Pets' pulling power

Virginia Barlow, general manager of the Washington Hotel in London, has taken full advantage over the past week of the publicity that her two dogs have been attracting.

Since Monday last week, the hotel has been featured in London's Evening Standard newspaper, on a business programme for BSkyB and on a lunchtime news bulletin for BBC Radio Five Live.

The publicity has come about purely because Mrs Barlow has made her dogs available to guests to take on walks with them.

The service was introduced six weeks ago, after a guest asked if he could walk the dogs, Hilda and Stanley after he'd had a stressful business meeting. They have since been taken out two or three times a week by different guests.

The facility, which the hotel intends to put on offer on a permanent basis, is advertised at the concierge desk, and guests are asked to book a day in advance.

Mrs Barlow believed that dog-walking was a useful facility for guests as it could relieve stress, but said she was very surprised at the popularity of the service.

Those using it had all been US business travellers or holidaymakers or combining business with leisure in London, she said.