Almost 600 dogs are checked into the Hotel Pennsylvania during the Westminster Dog Show, and they have their own concierge


It is difficult enough to cater to the needs of one VIP, much less 600 of them. Jerry Grymek, who works as the canine concierge at New York's Hotel Pennsylvania, takes it in stride during the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, though. "There's no diva behavior, no fights," he told WNYC of his four-legged guests. "There's nothing like that. They're great."
That doesn't mean there isn't the odd request or two. "Some people like an opera singer to be requested," Grymek said, as was the case for one high class Spinone Italiano. "So we arrange an opera singer to be here to serenade a dog in the lobby." He added to The New York Times that he has also hired "hired dog acupuncturists and psychics."
This year, the Hotel Pennsylvania is charging guests $179 for "one or two adults and up to four dogs," a rate that also gives access to the "Dog S'paw, the city's largest in-door doggie spa." The dog show began Monday, with breeds like the pug, border collie, and borsoi advancing.
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"We have it down to a science," said Grymek, who has fetched everything from six McDonald's cheeseburgers to a Spinach pizza for the canine competitors. "People have rituals to make their dogs feel comfortable." Listen to more below. Jeva Lange
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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