The silly season is almost upon us, and so we bring you our first – but hopefully not the last – animal-related travel story of the summer: the launch of Chien Bleu, the UK's first luxury tour operator for travellers and their dogs.
The French name may give it a certain Gallic sophistication – at least we assume that's the thinking – but all 30 hotels road-tested by owner Erin Boyd and her trusty golden labrador, Blue, are actually in the UK.
Gems include the Pampering Pet Package at the Milestone Hotel in Kensington, west London, where the room service menu features steak and Cumberland sausage – for the dog, that is – and Blagdon Manor in Devon, whose "locally baked gourmet dog biscuits" are a highlight of any stay.
The PR couldn't resist slipping in a few doggy puns into the press release – "pawfect" breaks, hotels have the "paw of approval" from Blue (Erin's dog – keep up!), although there are disappointingly few puns on the website. It makes up for this oversight with a rather splendid selection of photos of Blue posing on an array of pristine cream sofas, armchairs and beds, as if to prove just how dog-friendly these hotels are.
We look forward to bringing you more on non-human travel over the coming weeks.
