Home Page › Blog › Service Dog Rules for Staying in Hotels
Service Dog Rules for Staying in Hotels
Service dogs’ access rights to hotels are part of the public access rights bestowed on service dogs and their handlers under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This means they cannot be treated as pets and can generally go wherever their handlers can at no additional cost. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop certain hotels and staff from infringing on these rights. The following information is a thorough overview of the main points to know about service dogs and hotels.
Can hotels charge for a service dog?
No. Under the ADA, the hotel cannot charge an extra fee for the service animal as they would a client with a pet. This also means you and your dog will be allowed in public areas of the hotel, as well as to a room and floors not normally designated for people traveling with pets.
What to expect from hotels and service dogs
Verification questions: When traveling with a service animal, according to the ADA, the hotel staff only has the right to ask you two questions:
- Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
- What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
If the task is apparent (seeing-eye dog, wheelchair-related), the staff has no right to inquire about the service dog or your disability. When dealing with ignorant hotel staff members, presenting your service dog certification and identification card can help alleviate tension. Remember, the staff members are only employees and might not be properly trained in dealing with service animals in the hotel. Keep in mind, however, that under the ADA hotel staff cannot insist on seeing documents as a condition of entry.
In addition, the hotel staff still has to act according to the rules of conduct the general public should adhere to concerning a service dog. These include:
- No petting the dog
- No speaking to, teasing, or distracting the dog
- No feeding the dog or interfering with its work
The staff is also not required to help you perform any tasks related to the service dog, such as taking it out to relieve itself, feeding it, handling it, etc.
Following the rules of the hotel
Under the ADA, persons with disabilities have several rights. However, you will still be expected to follow the rules of the hotel as they are set forth for all their visiting clients.
Your service dog must be under your control at all times, whether this is by means of a leash, hand gestures, or voice control. Your dog cannot become unruly. In addition, if your service dog were to damage anything in the hotel room, you are still liable for the cost of those damages.
Staying at an Airbnb with your service dog
With Airbnb as a popular hotel alternative among travelers, the application of the ADA is crucial. Airbnb hosts in the United States must allow service animals if they rent out the entire home or apartment to an Airbnb guest. Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy requires hosts to allow all service animals into their homes. Please research your specific destination before booking an Airbnb that you plan on staying at with your service dog.
The history of service dogs under the ADA
The ADA was established in 1990 and was put into place to prevent establishments from discriminating against people with physical or mental disabilities, extending the protections to any companion that may accompany them for support. Over time, “companions” began referring less to humans and more to members of the animal kingdom. Many people used this policy to treat exotic pets, such as reptiles, ferrets, pigs, and parrots, as “service animals.”
To stop people from taking advantage of the intended scope of the ADA, amendments have been made to these rules. These changes state that only dogs are considered as service animals.
Order your Service Dog ID
Service Dog Identification
$39
Distinguish your Service Dog from a Pet
Many hotels have policies against pets, but service dogs are not pets. An ID can help distinguish your service dog from a pet, ensuring you get access to your room and other hotel facilities without hassle.
Under the ADA, hotels can’t require documentation for service dogs, but having an ID card can simplify interactions with hotel staff who may not be familiar with service dog laws.
Remember, while ID cards, certificates and other documents can be helpful, they do not convey any rights under the ADA.
There was a problem with your submission. Please review the fields above.
About the Author: The writing team at Service Dog Certifications is made up of folks who really know their stuff when it comes to disability laws and assistance animals. Many of our writers and editors have service dogs themselves and share insights from their own experiences. All of us have a passion for disability rights and animals.
390 comments
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Latest Posts
How to Bring a Service Dog to Disneyland
Trained service dogs are more than welcome to join their handlers at Disneyland. In this guide, we’ll explain Disneyland’s policies and give practical advice for bringing a service dog to Disneyland for the first time. Disneyland’s Service Dog Policies The Magic Kingdom is happy to welcome trained service dogs across most park locations! They kindly […]
Read More
Can Dogs Eat Tomatoes?
Yes! Dogs can safely enjoy tomatoes, but there are a few risks to be aware of so you can feed your dog responsibly. Fully ripe tomatoes (without the stems and leaves) can actually have nutrients that are good for your pup. Tomatoes have chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant that can have anti-inflammatory effects in cells. They’re […]
Read More
Can a Primary Care Doctor Write an ESA Letter?
