You can book a cuddle with Buster the resident dog at this San Francisco hotel

If you tend to miss your pets when travelling abroad or aren’t in a position to bring them along, you can always make yourself feel better by cuddling Buster the resident dog at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco.

Buster Presutti Posey is a two-year-old Maltese/Yorkie mix who holds the position of “canine operating officer,” at the hotel. His duties include greeting guests at reception, dispensing kisses and cuddles and playing with visiting dogs. His best friend, Tamago, is also available to deputise when Buster cannot make appearances. Well a dog has to nap sometimes, you know?

There is a cute stuffed toy dog version of Buster in guests’ rooms at the dog-friendly hotel, and they are welcome to take it home for $29, with funds going to a local animal shelter. Alternatively, they can book a “meet and greet” with Buster himself, who enjoys posing for selfies and is a therapy dog.

Buster’s main function is to draw awareness to Hotel Nikko’s pet-friendly policies. Dogs weighing 60 pounds or less are welcome to stay on what the hotel calls the VIP (Very Important Pet) floor. The rooms there are equipped with a plush doggie bed, fun toys, portable food bowl, pet placemats, dog waste bag dispenser, tennis balls and a Nikko leash.

It costs $50 per night for each dog staying at the hotel, and an additional cleaning fee may be applied after you check out, if necessary. The hotel requests that dogs are not left unattended in your room, and they can play in the newly-renovated patio area complete with a rooftop grass dog-run, which opens from 6am to 10pm daily. They can have great fun there playing with other guests’ dogs, and, of course, Buster and Tamago.

For further information on Hotel Nikko, see here.  Follow Buster the dog’s adventures on Instagram here.