Ovolo Brisbane, Fortitude Valley

Ovolo The Valley is the design-forward, playful hotel in the heart of Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, with a rooftop pool, sauna, free mini bar and decor that leans rock and roll rather than corporate. It is also one of the few inner-city hotels with a proper dog programme: the V.I.Pooch package turns a city stay into a full-service visit for small and mid-sized dogs.

Dogs at Ovolo

The V.I.Pooch programme allows up to two dogs per room in designated room types, with dogs up to 18kg welcome. Check-in brings a dog bed, bowls, a mat and gourmet treats, so the packing list shrinks. Expect a per-pet nightly fee on the higher end for the city, with service animals exempt. Book the package directly with the hotel rather than through a third party, since only certain room types take dogs and twin configurations are excluded; confirm the current weight limit and fee when you book.

House rules are standard hotel practice: dogs stay leashed in public areas, are kept out of food service spaces, the gym and the pool deck, and are never left unattended in the room.

Pepsi: my own bed, my own bowls, treats at the desk, and a mini bar for the humans. City hotels have worked me out.

Worth knowing

The hotel's extras, from the genuinely free mini bar to spa baths in some room types and rooms that guests describe as quiet, carry over whether or not you have a dog in tow. Larger rooms around 40 square metres give a dog more floor space than the compact medium rooms, so it is worth specifying when booking.

While you're out there

You are walking distance from the river: the Teneriffe to Howard Smith Wharves walk and the New Farm Riverwalk both make easy morning loops, and New Farm Park's open space is a short stroll for a run. For a coffee stop, The Woolshed in Teneriffe is nearby; check its pet rules before you sit down. You can compare more pet friendly stays in Queensland or browse Fortitude Valley.