Baltimore's Pier 5 Hotel has been named the fourth pet-friendliest urban hotel in America by the travel website Virtual Tourist.

"Your pet won't have a single bone to pick about this top waterfront hotel," the website said of the Pier 5 -- one of three Harbor Magic boutique hotels in Baltimore (all of which bill themselves as pet-friendly).

What the top-ten list doesn't tell you, though, is that -- as is often the case at hotels these days -- you pay a price for dog-friendly. At the Pier 5, it's $49.

Then again, guests with dogs do receive for "free" the Outward Bound Pet Travel Kit. That includes a food bowl, water bowl, a plastic toy, a plastic mat, a brush, a package of treats and a 25 by 37 inch dog bed -- about the size of a bed pillow. Mostly what it consists of are absorbent "housebreaking pads" seven of which are provided.

Most of the hotels included on the  top ten list do not charge a pet fee, said Susan Derby. director of marketing for Virtual Tourist. Pier 5 was among three that did, ranging from $100 at the Chicago Lakeshore to $25 at the Ocean Villa Inn in San Diego.

I'm all for dog friendly hotels, and congratulations to Pier 5 on its honor, but let's be blunt. A lot of places billing themselves as "dog-friendly" these days are really only dog-tolerant. And wouldn't a truly "dog-friendly" place let your dog stay for free? I'm fairly cheap, and $49 is about what I usually pay for a hotel for myself.

And friendship? Well, I usually don't pay, or charge, for that at all.