Starwood Pet Travel (www.starwoodpet.com) has a 4.6 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 30 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Animals & Pets and its reputation is excellent. Praise is nearly unanimous, with 90% rating it 4 stars or higher; The business has replied to 67% of negative reviews; 25 of them were added in the last 12 months. Last updated 2026-08-10.
What people say
M
Miss Florence Gittins · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-07-18 ·
★★★★★
I cannot recommend enough!!
We can’t thank Starwood enough for helping us bring our golden retriever Cali home from the US to the UK. Moving countries is stressful enough, but relocating a much-loved member of the family comes with a whole new level of worry — and Cassidy made the entire process feel easy, calm and completely manageable.
From the endless questions to all the little details that needed coordinating, Cassidy was incredibly knowledgeable, responsive and genuinely cared about making sure Cali’s journey was as smooth and comfortable as possible. It was clear she understood that Cali wasn’t just a pet, she was part of our family.
Seeing Cali arrive safely back with us was such a special moment, and we honestly couldn’t have done it without Cassidy and the Starwood team. A huge thank you for making such an emotional reunion possible — we’ll be forever grateful! 🐾
Reply from Starwood Pet Travel2026-07-23
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're so glad Cassidy helped make the process more manageable. Wishing you and Cali all the best in the UK!
Couldn’t be happier with Starwood Pet Travel! Sage supported us from day one and was always quick, kind, and thorough in her communication. She and her team made the entire process easy, coordinated perfectly with our vet, and gave us real peace of mind that Howl was treated well. When our flight changed last minute, they were right there helping us through it. Truly exceptional service.
Reply from Starwood Pet Travel2026-07-09
Thanks so much for your review! We're so glad you felt supported by Sage! Wishing you and Howl all the best in New Zealand!
We really appreciated the expertise that Starwood has in pet relocation services!
We really appreciated the expertise that Starwood has in pet relocation and at a price we could afford. We relocated our dog from the US to Portugal during a time of many EU changes and our Pet Travel Coordinator Cassidy was well ahead of new information and what it meant for our dog's trip. We received great information and communication with every step of the process!
Reply from Starwood Pet Travel2026-06-22
Thanks so much for your review! We're so glad we could help and that you felt there was great communication throughout. Wishing you and Maggie all the best in Portugal!
M
Mark · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-05-24 ·
★★★★★
I highly recommend Starwood Pet Travel
Starwood is a wonderful company for moving your pets. They are conscientious and caring. They keep in contact with the owners and partner with very caring people who take excellent care of your pet. I would recommend them for any pet travels. They are fantastic!
Reply from Starwood Pet Travel2026-06-08
Thanks so much for your review! We're glad we could help you feel at ease with regular check-ins. Wishing you, Scampi, Buddy, Lulu, & Stiles all the best in Portugal!
Our vet said that Starwood was awesome, and she was so right! When we decided to move back to the UK from St. Louis so my husband could be with his family, we knew that we were going to need help getting our two cats over, especially since one is extremely shy and timid in unfamiliar situations and the other isn't a fan of car travel. We found Starwood after some searching and were incredibly impressed with their proposal and introduction phone call. Sarah, Cassidy and everyone else we worked with to get our girls across the pond were wonderful. They communicated with us every step of the way during the prep period and then used Care Tags to keep us updated during their travel from Chicago to Worthing via Heathrow. Given my husband and I were in two different countries at the time, having Starwood to support us was a relief and worth every penny.
Reply from Starwood Pet Travel2026-06-08
Thanks so much for your kind words! We're so glad we could help guide you through the process. Wishing you, Tamsin & Jaylen all the best in the UK!
T
Thomas E. · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-05-27 ·
★★★★★
Highly Recommend Starwood Pet Travel
Starwood Pet Travel was an absolute pleasure to work with. They transported our two boxers from VA to Italy. Our Pet Travel Coordinator, Cassidy, was always super responsive, and she actually handled a lot of the paperwork and scheduling, which took a lot off of our plates.
Starwood coordinated every aspect of our pets’ travel, from departure to vaccination certificates to ensuring that we got the correct travel crates to transport from the destination airport to our residence. Even when the EU changed one of its policies 2 weeks before our travel, she was there to ensure that the process ran smoothly.
