Pet resort draws big spenders

Record-setting weeks and months continue to pile up at Bayside Pet Resort & Spa, an indication that maybe the luxury side of the economy isn't totally dried up.

The high-end doggie daycare and grooming facility, which opened on U.S. 41 in Sarasota last June, booked 1,500 pet-lodging nights in March. That's roughly double what the facility booked for most months last fall. Bayside is also in expansion mode. Bone Appetite, an east Manatee county store that offers everything from treats and toys to shampoos and strollers for pets, recently opened a satellite location inside the resort. Bayside also added staff, and now has 21 employees.

Bayside General Manager Marilee Namaka says she thought Bayside would do well. But she worried the services, which include pampering in one- and two-bedroom suites, some with plasma TVs, would eliminate some possible clients.

“I knew there was a need,” Namaka tells Coffee Talk, “but I didn't realize the need was this strong. We've been growing by leaps and bounds.”

Sarasota entrepreneur Bob Huff, who had a long career in the nursing home industry, founded Bayside. Huff spent at least $5 million to turn the building, a former a 22,000-square-foot bowling alley near the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, into a dog and cat haven. In addition to the pampering, other features include orthopedic beds in some rooms, a cat playroom with an aquarium, and an online “doggy cam,” where owners can watch their pets.