TownPlace Suites – York, PA – Pet Friendly

The TownPlace Suites in York, Pennsylvania was a perfect home away from home for our short sojourn in the heart of Amish Country. The room was quite large and comfortable, with plenty of room for two large dog beds on the carpeted floor and for the dog food and water bowls in the tiled kitchen area. There is also a huge walk in closet in the bathroom, should you need a place to store a dog crate or any additional pet accessories.

The staff could not have been friendlier and were extremely generous with dog cookies every time we walked Fiona and Secret past the front desk. They were given as much attention, if not more, than the human guests.  

Our room had a small kitchenette with stove, microwave, coffee maker, dish washer and fridge, plus a small complement of glasses, dishes, flat ware and cooking pots. When traveling with pets, we are hard pressed to find a place to eat together indoors (it’s kind of impossible due to health code laws), so our adorable kitchenette gave us the option to comfortably eat take out in our hotel room or cook up something ourselves. There is even a small table tray you can use to eat in bed! Works well to rest a lap top on as well. Breakfast is free at this location; you can bring it back to your room to have breakfast with your pups. Or if the weather is nice, eat at the outdoor tables by the grill.

Outside the hotel is a grassy area for potty breaks, alongside the parking lot. We always travel with our own doggy waste bags but this hotel kindly offered them alongside the garbage can in the walk area. Be careful near the outside edge of the grass – there is a ravine with a small stream down below a stone embankment.

Dogs are not allowed in the breakfast bar, by the indoor pool or in the gym. Please bear in mind that some folks are afraid of dogs, no matter how sweet your canine may be. We had a few people run the other way when they saw our wolf like huskies trotting down the hall to our room. It is wise to be very aware of your surroundings so everyone involved is comfortable and enjoys his or her stay at the hotel.

The hotel “pet sanitation fee” of $100 is pretty hefty at this location, but considering that they need to clean the rooms extensively after our two furry wonders would leave, I am not surprised.  They do jump on the bed! We managed to keep them off the couch. Staying with pets often comes with a price, but it is worth it to have them along on vacation.

Esaan Thai Restaurant – York, PA – Gluten Free Friendly!

We love Thai food and found the Esaan Thai Restaurant at 30 North Beaver Street in downtown York, a short five to ten minutes drive away from our hotel. As an added bonus for me, they also understood what “gluten free” means and were happy to make my Thai dish with peanut sauce with gluten free soy sauce and noodles.

For some strange reason, this restaurant also has a gelato counter up front with a wide range of flavors; we didn’t partake but there was a steady stream of locals ordering on this cool October evening, so it must be very good.

We ordered our takeout and walked the streets with Fiona and Secret. They made many friends at the brew pub across the street, where folks spilled out of the bar to come out and meet them. There is outdoor seating at the brew pub, which would be a nice option with pups when the weather is warmer.

When our Thai food was ready we repaired back to our hotel room to relax and enjoy what turned out to be some delicious Thai food. The pups of course had kibble – Thai food would probably not agree with them!

Dog Park Near York, You Say?

Our reason for coming to the York area was more than touring traditional Amish destinations for home baked goods and handmade furniture, to see horse drawn buggies driven by men in black, wide brimmed hats. We came to visit the Mother of All Dog Parks… but more about all of that in Part 2!