Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Atlanta

Before you go

What happens when you get there

The BeltLine

The trail rules are short: all pets must be on a lead, and you pick up after them. The etiquette guidance adds that you keep them close. That applies across the whole trail network, and it is the east side's main walking route from the Old Fourth Ward hotels.

Piedmont Park

The dog park is three acres of off-lead space under the Park Drive bridge, with separate enclosures for dogs of 30 lbs and over and dogs under 30 lbs, double gates and water spigots. Maximum three dogs per owner, collar and ID tag on, vaccinations and licence current, no puppies under 16 weeks and no pronged collars. The Atlanta Botanical Garden next door does not allow pets inside. We haven't confirmed the dog park's hours or the lead rule for the rest of the park, so check the park's page.

MARTA

A pet can ride MARTA trains, streetcars and buses only if it is carried aboard in a secure rigid pet carrier with a lock or latch. In practice that means small dogs, and a soft carrier doesn't meet the wording. With a medium or large dog, plan on a car.

Chattahoochee River

Pets are allowed on the trails of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. They must be on a lead of six feet or shorter at all times, including while in the water, and can't be left unattended. Bag and bin the waste.

Stone Mountain Park

Dogs and cats are welcome on a lead no longer than six feet, but not on the Memorial Lawn, in special events areas, on the attractions or inside buildings in the attractions area. We haven't confirmed the rule for the walk-up trail, so check with the park before you plan the summit.

The airport

Hartsfield-Jackson has a fenced 1,000-square-foot dog park outside the Domestic Terminal South at Ground Transportation, outside doors W1 and W2, before security. There are indoor relief areas on every concourse, near gates T7, A10, B33, C17, E15, F7 and D Centerpoint, and one outside door A1 on the International Terminal arrivals level. The airport's page has carried a renovation closure notice for the dog park, so confirm it is open before you count on it.

Fees

Free at Kimpton Sylvan, Kimpton Shane and the Four Seasons. USD 75 at The Candler, Canopy, Wylie and Moxy Downtown, USD 100 a stay at Loews and voco The Darwin, USD 150 one-time at Bellyard. Confirm the figure when you book at InterContinental Buckhead, listed at USD 125, and ask The St. Regis how its USD 250 a stay and USD 25 a night add up. FORTH doesn't publish a fee.

Weight limits

No limit at the two Kimptons. Bellyard takes two dogs up to 100 lbs (about 45.4 kg) each, The Candler and Canopy up to 75 lbs (about 34 kg), voco The Darwin two dogs up to 50 lbs (about 22.7 kg) each and Moxy one dog up to 50 lbs. InterContinental Buckhead takes two at 45 lbs (about 20.4 kg) each and The St. Regis two up to 35 lbs (about 15.9 kg). The Four Seasons, Loews, Wylie and FORTH publish no limit, so ask.

Best walks

The Atlanta BeltLine on a lead, which is the walking route for the Old Fourth Ward and Ponce de Leon Avenue hotels. Piedmont Park from the Midtown hotels, with its three-acre off-lead dog park under the Park Drive bridge and separate enclosures for large and small dogs. The trails of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area on a six-foot lead, the best outing from Buckhead. Stone Mountain Park on a lead for a day out, keeping clear of the Memorial Lawn and the attractions area.

When to go

Nothing on this page is seasonal. The BeltLine, Piedmont Park and Chattahoochee rules are the same all year, and so are the hotel terms. We don't publish heat advice we haven't checked against an official source, so look at the forecast for your dates, carry water and plan the long walks for early morning or evening in the warm months. The Chattahoochee trails allow a dog in the water on its lead, which is worth having in your pocket on a hot day.