks (and all were very sweet and excited to meet our dog, too).
The bad:
Listen. It's a historic hotel, with no elevator, and really not ideal for some dogs (including ours) based on two big factors: the two level staircase you have to take to get to the rooms, and the loud noises.
Stairs:
Thankfully, the stairs were carpeted. Otherwise, I think my husband would have had to carry our large dog anytime we wanted to go to the room, or come down in the middle of the night for a potty break. My goodness. If you have a dog that even sometimes has a hard time with stairs, from one dog parent to another, do not book here.
Loud noises:
It's my understanding that we came while some major plumbing repairs were being done. Even the manager shared the jackhammer noise was getting to her, so I can totally emphasize! That's a temporary most folks won't experience. However, being in a part of the city that is up late and also up early, there's a lot of loud noise that could wake up and/or upset you and your dog's rest. With the windows closed, we were woken up several times due to loud noise. Not a good night's rest for any of us, in truth.
The hotel itself is beautiful and since it is historic, it's truly special. I can't state enough how cool it is that the city is preserving spots like Hotel Congress!
Also, the restaurant was very nice (and was, no doubt, the most large dog friendly spot on the property).
With all of that said, would I come back again if we weren't bringing our dog? Perhaps.
But I would strongly encourage folks who are traveling with their dog to consider if you're willing to deal with city noise, and, most notably, climb 2 sets of large stairs any time you need to take your dog out.
If your dog has any type of hip or mobility issues, I do not recommend this hotel, unfortunately. read more