If you are concerned about the cost, rest assured that it is worth the peace of mind that is offered knowing that Starwood has everything covered.
Reply from Starwood Pet Travel2026-06-02
Thanks so much for your review! We're so glad we could help navigate, even with last minute changes. Wishing you, Ginny, & Cali all the best in Italy!
P
Petra Durbin · 1 review · Experienced 2026-02-10 ·
★★★★★
Starwood Pet Travel is a great Pet…
Starwood Pet Travel is a great Pet Shipping Co.
From picking my Daisy up at my house and get her all the way over to Thailand. Then Drive her another 6 hours to her final destination.
She is a Senior Dog with some health issues and I was worried for her long trip overseas.
But this Company managed the whole journey perfectly.
And took great care of my Daisy. Thank you so much.
Reply from Starwood Pet Travel2026-05-22
Thanks so much for your review! We're so glad we could help! Wishing you and Daisy all the best in Thailand!
B
Batya · 1 review · Experienced 2025-09-13 ·
★★★★★
If you want pain and confusion choose Starwood
If you want pain and confusion choose Starwood. If you want stressed animals choose Starwood.
Before I paid I was repeatedly told that a direct JFK → Lisbon flight was possible and would be explored. That mattered in my decision making, because why would I choose a layover option that would create more physical and mental stress for my cats? Why would I choose more cargo handling, more confinement, a 5 hr layover for no reason, and more cabin-pressure changes?
Especially since there are multiple direct flights a day from NYC to Lisbon (6 hrs total)-where the 2 cats and I were moving.
Only AFTER payment did it become clear that a Lufthansa flight-an unnecessarily prolonged journey—two extra hours of flying, a five-hour layover in Frankfurt, and then an additional three-hour flight back to Portugal. Was always the intended plan. Was the only plan. The owner said it was for “safety” and only when I contacted customer service was I shown it would be breach of contract if I don’t go through Germany. That I was powerless in this “premium” pet relocation service to provide the kindest trip for my cats. This was only the beginning.
I spoke to the owner and customer care because I could not get ahold of my coordinator Gemma by phone after her initial promises. My emails seemed to not be read or responded to.
* my name was repeatedly misspelled,
* incorrect links were sent,
* documents had to be resent multiple times,
* important information was buried in fragmented emails and fine print,
* the portal had glitches
* and getting clear answers was nearly impossible.
And this disturbed me: I later learned that my coordinator Gemma was away for approximately two months while OTHER staff members continued to communicate with me using HER name and email signature.
Excuse me? That’s not professional or premium and possibly not ethical.
But this is not the worst of it.
What happened next was so painful that I think any pet owner would be horrified.
I arrived alone in Portugal after an exhausting international move believing my cats were arriving on the expected schedule. I had been told (after much fighting my premium cat service for it-which is really how you want to spend your time when you are moving internationally) that the cats were on my flight. I arrived, opened my GPS tracker and saw they had been LEFT BEHIND n New York City.
I should have been concerned when Jeary came to pick them up and didn’t understand why they were going to a holding center instead of the airport. I should have been concerned when I got no photos and couldn’t get on the portal. But an extra day in an undisclosed location? And I thought a layover would be stressful for them. Where was this place they were? Why were they not with me?
And NO ONE was answering the phone.
The US office was closed for the holiday, but I had been told that the UK office would absolutely answer the phone if anything happened. THEY DID NOT. I left emails. I waited forever by the carrossel for good WIFI being so worried and waiting for Starwood to call me back. Nothing.
The explanation was another offhand comment from Gemma the coordinator three days before the flight about a POSSIBLE airline strike. Not that they were changing the cats flight, but if there was a strike THEN the cats flights would change. Of course, I said. If there’s no plane - they can’t get on it. But I knew there was no strike. Why? Because I called the airline. Did Starwood call the airline, no, they could not be bothered. Did they clarify with me that I understood that the cats would not be flying and arriving with me, that they would be kept somewhere I was not told about, for a whole extra day? No (I could’ve let a friend take care of them as opposed to being stressed somewhere they don’t know in a crate.) Did anyone communicate: “Your cats are not arriving with you.” “Your cats will be held.” or even better “this is where your cats will be held, this is how they will be taken care of in this facility” “Your cats may arrive days later.”.