Your family doctor, also called a primary care physician (PCP), can write a letter recommending an emotional support animal. We’ll explain what legally gives them that ability and explore what better options might be available for you. Why are Physicians Able to Write an ESA Letter? To turn your pet into an emotional support animal, […]
Read More
My service animal was taken out of my hotel room by hotel staff and animal control. I have never met such ignorance by any hotel staff. This was at Ramada inn Reno Nevada. When I returned they kicked. Me out of room. My animal is ADA certified and I was checkedand with my service animal by my side on a leash with a service vest on the hotel staff then told me that they didn’t have it as a service animal in the room okay even though I checked in and told him it was a service animal and I was not charged for the animal this is the most horror v critic night I’ve ever endured I can’t believe this hotel did this to me I feel like I under law I had the right to sue I will be contacting an attorney to further address the situation they still have not returned my service dog to me and I’m having very very emotional problems with this whole situation the service animal has been used for seizures also heart attacks he alerts he’s such a good dog and I just want my family back
“When I returned”…does this mean you left your ADA certified dog in the room by himself? This is actually against ADA rules as you are supposed to have your Service animal with you AT ALL TIMES. We have charged people for their “service dogs” after they have left the dogs in the room alone all day while they go out and play, and told them they will not be allowed back in the future.
I can’t believe they took your dog away,and didn’t give him back,ok I’d sue them right away , don’t wait,ok if a lawyer says no,keep trying different lawyers,until one says he will take your case,ok and go to where there keeping your dog,and try to visit him,ok it’s like they took your dog and put him in doggie jail,ok I’d sue that hotel for a million dollars,ok then after a year or two ,they will probably settle for 100,ooo dollars,well good luck,ok god bless you and your service dog,ok
The blatant disregard for common sense in the case of service animals requiring identification to go into places that pets are not allowed is idiotic. Anyone who gets upset or up in arms when asked for identification of their service animal is being irrationally difficult or is being deceitful.
Questions
1 why was your dog left alone in your room long enough to be removed they should be with you at all times. Only time I leave mine is to work on assignments from my counseling team for PTSD and I have another handler with her and my call phone on me in case I need my dog immediately and can’t get back to her.
Also there is no such thing as ADA CERTIFIED-sorry
YOU SHOULD TALK TO A LAWYER THAT IS HORRIBLE. i WILL MAKE SURE TO KEEP IN MIND THE RAMADA INN AND THE WAY THEY TREATED YOU NEXT TIME i AM BOOKING A HOTEL. YOU DESERVE AN APOLOGY , RESTITUTION FOR LOST $, AND MOST OF ALL YOUR DOG BACK.
I work Security for a large Hotel in Las Vegas and you would not believe the stories and incidents that I’ve had to deal with because the so-called service dog has been left unattended and is barking and had accidents all over the room while the owners were out having “fun”. We are a pet friendly hotel however our policy clearly states that the dog must be in a kennel and cannot be left unattended for more than four hours. We attempt to contact the guest and inform them of the incident …if they do not respond back to the hotel after four hours we reserve the right to have the animal removed by animal control to alleviate the complaints that we received about the dog . Our policy also dictates that if they are not an accredited service dog that a deposit will be paid upon arrival and refunded when they left if the room is not damaged . Service dogs are not subject to a deposit unless they caused damage to the room and then I guess will be charged . Emotional support animals are not service animals and therefore are subject to our animal deposit rules and regulations.
I’m speechless over what happened to you. This is every handler’s worst nightmare. Hopefully yours was over quickly. Was the Dept of Justice or attorney able to help fix the situation?
An ADA service animal is required to be at your side or it is not performing in a service animal capacity. If it was left in your room unattended by you or your designee, the hotel was within their right to have your animal removed!
David Lahman if your dog is a service animal then you should know you cannot leave her/him unattended. Why would you if it is performing a service for you? Service dogs are allowed anywhere so there is no excuse for leaving them unattended.
If a hotel staff went Into my room and took my Animal for no reason and i couldn’t get him back you can sue the fuck out of that hotel …. and just to let you ignorant fucks on here know some people consider those animals as family and they are more loyal more caring more valuable than most humans in my eyes so think of it as if someone took your child from you just walked into your house and took your child you’d want to kill that person …. same goes for the service animal owners take there family / dog then you better deal with having that person find you and take your life
I was told to leave my hotel cuz i would not pay the pet fee for my service animial. I even have the hotel boss recorded conversation stating that is the only reason we was asked to leave. The ADA says that they can not do that.. But they did. Then i filed a complaint with ADA for the hotels actions and i can not get anyone to help me.
My service dog will only bark at people who talk to her while she’s working. We have tried to train it out of her but the only thing we can think about it is that she knows they aren’t supposed to acknowledge her so she barks to get them to leave her alone. If they ignore her as they are supposed to, she ignores them.
