Do resorts have to guarantee handicap accessibility?

[LisaR]

I was trying to make a reservation at a resort in Naples, FL. My 80 y/o mother will be traveling with us. She can not do stairs and will be using a wheelchair during the stay. This place does not have elevators. I asked for a 1st. floor room with her (I was booking three rooms and that is the only one that needed a 1st floor guarantee) and reservations said it wasn't a problem but I would need to talk to the front desk because they are the ones that can guarantee that. Both front desk people said they could not promise anything. I asked to talk to the manager and I was told he was on the other line and I needed to leave a voice mail message. I did that over 2 hours ago and he has not called me back.

I was going to book three rooms at over $250 per room per night. Apparently he does not want our business. I am fine with that because I don't want to stay at a place that doesn't want to help out. However, can they legally do that?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There are requirements that a specific minimum percentage or number of rooms must be accessible. There are also requiremnts that they can only be reserved by people with a specific request.

However, a hotel does not have to guarantee 100% availability.

If all the accessible rooms are booked they then become available to anyone. Likewise, unless booked in advance, an accessible room may be given to a walk-in if no other rooms are available.

But if it is part of a chain try their reservations system.

 

[KPeveler]

I was trying to make a reservation at a resort in Naples, FL. My 80 y/o mother will be traveling with us. She can not do stairs and will be using a wheelchair during the stay. This place does not have elevators. I asked for a 1st. floor room with her (I was booking three rooms and that is the only one that needed a 1st floor guarantee) and reservations said it wasn't a problem but I would need to talk to the front desk because they are the ones that can guarantee that. Both front desk people said they could not promise anything. I asked to talk to the manager and I was told he was on the other line and I needed to leave a voice mail message. I did that over 2 hours ago and he has not called me back.

I was going to book three rooms at over $250 per room per night. Apparently he does not want our business. I am fine with that because I don't want to stay at a place that doesn't want to help out. However, can they legally do that?

I do not think they need to guarantee a first floor room, but if you reserve an accessible room, then they have to give it to you. However, if all the accessible rooms are already reserved, then placement in a hotel may not be guaranteed.

 

[LisaR]

Accessible to me would be that someone in a wheelchair could actually get to one of their rooms so that means first floor only. It seems pretty simple to me to keep track of how many people needed 1st floor rooms due to disabilities and once you hit that magic number, you tell people that "at this time, all 1st floor rooms are being held. We can let you know if someone cancels." I can't imagine what we would do if we got there and my mom couldn't get to her room. Oh well. They just lost a couple thousand dollars of our money.

 

[KPeveler]

Actually it is not easy at all to keep track of these things (speaking as someone who worked for a major hotel chain - all of their hotels of all brands use the same software)

Most hotels, when you call to make a reservation, you are speaking to a central call center, NOT the hotel itself. The people who actually make the room assignements are at the hotels, usually at the front desk. Disney is unusual in that they make their room assignments 2-3 days before your arrival. Most places assign your room once you get to the front desk.

Reservations CAN make notes for Front Desk people to see, but there is no way for front desk people to know if a note has been put in unless they pull up the individual reservation. The front desk may have been able to help you (though you said they were useless). There is no way for the front desk to know now about your reservationa month from now, since central reservations generally only sends that info to the hotel about 10 days in advance (this is true at disney too)

To be guaranteed an accessible room you must actually reserve an accessible room. They should not charge you more than this, and it may actually help her to have handrails in the bathroom, etc.

 

[LisaR]

I was speaking to the hotel directly. They are not a chain and only have one location. I asked for an accessible room and was told all their rooms are accessible. Their idea of accessible was that it had a walk in shower stall. My point was how does a person in a wheelchair get to that walk in shower if they are on the 3rd floor and there aren't any elevators? Wouldn't that mean that the 1st floor rooms would be considered the accessible rooms? I don't know but this is the first time I have tried to book something like this with my mom tagging along. She rarely goes anywhere so this won't be a common problem. It does make me feel bad for those that travel often, though.

 

[bookwormde]

If your need is a first floor room to accommidate your disability then yes if one is available then they are required to reserve one for you. Fully ADA physical disability compliant rooms are only one way hotels can meet the requirement for equal access.

Bookwormde

 

[Mrsjvb]

that being said they cannot see into the future.

you need to specify wheelchair user on the reservation to have the best shot at a first floor room if the location does not have elevators.

but say they have , oh I dunno, 25 rooms on the first floor. the reservation system may not allow them to reserve a SPECIFIC room located on the first floor. It may state.. okay on the date of arrival there will be 17 rooms( for the entire hotel) with projected availability.

so, you call and say.. I need a first floor room, and the front desk clerk manually inputs the room 105 on your reservation.

but three days before you arrive, somebody else checks in with a reservation for 6 days..and the only open room at that time? is 105. the person being checked in that minute will get room 105 and you will lose it. now it's three days later and due to the current occupancy level.. there are no 1st floor rooms that are empty to check you into.

they cannot make anyone already in a first floor room move.

 

[seashoreCM]

If you reserve an accessible room and none is available when you arrive, then an oversold condition exists. It would be no different if someone who could stay in any room arrives and no room whatsoever was vacant.

How the hotel deals with this varies but on average a nationwide chain does better especially because you have easier recourse even after you get back home.

A hotel would probably have no problem getting someone to move upstairs to make an accessible room available in advance of a handicapped person's arrival, by offering some perks plus allow that guest to move directly to the new room at his chosen hour.

 

[LisaR]

that being said they cannot see into the future.

you need to specify wheelchair user on the reservation to have the best shot at a first floor room if the location does not have elevators.

but say they have , oh I dunno, 25 rooms on the first floor. the reservation system may not allow them to reserve a SPECIFIC room located on the first floor. It may state.. okay on the date of arrival there will be 17 rooms( for the entire hotel) with projected availability.

so, you call and say.. I need a first floor room, and the front desk clerk manually inputs the room 105 on your reservation.

but three days before you arrive, somebody else checks in with a reservation for 6 days..and the only open room at that time? is 105. the person being checked in that minute will get room 105 and you will lose it. now it's three days later and due to the current occupancy level.. there are no 1st floor rooms that are empty to check you into.

they cannot make anyone already in a first floor room move.

Thanks! That makes sense now. I wasn't looking at it from the standpoint of people that would check in before us. Bummer! That really stinks for those that are in need.

 

[Bete]

I would go to a resort with elevators. You can still request a first floor room, but if worse comes to worse you can manage on another floor.

Also, you might want to consider a home rental which has handicap accessibility. Based on the cost of three rooms you might be better off and it might be more fun being all together.

 

[LisaR]

I would go to a resort with elevators. You can still request a first floor room, but if worse comes to worse you can manage on another floor.

Also, you might want to consider a home rental which has handicap accessibility. Based on the cost of three rooms you might be better off and it might be more fun being all together.

My mom lives with us all winter so not so much on the being all together thing.

I am having terrible luck finding a home rental. It seems they are all rented by the month. I agree though, I will not book at a place unless they have an elevator or all rooms are on the first floor. I have rooms reserved at the Hawthorn Suite if worse comes to worse. It is just not my first choice (or my second or third choice).