It’s not always easy to travel with cats, and sometimes it’s downright impossible. But fear not: if you’re a cat lover and you can’t take your furry friend with you, you’ll love to stay at these two luxury hotels with feline staff members—one on either side of “the pond.”
London: The Lanesborough Hotel
Lilibet is the newest staff member at the five-star Lanesborough Hotel. The sweet kitten joined the hotel staff in June, and she enjoys hanging out in the hotel lobby observing the guests as they come and go. Fear not, though: Lilibet also gets plenty of adoration from a dedicated team of hotel staff known as the Cat Committee. The Cat Committee members are tasked with taking care of Lilibet’s every need, from food to love to vet visits.
Lilibet is a Siberian cat—a breed known for their loving demeanor and legendary “floof.” Siberians are also hypoallergenic because they lack a protein in their saliva that causes allergic reactions—ideal for guests with cat allergies. She’s named after Queen Elizabeth II, who is affectionately known as Lilibet to her friends and family.
Lilibet is active on social media: you can find plenty of photos of her (and the hotel’s many amenities) on the Lanesborough’s Instagram account.
New York City: The Algonquin Hotel
The Algonquin has actually had feline staff members since the 1920s, when a stray cat named Billy wandered into the lobby. The current hotel cat is Hamlet. Almost 40 years have passed since the hotel housed a cat named Hamlet, and, in fact, he is the eighth Hamlet in the hotel’s history. He follows three Matildas, the youngest of whom was a Ragdoll who died in 2017 and was mourned by practically the whole city.
Hamlet, a charming and friendly ginger boy, was found in a feral cat colony in Long Island, and now he’s gone from rags to riches. Like many feline staff members at fancy hotels, Hamlet gets daily brushing, birthday parties, and fashion show benefits. He’s also active on social media, and you can find him reporting his daily activities on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
All male Algonquin cats are named Hamlet after famed hotel resident John Barrymore, in honor of his greatest stage role. And all the female cats are named Matilda.
More hotels with feline staff
In addition to the Algonquin Hotel and the Lanesborough Hotel, several other fancy hotels boast feline staff members, including Le Bristol Paris (a Burmese cat named Fa-Raon) and Brenners Park-Hotel and Spa in Baden-Baden, Germany (a cat named Kléopatre).
Have you been to a hotel with an on-site cat (or dog, or other animal)? How was it? Did you enjoy the experience? Let us know in the comments!
Photo: a Siberian cat. Credit: Shutterstock