A video recently published on the Instagram and X accounts of Roberto Pettinato and his son Philip It quickly went viral: in the images, father and son arrive at the reception of a five-star hotel with their dog, a French bulldog, and are informed that pets are not allowed in the rooms, even though they had previously inquired and received an affirmative response by phone.
In the clip, recorded by Roberto himself, the employee is heard explaining the establishment’s policy, while Pettinato insists that “this is discrimination” and Felipe adds ironic comments about the “exclusivity” of the place. The video ends with them leaving, dog in arms, and a superimposed text criticizing the lack of coherence in Argentine luxury hotels regarding pets.
The episode unleashed hundreds of comments on networks, with users divided between those who support the hotel rules and those who defend the right to travel with pets. Some pointed out that several five-star hotels in Buenos Aires are pet-friendly (such as the Four Seasons or the Alvear), while others recalled similar cases of celebrities.
The incident becomes more relevant due to the judicial context of Felipe Pettinatowho faces an oral trial scheduled for September 2026 for the crime of fire followed by death. He is being prosecuted for having intentionally started the fire in his apartment in Belgrano in May 2022, where his neurologist and friend Melchor Rodrigo was burned to death. According to the accusation, he used a lighter and an aerosol to generate the flames, without attempting to rescue the victim, who was sleeping under the influence of medication. The expected penalty ranges from 8 to 20 years in prison.
In addition, Felipe was sentenced in 2024 to nine months of suspended prison for simple sexual abuse against a minor. Meanwhile, the Pettinatos continue to be active on social media, where this video of the dog became a moment of family “normality” amid their public controversies.
