Bluffton-area business caters to pampered pooches. Look inside this luxury dog hotel
There’s a new resort in the Bluffton area with chandeliers, Italian tile flooring, premium bedding and flat-screen televisions, but you can’t stay there.
It’s all for your dog.
K9 Resorts of Bluffton, a luxury dog hotel, marks its grand opening Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. After a ribbon cutting, visitors can enjoy food from a Mother Smokin’ Good BBQ food truck and tour the 6,100-square-foot facility at 1059 N. Okatie Highway.
James Merli, a former finance professional in New Jersey who now lives in Beaufort, is the local franchise owner.
His business is not simply a kennel, he said. The luxury touches go from the front lobby to the pampered pet “accommodations” to a large bathing area and the three separate indoor/outdoor play areas.
“The dogs don’t care about the chandeliers, but people see that it’s no cost spared,” Merli said. “I did a lot of research in the industry. People want what they perceive to be the best for their dog.”
K9 Resorts has six sound-resistant luxury suites, roughly 8- by 8-foot spaces equipped with flat-screen TVs playing dog-friendly programming. Thirty-four private “executive rooms” make up the next tier of boarding, and 18 spaces are available in a more traditional crate-style room.
Per night prices range from $64 to $95. A grand opening special will discount that by 25%.
Dogs — at least those who enjoy being social with other dogs — will spend from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in one of the employee-monitored play areas. Daycare packages start around $36 per day, with multiple-day discounts.
Merli said there’s nothing in the area that compares to the “luxury high-end group play” that K9 offers.
The high-end touches go beyond what a visitor will see. The state-of-the-art air exchange draws in fresh air from the outside, Microban is built into the floors, and the cleaning routine includes hospital-grade disinfectants.
Merli doesn’t expect to have trouble filling the rooms. Between 50% and 60% of the spots available are reserved for the Christmas holiday.
“There’s so much more demand than facility space,” he said.
The business has been in the works for years. Merli said he first signed his franchise agreement in 2020.
“This will be the good old days looking back,” he said, “but I just want to get going.”
More info
What: K9 Resorts of Bluffton
Where: 1059 N. Okatie Highway, Ridgeland, SC 29936
Phone: 843-487-0200
Website: www.k9resorts.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/k9resortsbluffton
Instagram: www.instagram.com/k9resorts_bluffton
