Rome Fiumicino Airport has opened Dog Relais, a new boarding and daycare facility for dogs, marking the first pet hotel inside an Italian airport.
The center, which began operations in May 2025, is located behind the airport’s long-stay parking area and offers both day services and overnight accommodation for travelers and local residents.
The facility provides 40 lodges equipped with indoor and outdoor spaces, temperature-controlled floors, and private yards. Standard rooms are priced at around €39.90 per night, while premium rooms cost approximately €60 and include features such as 24/7 video calls and app-controlled treat dispensers. The service is intended to meet rising demand for pet-friendly travel options at Italy’s busiest airport.
Services and Amenities
Dog Relais offers boarding and daycare for pets while owners travel through Fiumicino or live nearby. The center includes grooming services, aromatherapy, and calming music for pets. Premium packages allow owners to monitor their dogs through video streaming and interact remotely via smartphone apps.
Each lodge is designed with comfort and safety in mind. Temperature-controlled flooring, separate indoor and outdoor play areas, and private gardens are available. Airport operator Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) confirmed that staff supervise socialization to ensure animals interact safely. Pick-up services from the terminal to the facility are also available.
The resort has reported high demand since its launch. In August 2025, Dog Relais reached full capacity, while average occupancy has remained around two-thirds. Airport officials say the facility provides a service increasingly requested by passengers who travel frequently with pets or prefer to leave them nearby during trips.
Growing Pet Travel Demand
The opening of Dog Relais aligns with broader changes in Italy’s approach to pet travel. Authorities have eased certain pet movement rules within the European Union, and demand for services that accommodate pets during international journeys has risen. The launch at Fiumicino is part of ADR’s efforts to position the airport as a leader in passenger services and to adapt to changing traveler needs.
According to ADR, the facility operates daily with check-in available from 06:00 and check-out until 22:00. Customers can book stays directly through Dog Relais, which accepts reservations for both short-term daycare and longer boarding. Occupancy trends indicate strong interest during the peak summer months, coinciding with record passenger volumes at Fiumicino.
With approximately 40 total lodges, the center is relatively small compared with the scale of airport operations but represents a first-of-its-kind offering in Italy. ADR stated that the opening addresses a gap in services for passengers seeking specialized care for pets, reflecting the broader trend of integrating pet services into travel infrastructure.
Fiumicino is Italy’s busiest airport and one of Europe’s top hubs, handling tens of millions of passengers annually. The introduction of Dog Relais complements the airport’s wider investment in passenger services, ranging from lounge upgrades to improved transport connectivity. The airport’s management has positioned the pet hotel as an added-value service that responds to both local and international demand.
While ADR has not released forecasts for Dog Relais revenue or expansion, early occupancy levels suggest the model could be replicated at other airports in Italy. Industry analysts note that pet-focused facilities are expanding at major international hubs as airports seek to diversify services and accommodate lifestyle trends among travelers.
The Dog Relais opening follows similar initiatives at airports in North America and Asia, but represents a new development for Italy. With pet ownership increasing across Europe, demand for integrated pet services is expected to rise further, supporting the case for similar projects in other high-traffic locations.
Airport officials emphasize that the service is designed to provide convenience and peace of mind for passengers. By offering a specialized boarding and daycare center directly on airport grounds, Fiumicino aims to position itself as a leader in passenger-oriented innovations while meeting a niche but growing need among travelers.
