LAKEWOOD -Armin, age four, and Meika, age three, paws down, have a great life. The giant schnauzers are the four-legged babies of Lee and Wendi Lodestro, who are opening Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa in Lakewood, this month. Armin and Meika are also the inspiration behind the luxury resort catering to dogs.

“When Lee and I traveled, we always had to put our dogs in kennels. We had no options,” Wendi Lodestro explained.

According to Wendi Lodestro, Armin and Meika – as well as Liebchen and Sieger, the giant schnauzers before them – would often return home thin and ill.

“They wouldn’t eat, and it seemed like they were always getting a bug,” Wendi Lodestro said. “We got to the point where, if we were to go on vacations, we needed to find them another solution. We loved staying in four-star hotels, so we figured why not give our dogs, as well as other dogs, the same luxury experience?”

After spending years touring pet facilities from coast to coast, the Lodestros moved forward in their plan to open Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa, with the idea that dog boarding, doggie daycare and grooming services could be paws and tails above what the area had to offer, and still be competitively-priced.

Happy Hounds Hotel offers suites for boarded dogs to stay in, as opposed to cages or kennels. Additionally, each suite offers either a custom-made bed with a blanket to make dogs feel at home, or a raised Kuranda bed and blanket. Twenty of the suites offer cameras, so dog parents can check in on their fur babies, and eight suites offer televisions for the media-inspired pooches. Suites without TVs will have music piped overhead during the night to keep them calm.

Each overnight guest will also be enrolled in doggie daycare, a 3,250-square-foot space that will be separated for large and small dogs to play. Day guests are also welcome to play at doggie daycare, whether for a few hours while their pet parents run errands or all day while they are at work.

Full-service grooming is also available at Happy Hounds Hotel, with a variety of spa packages or a la carte options available.

“We are proud to announce that both of our groomers are certified, and have graduated from the Just Four Paws Academy of Pet Styling,” Wendi Lodestro said.

Cameras inside and outside of the building will allow the dogs to be constantly monitored. Additionally, the building has an alarm, fire and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as a brand new heating and air system.

“All of our managers have had extensive training with a national training organization,” Wendi Lodestro said. “It includes temperament testing, behavioral language, emotional states, stress, aggression, and human and dog social interaction.”

Wendi Lodestro continued to say that staff will be extensively trained by senior management prior to the business opening, and six of the 12 hired employees have been certified in CPR from the Just Four Paws Academy. Senior managers Wayne Johnson, Sarah Casel and Rob Evans have more than 10 years experience of working with dogs between them.

“We are also pleased to have a staff member who is a certified veterinary technician,” Wendi Lodestro said.

Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa isn’t the first business venture in which the Lodestros have taken. The pair have also owned and operated Jamestown Advanced Products – a sheet metal fabrication shop specializing in site furnishings – in Jamestown since 1999.

“Although Jamestown Advanced and Happy Hounds Hotel are very different, the principles of the business remain the same,” Lee Lodestro said. “We strive to deliver superior quality and outstanding customer care, while providing an environment that both challenges and provides personal satisfaction for our staff members.”

“Jamestown Advanced is, and will continue to be, our first business together,” Wendi Lodestro added. “Happy Hounds will give me the comfort that our dogs and others will be in the lap of luxury, safe and healthy. Picking out all of the finishes for Happy Hounds has been an extra plus for me, although the bills that come with it aren’t as exciting.”

Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa, located at 333 E. Fairmount Ave., Lakewood, will be opening later this month. An open Houses for the public is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 15, and Sunday, Oct. 16. Visit the Happy Hounds Hotel and Day Spa Facebook page for exact dates and times. Dogs can be preregistered for services by calling 338-9850 or by going online to HappyHoundsHotel.com.