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Business is booming 鈥� or in this case, barking 鈥� for hotelier Corey Murry.

, a Northwest Portland dog hotel that Murry co-owns with his brother and sister, has thrived since it opened in 2010. In fact, it is now so popular that a multimillion-dollar, 10,000-square-foot expansion is planned. The project is expected to nearly double the facility’s capacity.

鈥淲e want it to be the dog mecca here in Portland,鈥� Murry said. 鈥淲e want to allow anyone that wants to use our services to be able to do so.鈥�

The group six years bought an existing building, Murry said, as an investment without knowing what would develop. His sister, Jamie, suggested that they capitalize on their love for animals (they grew up on a farm in Eugene), even though none of them had owned a business before.

But they didn’t want to open another run-of-the-mill day care for dogs. Instead, Corey Murry said, they sought to build a place where dogs and their owners could feel at home. The result is a space where dogs can watch flat-screen televisions, owners can drink cocktails and telephone hold music is classical.

鈥淲hen we do something, we go all the way; we are going to revolutionize the industry,鈥� Murry said. 鈥淲e wanted to change the stigma of the chain-link fences and dogs being scared.鈥�

But the hotel, which was built on only part of the property that the group purchased, does not have enough rooms to meet growing demand. The expansion calls for construction of a four-story addition with 25 new dog suites, some with floor-to-ceiling windows featuring city views, luxury bedding and flat-screen TVs (Murry says noise and visuals help relax some dogs).

鈥淭he biggest thing about boarding pets is (that) being away from your family, just like for humans, can be stressful,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e wanted to create an experience for these pets that gives them a very comfortable setting that mirrors home.鈥�

Additionally, all of the hotel’s existing facilities 鈥� including play areas, grooming spaces and a caf茅 where owners can drink and socialize 鈥� are poised to grow. A dog training area 鈥� something the owners have wanted to add since Sniff opened 鈥� and an elevator for older dogs also are in the works.

Sniff is intended to establish a sense of community, according to Peter Grimm, architect at , which designed the hotel and the expansion.

鈥淚t’s kind of a social hub for owners,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey’re able to talk and socialize while their animals play. Every time I go by there, it’s just packed.鈥�

The existing building was constructed in 1972. When it was renovated in 2009, its exterior did not change much. The building’s large, floor-to-ceiling walls and square rooms were perfect for the hotel’s use, according to Grimm.

As a result, the expansion will mimic the existing facility’s architecture and geometry, but be two floors taller.

鈥淭he architecture is unique,鈥� Grimm said. 鈥淭he existing building has a very particular style, and we really tried to pull from that.鈥�

The construction project is expected to be one of the larger ones in the area this year, according to the Northwest District Association. And, according to Murry, it will make probably make Sniff the biggest dog hotel in the Northwest and possibly one of the largest on the West Coast.

鈥淚n the end, we really just want to build on our initial vision and create an amazing experience for the dogs as well as the owners themselves,鈥� Murry said. 鈥淚t’s fun and exciting to see that happen.鈥�

The project is in the permitting phase. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall.