Traveling with pets

... is frustrating. I mean this specifically about finding pet-friendly hotels.

1. You can't call something a "deposit" if it's non-refundable.
2. These FEES range between $25-250 per pet. $250?? For real?? In most cases this is more than I'm even spending on the hotel itself.
3. Communication between hotels and their ads on Orbitz seem to be lacking, since whether or not the Orbitz listing says "Pets OK" seems be irrelevant to whether or not pets are actually allowed in the hotel.

Most Comfort Inns & Suites appear to be pet-bribable for a non-refundable "deposit" of $25 per pet over 25lbs per stay. The one I'm at in Memphis now let Echo slide under the weight limit even though I was honest about it. So okay, I'm not too put off by that. After all, it's still cheaper than the cost of parking my car in DC.

Who I really love right now though is La Quinta. La Quinta hotels are apparently pet-friendly with no fees or deposits or first-born children required. They also have affordable rooms. With free internet access. And sometimes even parking.

I feel like the more expensive the hotel, the more they charge you incrementally for basic amenities. Yes, you can stay at the Westin and have a bellboy and a valet, but it's an extra $10 to use the internet, and an extra $40 to park your car, and an extra $350 to get ice from the machine...