Did I sign anything that I understood and approved they were being held somewhere in a crate for an extra day and what flight they were on? No 100% no. But again Starwood gets you with the flyaway comments and the fine print while it’s the 2 days before you are moving your life internationally. No kindness. No consideration. No follow up. No photos of the cats. Nothing that was promised. Their carrier boxes smelled like piss and poop when they arrived. For what? There was no strike. I knew this days before the flight. But Starwood didn’t care. From beginning to end. The only person who treated me kindly was Ryan Bole throughout this whole process. I hope she finds a better paying job with better people.
If you love your animals stay away from this company. Dear god for the sake of your own peace of mind stay away from Starwood.
Reply from Starwood Pet Travel2026-05-22
We’re genuinely sorry to hear that your experience felt stressful during what was already a major international move. We understand how emotional relocating pets can be, especially when they have special needs, and we never want a client to feel unsupported or uncertain during the process.
That said, we do want to clarify a few important points for accuracy and context.
Chicken & Teemo traveled in Sept 2025, and throughout the sales process our team explained that direct passenger flights are not always the safest or most appropriate option for pets traveling as manifest cargo — particularly for pets requiring additional supervision and handling considerations. At the time of your move, Lufthansa was recommended because of its internationally recognized animal handling standards, dedicated animal lounge in Frankfurt, and specialized care infrastructure. As you acknowledged directly to our sales team. Our recommendation was always based on safety, welfare standards, and operational reliability — not convenience.
Regarding the flight changes, airline operational concerns and strike-related uncertainties were actively evolving in the days leading up to departure. As is standard in international pet transport, airlines can and do make last-minute routing adjustments when there is potential risk of disruption. While we understand your frustration about the timing and communication surrounding those changes, the decisions made were intended to avoid the possibility of your pets becoming stranded in transit.
We also want to clarify that your pets were never abandoned or placed in an unsafe environment. Our team did provide this information via phone and email: "The change in arrival date to September 2nd was communicated on August 18th, discussed by phone on Thursday, August 28th, and included in the itinerary sent on Friday. The customs team at LIS advised us on August 17th of planned strikes, requesting a September 2nd arrival to avoid potential delays." And while they were in transit we also advised "I've requested updates and pictures from the Ark JFK boarding facility and expect to receive further updates once they are checked in later this evening. To reiterate, both Teemo and Chicken are in cattery pens, not their crates, and they have access to fresh water, food, and a toileting area." They remained in professional airline-approved animal care facilities under supervision until their confirmed departure.
Unfortunately, international pet travel can sometimes involve unexpected delays outside the control of any relocation company. If we are made aware of a potential issue, we do our best to quickly pivot and make the necessary arrangements to avoid issues - which sometimes means changing an arrival date and making boarding arrangements as needed.
We absolutely acknowledge that communication during stressful moments could have felt clearer and more reassuring, and we take that feedback seriously. International relocations involve multiple time zones, airline partners, government regulations, and contingency planning, but we understand that none of that lessens the anxiety of being separated from your pets. Most importantly, Chicken & Teemo arrived safely in Portugal, and their welfare remained the priority throughout the journey.
We again thank you for your feedback, and we sincerely wish you, Chicken & Teemo all the very best in Portugal.
A
Anne K · 3 reviews · Experienced 2026-02-05 ·
★★★★★
Starwood Pet Travel provides safe and reliable pet transport
Starwood Pet Travel provides detailed options and pricing for various levels of service. General information and instructions were clear and customer support by staff (Rosie) was excellent. There were no hidden fees or surprises in the process of relocating our dog and two cats from the US to France.
Reply from Starwood Pet Travel2026-06-02
Thanks so much for your review! We're glad you felt instructions were clear and customer support was excellent. Wishing you, Ziggy, Pye, & Spirit all the best in France!
K
Kathie Clark · 1 review · Experienced 2026-04-13 ·
★★★★★
Great service from Cassidy, ensuring our beloved kitties were safe during a long international move
After a few initial problems, Cassidy was assigned to help us move our two cats from Philadelphia to England. We ran into some paperwork problems and she was super responsive and helpful in making sure they were solved promptly. This really lessened the stress of the experience for me, as one of the cats was elderly and the other extremely timid,
Reply from Starwood Pet Travel2026-06-02
Thanks so much for your review! We're so glad we could help navigate the paperwork issues and come up with a solution! Wishing you, Storeen & Zeus all the best in the UK!
G
Graham S · 1 review · Experienced 2026-04-14 ·
★★★★★
Outstanding Service for International Pet Travel
I cannot recommend Starwood Pet Travel highly enough for transporting my miniature Schnauzers from the US to Scotland. From start to finish, the experience was handled with professionalism, care, and genuine compassion for both pets and owners.
In particular, my agent Cassidy Ryan was exceptional. When unexpected challenges arose due to issues with the original vet surgery, requiring a mid‑process switch to a partner vet, Cassidy navigated the situation calmly and efficiently. What could have been a highly stressful setback was managed seamlessly, with clear communication, practical solutions, and unwavering attention to detail throughout. Cassidy’s dedication and expertise gave me complete confidence that my dogs were in the very best hands.
The only small callout is that the approved tracking system was ultimately rejected by the partner airline and therefore not used, which meant I was unable to track the dogs during transit as anticipated. That said, this was handled transparently and professionally, and Cassidy promptly arranged a refund for the unused service.
Overall, Starwood Pet Travel delivered an outstanding service during a complex international relocation, and Cassidy Ryan went above and beyond to ensure a positive outcome. I would not hesitate to recommend Starwood to anyone looking for a trusted, knowledgeable partner for international pet transport
We recently relocated to New Zealand, from New Hampshire USA. Moving around the world is hard enough but planning the transport of, not one but, two very large dogs is a challenge. From the beginning to the very end, Starwood Pet Travel guided our every move. We worked with Sage, who was friendly, extremely knowledgeable, and a quick responder. All details were handled down to the finest point and the transport went forward smoothly.
It was hard to be away from Fergus and Silas for so long but the quarantine facility provided frequent updates and photos, which helped us feel connected to the boys. Our reunion was happy, the dogs looked great!
Since our reunion, Fergus and Silas have not left our side. As senior dogs, we were worried about their flight and time spent in quarantine, but Fergus and Silas seem rejuvenated. Coming from New Hampshire, where the weather is not as pleasant, they are loving the temperate climate. We are taking them on long walks, through lush parks and sandy beaches. Fergus and Silas have never walked so much before in their whole lives!
Thank you Sage, and Starwood Travel, for guiding us through this experience and providing such attentive care to our canine family members. They are SO HAPPY to be with us. We are looking forward to our future here together!
M
Michelle · 1 review · Experienced 2026-01-17 ·
★★★★★
Starwood are the experts
Shipping pets to New Zealand has extra challenges and Starwood was across all of the special vet protocols, timings, quarantine and paperwork hoops to jump through. It was very important to us to be able to trust them with all of this. It gave us confidence that what looked daunting and insurmountable at the beginning, could actually be achieved! Also super important to have regular and personal comms. Their portal is also very useful. The comms after we dropped the pets off, to them reaching quarantine, were very comforting - that is a very stressful time and it was so great to receive photos of the cats and dog looking fairly comfortable and relaxed.
D
Destiny h · 1 review · Experienced 2026-03-31 ·
★★★★★
I had a great experience with starwood
I had a great experience with starwood. My vet had just got certified to do world travel and I was the first one they processed. My vet told me they were very grateful for starwood because they made it super easy for them. I also found the website user friendly and the my rep Cassidy was helpful and quick to respond to emails. My pet was flying out of DFW.
