Our Getting to Know You Process

The first step is to download The Pet Hotel Fairfield app and create a profile for yourself and your pet. This gives us the information we need to begin learning about your pet and preparing for their visit. During this stage, you will:

For the safety of all our guests, we verify that required vaccinations are current before moving forward with the evaluation process. Our team will let you know if any additional records or updates are needed.

Once your pet’s records have been reviewed, we can schedule an evaluation appointment. This initial visit typically lasts approximately 15–20 minutes and provides an opportunity for you and your pet to meet our team and become familiar with our facility. During this visit, we will:

We understand that a new environment can be exciting, overwhelming, or even a little intimidating. We do not expect every pet to feel completely comfortable right away. This first meeting simply gives us a starting point for understanding how best to support your pet.

Following the initial evaluation, we typically recommend beginning with a short visit, often around one hour, depending on your pet’s needs and readiness. These visits allow your pet to become familiar with our team, surroundings, sounds, smells, and daily routines without the pressure of an extended stay. During these visits, our team observes how your pet:

We use these observations to help guide the pace of future visits. Some pets begin to feel comfortable quickly, while others benefit from additional time and repetition. Both are normal, and we tailor our recommendations accordingly.

When a shorter visit goes well, we may recommend gradually increasing the length of your pet’s next visit. For example, a pet may progress from a one-hour visit to a two-hour visit, followed by a longer visit or half-day experience when appropriate.

We do not automatically move a pet from a brief introduction to a full day of daycare or an extended boarding stay. Longer visits can be a significant adjustment, particularly for pets who have limited experience away from home.

By increasing visit lengths thoughtfully, we can better understand your pet’s comfort level and give them opportunities to build familiarity without unnecessarily overwhelming them.

Our recommendations may vary depending on your pet’s age, temperament, previous boarding or daycare experience, time away from the facility, and response to earlier visits.

Not every pet enjoys the same type of environment, and we respect those differences. Throughout the Getting to Know You Process, we consider whether our available services, accommodations, staffing, and routines are a good fit for your pet’s individual needs.

For daycare guests, this may include evaluating their comfort around other dogs, play style, ability to settle, and response to staff guidance. Group play is not the right choice for every dog, and participation is based on compatibility, safety, and our team’s observations.

For boarding guests, we consider how your pet responds to the facility, how comfortably they settle into their accommodations, and whether their care requirements can be met appropriately by our team.

Some pets benefit from additional short visits before progressing. Others may need a more individualized approach or a different type of accommodation. If we believe a particular service or setting may be too stressful or is not an appropriate fit, we will communicate our concerns and discuss the options available. Our priority is never to rush a pet into a situation they are not ready for.

For boarding reservations, we may recommend additional visits or a trial overnight stay before a longer reservation, depending on your pet’s experience, comfort level, and the length of the planned stay.

A trial stay gives us an opportunity to learn more about how your pet adjusts to the overnight routine, settles into their suite, and responds to the transition between daytime activities and nighttime rest.

For stays longer than two nights, a trial stay is required. Additional introductory visits may also be recommended to help your pet become more familiar with our facility before their reservation.

We encourage families to plan ahead whenever possible, especially for holidays, extended trips, and other busy travel periods. Allowing enough time for introductions and gradual visits helps us make thoughtful decisions about your pet’s readiness and the care we can provide.

Getting to know your pet does not stop after the initial evaluation. We continue to learn about each guest through their visits, daily interactions, routines, and individual responses to care.

Our team includes professionals with veterinary field experience, and we approach each guest with attention to their well-being, comfort, and individual needs.

During your pet’s stay, we provide updates and photos through our app so you can stay connected and see how they are doing. We believe communication with pet parents is an important part of building trust and providing peace of mind.

As we get to know your pet better, we can continue to refine our approach and share recommendations that support a positive experience.