Why Cheerio Checks In exists.

Most luxury hotels will tell you they allow dogs. Far fewer can tell you where the nearest patch of grass is at 6 a.m., whether the concierge smiles when a five-pound dog crosses the lobby, or which room keeps a small dog calmest while you're at dinner. That distance — between a written policy and a genuine welcome — is the reason Cheerio Checks In exists.

Allowed is policy. Welcomed is experience.

Cheerio is a Maltese, and at 5.5 pounds he is the guide's smallest inspector. Travelling with a dog his size surfaces details a standard pet policy never mentions: whether the lobby floor is polished stone, how heavy the door to the relief area is at 6 a.m., whether a patio chair is somewhere he can settle or somewhere he can fall from. A hotel that is effortless for a retriever can be quietly difficult at five and a half pounds — and the reverse is true too. Every rating on this site is written from that vantage point — by Cheerio's owner, who travels with him.

We review hotels, restaurants, patios, and destinations through a single lens: the comfort, safety, and dignity of a small dog and the person travelling with them. Every place is held to the same standard, but a Cheerio Paw Rating is reserved for somewhere Cheerio has stayed or dined himself — where four paws is rare and always earned. We publish what we've verified, label clearly what we haven't, and never let a partnership decide a rating.

Trust is the only thing we have to offer, so we don't sell anything else. Ratings can't be bought. Comped stays, gifts, affiliate links, and partnerships never guarantee coverage or a Cheerio Paw. Where we haven't confirmed something ourselves, we say so plainly.

Cheerio Checks In begins in Canada — Toronto, Montreal, Whistler, and the countryside in between — adding new cities only once we can cover them properly. We would rather be right about a few places than vague about many.

The best small-dog travel intelligence is shared. If somewhere welcomed your dog beautifully — or fell short of its own policy — tell us; reader reports help us decide what to inspect next. And if you'd like the guide as it grows, the newsletter is the place to begin.