Montage Deer Valley: Monty mania

When I stayed at the Montage Deer Valley last month, I couldn't get enough of Monty, the resort's canine ambassador. There's just something about a dog-in-residence that transforms a swanky resort into a venerable estate along the lines of a Scottish castle, or a timeless German hunting schloss. A dog makes this hotel the kind of place you'd expect to find Queen Elizabeth II lounging about in sans hat, or in which Wilhelm II might be found smoking a pipe.

I ask Andrew, one of the sales managers, where the idea came from for the house dog. Andrew came to the Montage Deer Valley from the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch in Colorado. He tells me that the Ritz tried out a dog on a trial basis. The dog quickly became the highlight of guests' experience at Bachelor Gulch, and now management wouldn't think of the resort without one. Montage had to get one too.

Monty, the adorable Bernese Mountain Dog pup, chews on just about everything at this stage in life. To save the furniture and until he's trained, he'll spend most of his time in staff offices. Hang out in the lobby long enough, or take a walk outside at night, and you'll find him. You'll also find a signature beer named after him,  Monty's Belgian White, in Daly's Pub and Grill. If you want a Bernese pup of your own, you'll find a $100 plush Monty toy in Pique, the resort's signature boutique.

If you're lucky, you may also run into Alan Furston, owner of Montage Resorts. He'll be in casual clothes and be up for a chat. Something about running a place with a canine ambassador gives him an air of subdued celebrity, royalty even.

I never considered myself a dog person, but Monty sure changed that.