J
Jim Davis · 3 reviews · Experienced 2026-01-16 ·
★★★★★
Relocating from USA to UK my Aunts Dog…
Relocating from USA to UK my Aunts Dog after my Aunt died. Not able to be in USA so needed 100% of the work done by Starwood. Starwood's web-base client system is a great concept but over promises and never lived up to the expectation, so the data was incomplete, and unresponsive. As series of prompts it was fine but that could have been a email. The premium package was a disappointment. The package over promises (or poorly describes) bedding and such like which was more like a 1inch think scouring with a blanket on top (probably so if you pet pees they are elevated above the pee sloshing around beneath them). Probably needless to say I was deeply disappointed at the being the premium offer. The pet tag system was a total waste of money. Whats important to understand is Starwood manage the process and do so very well but contract out all of the handling of your pet to third party providers so its not always clear who is actually caring for your pet and what their quality rating . So you could find that a company you are wary of, actually ends up handling your pet. I had to speak direct with one of the thrid-party companies (a kennel) and they tried initially to present as Starwood so when I then I pushed for the name of their facility (Sparky was there 5 days) and was fobbed off with a generic "the kennel" then googled it and it had a horrendous set of reviews, they had to come clean and give me their real name and facility details. Its a shame really as I lost faith at that point. The 4 starts are because we were in a pinch and Starwood made it happen al be it at a vary high pice of $9K+.
The whole process is about trust and I think explaining the third party usage and how you vet them and monitor would have been more transparent (or was I just naive? )
M
Marilyn · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-03-03 ·
★★★★★
Excellent Experience with Starwood
Starwood made moving our Boxer and Chinese Crested much easier than if we had done it ourselves. Of course, it was necessary to use a service since we were moving a Boxer from Los Angeles to France and the airlines don’t allow brachycephalic dogs to travel without the services of a company like Starwood.
Everything was completely smooth from start to finish. The portal that Starwood provides really helps simplify the process by ensuring that the required documents and processes are done within the timeframe required to get everything accomplished in an orderly fashion. From uploading Rabies vaccines and certificates to ordering the appropriate crates, as well as the pickup and delivery of our dogs to our AirBnb in Nice, France. Our dogs were well taken care of throughout the travel process.
I would not hesitate to recommend their services to anyone in need of such a service.
R
Rose Zubler · 1 review · Experienced 2026-04-23 ·
★★★★★
Best decision ever!
I was very nervous when I knew my dog had to fly and came upon Starwood and they were the best decision for our dog's move! Ryan was always great at communicating with us, lifted a lot of logistical burden and paperwork off of us. She was transparent, caring, understanding, and flexible with our needs. Moving itself was already stressful but Ryan and the Starwood team was there for every single step to help our dog move. I couldn't wish for anyone else than Ryan to help us get our dog relocated from the US all the way to Bangkok.
From the day I requested a quote, the Starwood team was friendly, responsive, and accommodating. They were clearly knowledgeable and really helped me feel comfortable putting my cat in their hands. When the Lufthansa strike caused them to have to rebook my cat's flight just a few days before travel, they contacted me right away with a backup flight/airline option and organized everything on very short notice. My cat's trip went off without a hitch, and she arrived in the UK happy and healthy. If I ever have to move my pet again, I will absolutely work with them the next time. It was worth every penny spent to make sure everything was handled by the professionals which greatly reduced my stress level during our move!
S
Steven DuVall · 1 review · Experienced 2026-03-24 ·
★★★★★
Happy Dad and Expat Cats
I needed to move from the United States to Southern Spain and I have two wonderful cats who are my children. I was very nervous about them traveling without me because they don't even like to be put in a crate and taken to the vet. It's very upsetting to them, so I thought this trip would be very traumatic. Honestly, it's the thing I worried about most.
I have to say, Starwood and their partners were absolutely wonderful in every way. They took pictures of us together at the start of the trip, sent me updates with pictures when the cats were at their comfort stop in Frankfort, and they even took a picture of me and my cats reuniting in Madrid.
In addition, they were very thorough in making sure that all of our paperwork was correct, working directly with our vet to get everything done. They also helped me and choosing the correct crates and accessories so that there would be no problems along the way.
And I was even more impressed with how they handled the move in my absence. The two regulation bowls were not very secure on their metal crate doors, so without my knowledge one of the associates with Starwood changed out their bowls to ones that were much more secure and even zip tied them into place so that my cats would never be without water on their long trip. In addition, they replaced some of their bedding after it was soiled and returned the old bedding - including a couple of my old shirts that I had placed in their crates to make them feel more secure.
My cats and I are incredibly happy with the successful trip that Starwood provided us with. I would definitely highly recommend them.
