A Five-Star Hotel for Man’s Best Friend
Led by Kunal and Taarika Patel, the newly opened K9 Resorts in Chalfont provides a first-class experience for dogs while offering peace of mind to the humans who love them.
Kunal and Taarika Patel have an adventurous streak. Three months ago the husband-and-wife duo opened a franchised enterprise they consider close to their hearts: K9 Resorts of Chalfont, a state-of-the-art, five-star dog hotel and daycare in Bucks County.
Since September 16, 2024, when the Patels officially opened the doors to K9 Resorts Chalfont, they have been enjoying a productive and rewarding start to their new venture. Over the recent Thanksgiving holiday, for example, the facility reached peak boarding capacity.
The Patels had talked about running a business of their own since early on in their marriage. Their interest in K9 Resorts grew out of firsthand experience—namely, utilizing K9 Resorts’ services as a home away from home for their dog.
“We were customers of K9 Resorts for about a year and we learned about the franchising model during that process,” Kunal says. “Every time we had used K9’s services, we were just more and more drawn to it.”
After researching the franchise for six months, they decided in 2022 to move forward. They then spent nearly two years doing extensive planning, scouting locations, and ensuring the right mix of amenities and facilities.
“We’re very heavily invested in the business, making sure that we’re providing the right care to every guest that comes through the door, whether it’s four-legged or two-legged,” Taarika says. “We are working 12- to 14-hour days between the two of us, and helping the staff to make sure that we truly hold up to the standards of K9 Resorts, the standards that we want to implement as business owners, and making sure that we provide the right care for every dog.”
K9 Resorts Chalfont offers two primary services: boarding and daycare. For boarding, the facility provides three types of accommodations: luxury suites, executive suites, and traditional crate-type compartments. Kunal says the executive suites, which measure five feet by seven feet and have privacy walls and half-glass fronts, are the most popular. Each of the luxury suites measures feet by eight feet and comes equipped with special amenities, such as a television that plays Dog TV around the clock.
The facility features hospital-grade HVAC systems, antimicrobial flooring, and UV lights to ensure a clean and safe environment. The outdoor space includes a turf grass yard that is sanitized twice daily so dogs are assured of a luxurious and hygienic area where they can play.
Among the most unique assets that set the Chalfont location apart from other K9 Resorts is the cohesive team that the Patels have cultivated. Taarika handles all the hiring for their staff of 20. Thanks to her efforts and the team’s dedication, K9 Resorts Chalfont experienced zero turnover in its first two months of operation—an impressive feat in an industry known for high turnover.
With workplace cultures changing in the post-COVID era, more employees are transitioning away from remote work and returning to the office on a full-time basis. As a result, enterprises such as K9 Resorts are becoming more popular—and more important—than ever.
“Owners don’t necessarily want their dogs to stay home alone,” Kunal says. “We can essentially take them into daycare, and they would be playing from seven in the morning, or when they get dropped off, until seven in the evening.”
Such exercise plays a big part in helping a dog stay happy and healthy. Kunal cites the time they outfitted one of the daycare dogs with a smart collar. Data retrieved from the collar revealed that the dog took close to 80,000 steps from its arrival at 7:30 a.m. to its departure at 6 p.m. Socialization represents another significant part of the value provided by K9 Resorts. Dogs are pack animals, so the dogs at K9 Resorts spend time together unless a dog parent requests otherwise.
The Patels characterize the socialization, exercise, and all-inclusive amenities that dogs experience at their facility as second to none. After all, K9 Resorts has become known as the “Ritz-Carlton for pets.”
With K9 Resorts Chalfont well on its way, the Patels intend to grow their enterprise in the years ahead. They have already begun vetting potential locations so they can provide their five-star experience to more dogs while offering peace of mind to the dog parents who love them.
K9 Resorts Chalfont
1100 Horizon Circle
Chalfont, PA 18914
(215) 267-5565
www.k9resorts.com/chalfont
1100 Horizon Circle
Chalfont, PA 18914
(215) 267-5565
www.k9resorts.com/chalfont
Photo by Alison Dunlap
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, December 2024.