Get complimentary accessible shuttle if hotel offers one for other guests

If your hotel offers complimentary shuttle service to/from airport or cruise port, ADA requires that they offer the equivalent service to people with disabilities. Here is the link from ada.gov: http://www.ada.gov/reachingout/lesson71.htm I made a hotel reservation months ago with the understanding that our hotel would cover the cost of an accessible shuttle from the airport, since they offer a courtesy shuttle for other guests, but do not have a wheelchair accessible vehicle of their own. When my daughter called to confirm this yesterday (for my son-in-law in wheelchair), she was told that the hotel did not cover this expense.

After finding the above page on the ada web site, I called the hotel myself today. It took several transfers to reach a manager, but I got the result I wanted. At first he gave me a song-and-dance about their shuttle with wheelchair lift being in the shop - (though I know from having stayed there before that they do not have their own shuttle). He then offered to pay (or deduct from our bill if we pay) for the accessible taxi - as long as we instructed the driver to stay off of the toll roads in getting to the hotel.

I didn't have to get forceful or make any threats. I feel that they know what the ADA regulations are, but will only enforce them if the customer insists on it. So, if your hotel offers courtesy shuttles, you can insist on whatever you need for your particular disability. Also, I haven't yet addressed the cost of the shuttle to the pier in the morning, for which the hotel charges $5 or so. I have printed out the page referenced above, and will take it along to deal with when we get there.

The key word is "Equivalent". As stated by ADA, (with my added emphasis) "The services offered to people with disabilities must be as convenient as the services offered to other people in terms of fares, schedules or response times, hours of operation, pick-up and drop-off locations, and other measures of equivalent service."

Thank you for the great link!

Wow, thanks for that tip!

We're sailing out of Miami next month and we were frustrated as the hotel we're staying at beforehand has a free shuttle to South Beach that we can't take with our wheelchair.

We figured we'd just have to suck it up and arrange for accessible cabs but now it sounds like we might have to give the hotel a call and get a manager on the phone...

I bookmarked the link. Thank you!

I've known about this since we traveled to Washington DC a couple years ago. The hotel where we stayed was very adamant that they had no obligation to provide this service and refused to even discuss it. I wish I had had a copy of this to shove under their noses. They said that because no other hotels in the area offered this service then they didn't feel they had to either. :mad:

We went through this at a very popular hotel in Fort Lauderdale. I finally emailed the home office of the corporation that owned the hotel and they contacted the manager who then called me promising assistance. When we arrived at FLL, I called hotel for transport to hotel. They said "No Way" and mngr wasnt there. We called an accessible cab. Next morning, they wouldnt give us transport to the ship either, but we found the manager and she did reimburse us for night before and paid for cab to ship. It worked out, but we had to fight for it! We no longer stay at that popular 17th St hotel, but I'm sure they dont miss us! [emoji41]

Thank you so much for posting this as we are addressing this right now. I am going to print this out first and have it in hand when I contact the hotel manager tomorrow. I already got one person who played dumb and "ma'am I have no idea what this ADA thing is. We do not honor that". Should be interesting. We have until August 6. So I have time to battle it out with them.

Thank you so much for posting this as we are addressing this right now. I am going to print this out first and have it in hand when I contact the hotel manager tomorrow. I already got one person who played dumb and "ma'am I have no idea what this ADA thing is. We do not honor that". Should be interesting. We have until August 6. So I have time to battle it out with them.

Thank you so much for posting this as we are addressing this right now. I am going to print this out first and have it in hand when I contact the hotel manager tomorrow. I already got one person who played dumb and "ma'am I have no idea what this ADA thing is. We do not honor that". Should be interesting. We have until August 6. So I have time to battle it out with them.

Yes, Grandma Petania, thank you for that link.

Amazing that someone working in a hotel would make a comment that they don't know what "this ADA thing" is or honor it, like Federal Law is some kind of AAA discount they can graciously choose to bestow.

We stayed in Ft Lauderdale and before we arrived I e-mailed the hotel manager regarding a wheelchair accessible shuttle. He confirmed in writing that the hotel would pay the cost (since they provided a non-accessible shuttle for other guests to the airport). They ordered an accessible cab for us the morning we were leaving for the airport. Once we got to the airport the cab driver said he knew nothing about the hotel paying for the cab. We paid for the cab ourselves and called the hotel. The manager apologized (saying that it was a mix up) and credited our credit card for the cost of the cab. I think that you just have to be pro-active.

Be sure to get a hotel business card and write down the name of the person who "does not know what ADA is", and the name if his/her direct supervisor. When I do this I always explain that I want to make sure the home office knows exactly which employees have not been properly trained in all aspects of customer service, including ADA. Keep all receipts and document each incident on the trip. On our return to San Diego from the Panama Canal cruise on Celebrity in 2011 I called Celebrity the next day and after explaining how we had to pay for the shuttle that was supposed to be included, and then the shuttle was not wheelchair accessible--a very helpful security person called an ADA van for us--I received a full refund on the shuttle fare, and gratuity, from Celebrity, posted that day to my AMEX account.