Disappointing Experience — Discriminatory Toward Service Animals
I was extremely disappointed with my recent interaction with this hotel. I informed the manager, John, a few hours before check in, that I was traveling with my service animal, who is legally permitted to accompany me anywhere, and I was shocked at being told that I could not bring her to the hotel. Despite explaining that this was a trained service animal, not a pet, John refused to accommodate me. He asked for proof of my dog's certification which showed a complete lack of understanding of the law. The ADA guidelines for service animals state that certification and licenses are not required and therefore are not needed to access a public place. John then went on to say, "We have a no pets allowed policy and if you bring your service dog then the other guests will assume that they can bring their pets as well." My dog is not a pet. She is a necessary "piece of equipment" to assist me in my daily activities. Hopefully John never tells a guest they can't bring their wheelchair, cane or oxygen tank into his hotel!
Traveling is already stressful enough without having to fight for basic respect and legal rights.
This experience left me feeling unwelcome and discriminated against. Not only was it inconvenient, since we had to find another hotel after being in the car for 10+ hours, but it was also deeply disrespectful and in clear violation of ADA regulations. Avoid if you need and rely on a service animal.
