I stayed at the fanciest hotel in Minnesota – with my dog

Many years ago, I attended a wedding reception at the St. Paul Hotel.

As the party wound down, I was reclining on a couch in the lobby with the groom as we smoked cigars. (The fact that we could smoke in the lobby tells you how long ago this happened.)

Suddenly actor Jack Lemmon walked by us with a black standard poodle on a leash. He was in town filming one of the “Grumpy Old Men” movies.

“Jack, Jack!” I shouted, perhaps a little drunkenly. “Loved you in ‘The Apartment,’ Jack!” Lemmon and the elegant dog walked on, pretending not to hear me. I remembered thinking, “Wow, if you’re a movie star, you can bring your dog to the best hotels.”

But it turns out that even ordinary people — and ordinary dogs — can have a luxury, five-star hotel experience right in Minneapolis.

And that’s how Jenny and I ended up spending a night in the Four Seasons.

Jenny is my dog, a canine of unknown mixed parentage with asymmetrically drooping ears and one wonky eye. She also sheds like crazy.

When I happened to hear that dogs can stay at Minneapolis’ fanciest hotel without an extra charge, I started wondering what it would it be like to spend a night there with her.

Dogs of up to 35 pounds are welcome at the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis. (Jenny actually might be about 40 pounds, but who doesn’t lie a bit about their weight?) Plus there’s no extra charge to bring your dog, though much of the rest of the experience is unsurprisingly spendy. (For example: $60 to valet park your car.)

But thinking it might be fun to watch Independence Day fireworks in Minneapolis from the comfort of a hotel terrace, I booked a room for Jenny and me on the evening of July 4. I invited my friend to come along, told my cat Bix to watch the house for the night, and headed downtown.

I’ve only stayed at a Four Seasons hotel once before. This was about 20 years ago in Amman, Jordan. I remember that the service bordered on fawning, the toiletries were from the French luxury brand L’Occitane, and the breakfast buffet was abundant and elaborate.

But I couldn’t appreciate the experience of being treated like a big shot as much as I would have liked because it was a work trip. The next day I had to fly to Baghdad International Airport to start a six-week stint in the much less luxurious surroundings of the Knight Ridder newspaper chain’s Baghdad bureau.

Things were more relaxed when I showed up at the two-year-old Four Seasons in Minneapolis.

Jenny is just a rescue mutt and I’m not much fancier, but everyone from the doorman to the check-in clerk was friendly and welcoming. Jenny enjoyed the attention.

We checked in and boarded the elevator. I don’t think Jenny has ever been on an elevator before, but she handled the ride to the 30th floor just fine.

Once in our room, Jenny checked out the swanky bathroom. She approved of the heart-shaped, gluten-free, peanut butter and apple dog treats the hotel left out for her.

There wasn’t a bathrobe and slippers for her that the Four Seasons provides for human guests.

But the hotel did provide food and water dishes and a tuffet-sized bed. It was too small for her, but I’d brought her bed from home.

Jenny seemed most fascinated by the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows and looking down on the curving Mississippi River, the baseball diamond and stands of Target Field, the city skyline and the neighborhoods and suburbs stretching off into the distance.

I was fascinated by the buttons next to the bed’s headboard that controlled the motorized shades on the window.

As we padded through the hushed hallways, other guests, especially kids, seemed amused to see Jenny. On our way out for a walk downtown, she greeted the doorman like an old friend. We even met a couple of other dogs staying at the hotel, including a terrier named Milo who rode the elevator with us.

There are a few places in the hotel off limits for dogs, like the pool and hot tub. Jenny could’ve been with us for dinner or a drink on the hotel’s outdoor restaurant and bar, Riva Terrace. But it was a bit cool and rainy, so my friend and I opted to eat indoors at the hotel’s Mara restaurant. (The Mediterranean food was so good we ate it all. So, no doggy bag. Don’t tell Jenny.)

As night fell, Jenny continued to be fascinated by the view, especially as the horizon was lit by fireworks displays all around the metro area.

Unlike a lot of dogs, Jenny doesn’t get spooked by fireworks or thunder. In any case, the rooms at the Four Seasons are pretty well insulated. We could barely hear the booms and bangs.

We wound up our stay with a restful sleep, a leisurely breakfast and some more walks.

Jenny is not very talkative. But if she could speak, I’m sure she would’ve said: This is the nicest kennel I’ve ever seen.

If you, too, would like to check into a Twin Cities hotel with your pet, know that pet policies vary. Here’s a quick sample:

St. Paul Hotel: No pets, except for service animals. (Maybe that’s how Jack Lemmon managed it.)

Hotel Ivy, Minneapolis: Dog-friendly, but there’s a $100 per stay pet fee, which includes treats and a toy and use of a dog bed and pet bowls.

Hewing Hotel, Minneapolis: Dogs welcome, but there’s a $100 pet cleaning fee.

W Minneapolis: Pet-friendly with a $100 cleaning fee per stay.

InterContinental Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport: Pet-friendly, with a $50 per pet fee per stay. No extra charge if it’s a service animal.

Omni Viking Lakes Hotel, Eagan: Pets 25 pounds or less welcome with a $125 per stay fee.