Williamsburg Pet Hotel & Suites — Attraction in Manchester

Update #2: They are closed on Labor Day, so I am not able to book with them. —— Update: I am putting the update at the top as I feel it’s important to share the additional information and not let it get lost at the bottom.

I received an email from the owner soon after posting this. To clarify, they are used to seeing straight forward records showing specific vaccinations, not drug names, so that caused some confusion on their end. She also apologized and stated this: “However, that is no reason to not email you back so I completely apologize. I would be happy to get you in to board, as yes we are very slow right now and are very grateful for any business sent our way. Please let me know if you need anything else At all.”

I do appreciate the owner reaching out so quickly. While it’s still not 100% clear if I need to provide anything else, the quote above makes me think that she was saying my pet is approved. I will be reaching out to them again to verify, and hopefully book.

Hopefully this works out and I can provide another update with a really positive experience. I don’t mind giving second chances (especially to small businesses), especially since this wasn’t an employee being intentionally rude or malicious.

—— Original review: I am a new pet owner, and I have never had to board an animal before, so I wanted to make sure I was on top of things. I called a few days ago to ask questions, including what I would need to provide. The girl on the phone was incredibly helpful and patiently answered all of my questions so this place sounded really promising. When I was told I would need her immunization records, I told them I haven’t established her with a vet yet (haven’t had her too long), but I have her records from her adoption which includes vaccines. Since I’m new to all this I asked if I could email the records and have someone verify that I had everything in place, because if I didn’t I would need to make a vet appointment quickly. They said they could take a look, no problem. I emailed the records and asked if everything was in order. They emailed back asking if she had a rabies vaccine. I was confused because they had her records for the purpose of verifying that, and that seems like a really basic vaccine. I had to google every vaccine and med listed on her documents since I’m not familiar with the names, until I found it was there. Maybe they just overlooked it. I told them it was in the documents I sent and provided that name of the drug. They responded and asked if she had another vaccine. Again, I googled the names of what was in her records and I found the one they were looking for, and sent a screenshot of my google search and told them it was there. It was the very first vaccine listed so I doubt it was actually overlooked. Did they bother even looking at the records I sent? They haven’t responded since, so I still don’t haven an answer from them on if I need something else for her.

I already told them I was new to being a pet owner so this was a little frustrating. I can’t imagine I’m the first person to ever ask them to look at my documents beforehand, and it’s not a huge ask since they have to verify these things at some point anyway. 1-Is there not someone there who knows what vaccine names to look for? If so, why was my email not directed to them? 2- if you need multiple things, why send multiple emails rather than one email stating the requirements? 3- if someone is asking for an answer, you should make sure to provide one, even if you have to ask follow up questions. Leaving a customer dangling will have them looking elsewhere. While the rest of this was irritating, the fact that I wasn’t given an answer is bewildering. Is business that good, that you don’t make a habit of following up with...

I feel like our pets were in good, safe, competent hands. However, because we could see our pets through cameras both on the play yard and in their suite, (and checked on them regularly through the app,) it seemed like the people watching the pets weren't very happy to be with the dogs. In the four-day stay, I saw exactly one person pet or touch or behave lovingly toward my dog or any other. They were present on the yard and putting the dogs back in their suite, but didn't seem to like (?) their furry charges very much. None of the caregivers acknowledged them, reached a hand down to pet them, etc. When the dogs were dropped off in their suite, it was un-clip and go without a word or a kind hand. I do understand how challenging caring for many animals can be, cleaning up their waste and managing aggression and other canine behaviors, etc. I volunteered for a local humane society for over ten years and understand fully how un-fun picking up endless poop can be, BUT... if the homeless strays in a shelter get more affection and touch than pampered pooches in a $150 per night "Premiere" suite.... that's what I'd call a problem, albeit a first-world problem. Imagine my surprise after watching my dogs pretty much ignored for four days... upon pick-up, a tip line on top of a ~$600 stay. Honestly? Had the caregivers been affectionate toward my pets, absolutely. In context... no way. On pick-up, the caregivers exclaimed how much fun our dogs had had. Well, I saw my dogs many times over those four days. For three of the four days, they slept on a cold dog cot with no blanket. Someone finally provided them with something soft on the third day, before we picked them up after the fourth day. Had I known I needed to bring them something soft, I would have. On the play yard, our boy crouched in a little tunnel virtually the entire time, looking afraid. Our deaf female was once left alone on the yard for some time after everyone else had gone, until finally someone came and noticed her left behind. Both dogs also ate virtually nothing the entire time. While this is not that huge a deal, no one mentioned the hunger strike and in fact told a blatant untruth about what a great time they had had. Not the end of the world either, just another little thing that gave me pause. Such cheerful, positive staff in the front office but not a smile or kind touch to be had by the dogs behind the scenes. I'd be hesitant to use Williamsburg again, although as I said I feel as though they were in safe hands. Maybe try to hire staff who...

We've been loyal and generally happy customers of this facility for over two years, regularly bringing our dog once a week for daycamp to give her the chance to socialize. Throughout that time, we appreciated the staffs comments about her play style - we were told she enjoys playing with larger dogs and gets overstimulated after a while, which led to the recommendation that she rest in the afternoons. We trusted this was a thoughtful accommodation based on her needs However, in March, due to a family emergency, we had to board her for several days. That's when we first learned that she was no longer allowed to participate in daycamp something we were never clearly informed about before. After following up, we were shocked to learn that, for a couple of months, our dog had been kept in a small room during her daycamp visits. This was especially upsetting given that each time we picked her up, the front desk staff reassured us she had "played well." What's most disappointing is not just the change in her care plan, but the repeated breakdown in communication. We raised our concerns with the manager on April 14 and were told we would be contacted with a resolution. After hearing nothing, we followed up on April 29 and learned a $100 credit had been applied to our account - a gesture we were not notified about. We explained that, given the circumstances, we no longer feel comfortable entrusting the facility with our dog's care and requested a different resolution. We were told the manager would speak with the owner and follow up within a week. As of May 5, after yet another unreturned message, we are still waiting. We're sharing this review not out of malice, but out of concern both for our dog and for other pet owners who rely on open and honest communication when it comes to their pets well-being. We sincerely hope the business takes this feedback to heart and improves how they communicate with the families...