I can’t keep mine from greeting people, she just absolutely loves people, I have not been able to break her from it, but she brings souch joy to others and it doesn’t interfere with her job.
Missy it does interfere with her job if she is not 100 attentive to you and she cant be if she is socializing
All these comments and opinions are very interesting. I think that one should not have to show proof of legitimacy, but if their service animal acts out in any way, then the management of the establishment should be allowed to ask for an ID. I have a service dog who helps me medically and another one who is a medical service dog for my asthma and a second psychiatric service dog who helps with my ptsd and anxiety. I look very normal and my dogs are very happy and seem normal as well. I don’t have any vests; just a patch on each of their collars, so they look like pets. I’m about to go on my first vacation with them and stay at a hotel. I notified the hotel but it’ll still be interesting to see how this goes since I have two.
How did it go? I’m going on vacation with my friend and her 1yr old german shepherd. She has doctor paperwork saying he is a service dog. She couldn’t afford a grown one already trained, so she bought a puppy once she finally got disability retro pay. Where did you get yours and how did you handle the cost?
Yes you can have several service dogs however one will usually take care of all the things you have wrong if it is trained properly. Three is a bit too much and any doctor would also say that
I believe in fairness to everyone; Service dog owner should carry a certificate like an ID, to make it easy on everyone. with that hotel and other public places shall allow guest with disability and service dogs. Similar to what we have as designated parking spot and the person must have a decal on their vehicle.
I so agree but we need an agency to regulate this for it to be valid and this is a very slippery slope
See post above. ADA does does require this due to the stigma associated with “labeling”.
Why not just a tattoo on their forehead everyone doesn’t have a car….
I agree with providing documentation. What’s the harm of asking for a certificate? It doesn’t have to state your condition. I agree that people lie about their pets as service animals. I have seen so called service animals misbehaving and even grabbing food from other guests plates at breakfast at our hotel. Humans have been lying since the dawn of mankind, so why would that change in current times? Even famous actors are being caught for lying about having service animals on airplanes. Just today I had to argue with someone who was complaining that animal hair could cause her to go to the hospital for asthma problems. As stated by others, we provide documentation to prove our age, our nationality, our membership, etc, etc,. Why not provide documentation for your service animal? We are not against service animals, just the false claims that people use to get away with allowing their pets in where they are not welcome.
Service dog handlers do not have documentation. None is recognized by the government as being legitimate. If there was, unfortunately, people would just fake that too. People have fake IDs to get into bars and create counterfeit currency all the time. It’s a real problem for everyone.
This truly shouldn’t be an issue. Those of us who have legitimate service animals have NO problems showing their credentials. Likewise, we, their owners should be aware that there are only two questions anyone may ask regarding the animal; is it a service animal & what service does the animal perform. As a legitimate service dog owner I don’t have an issue, either, if uninformed people ask what my dog does for me because I recognize that they’re simply curious. Hopefully me taking the time to answer their questions will educate & enlighten them in the future.
Regarding the comment from the person about their service animal in Mexico…I took my dog with me to Cancun about a year ago & while still under US guidelines airlines are subject to ADA regulations so service animals fly free. The airline attendants asked their appropriate two questions in all instances. However, once out of the USA proper or provinces all bets are off & countries are free to follow their own guidelines. Mexico currently only recognizes “recognizable” services for animals. That being said, be prepared to pay whatever rates hotels in foreign countries require or to “board” your animal if your intended destination doesn’t allow animals on any kind (as is currently their right).
Now, to the person who stated that service animals should only be allowed in certain rooms…Where does one draw the line? People are allowed to perfumes so should hotels only allow persons who don’t wear perfume to stay in certain rooms? Infants sometimes urinate outside of their diapers; as do toddlers who are being potty trained. So should hotels designate certain rooms for those people traveling with small children?
While it’s true that some people push the system to its limits & claim to have service animals who aren’t, the key is still education. As stated earlier, ALL legitimate service animal owners are more than happy to answer those TWO required questions ( most are happy to expound on those for educational purposes) & most carry identification that our animal is a service animal (although not an ADA requirement). Because it is not currently a requirement that the animal display “service animal” accoutrements or that the owner carry “service animal” documentation there are people who will take advantage of this situation & attempt to present their pets as service animals. Perhaps the greater fight for establishment owners should be with the ADA but that would involve the arena of stigmatization which is what precipitated the ADA’s initial decision not to require identification!
Guess common sense remains our only guideline; sad but true. If establishments doubt that an animal is service related, ASK, & know what you may ask. If you question the validity of an animal, challenge the individual. You may win & those of us who are legitimate service animal owners will welcome & not be threatened by the challenge.