[nagdu] Hotel owner responds to service dog allegations

[Ginger Kutsch]

Hotel owner responds to service dog allegations

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - 

June 19, 2014

http://www.wlox.com/story/25823714/corporate-stop-representing-as-a-best-wes
tern-hotel

 

A family from North Carolina booked a one-night hotel stay in Baton Rouge,
but were told to go elsewhere because they were bringing a service animal to
help their son. The mother says they've never had that kind of treatment,
especially since it's a violation of the law.

 

After four hours in the backseat of the family car, on a hot summer day,
three children piled out of the Vaughn's SUV. All of them needed a good
stretch, including Chip, the youngest of the bunch. Chip, is not one of the
children per say, but he is always close to 13-year-old Beau.

 

Our news crew spoke to the owner of the hotel on the phone, and he claimed
that the corporate office has not sent him anything. 

 

"We have not received an email. They have no right. We have an agreement
with them, and they have to give us a reason why they are terminating us,"
he said. 

 

The owner says the whole incident was a mistake. He stated that they
actually do have sign outside of the establishment saying that they allow
service dogs. He also explained that the family's reservation was not
rejected.

 

"We did not terminate the reservation. The people who made that reservation,
themselves, terminated their reservation," he added. 

 

The corporate office has released a statement saying they have restricted
the hotel from using the Best Western name and the future association with
the brand is to be determined.

 

Just two days after the story went viral, the corporate offices contacted
WAFB and issued this response:

 

Best Western International requires each independently owned and operated
hotel to comply with all federal, state and local laws and standards,
including the Americans with Disabilities Act (the "ADA"). We provide
extensive training to ensure our hotels understand and address the needs of
guests with special needs. When this matter came to our attention, we
immediately provided direction to the hotel and a reservation was offered to
the family. We deeply regret the matter and we will continue to proactively
communicate ADA requirements and training to Best Western branded hotels to
ensure all guests are treated with the utmost dignity and respect. 

 

Further, we have restricted the hotel on our reservations systems and we
have required the hotel to stop representing itself as a Best Western
branded hotel (cover or remove all Best Western signs and logos) until its
representatives attend a hearing at our corporate headquarters at which
their future association with Best Western will be decided.

 

The statement was sent just before 1 p.m. Thursday. As of 5 p.m. Thursday,
the Best Western signage is still up and not covered.

 

The North Carolina family booked a one-night hotel stay in Baton Rouge at
the Best Western on Siegen Lane. They were told to go elsewhere because they
were bringing their 13-year-old son's Golden Retriever along. 

 

The dog, Chip, is a seizure response dog who is always around 13-year-old
Beau, who is diagnosed with a rare type of epilepsy called Landau-Kleiffner
Syndrome. Chip alerts the family when Beau is having a seizure.

 

Though the family is not required to alert hotels they have a service dog,
because service dogs are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act,
they gave the hotel a heads-up. That is when their reservation was refused.

 

"We got an email saying due to unforeseen circumstances, they will not be
able to honor our reservations. Working through that they said, oh you're
bringing a pet and Best Western isn't pet friendly," said Karen Vaughn,
Beau's mother.

 

The front desk worker inside the hotel said she was aware of the law, but
employees can't go against what the owner says. 

 

Meanwhile, another Best Western hotel is feeling the effects of this
incident.

 

A general manager, at another Best Western in Baton Rouge, says this
incident has negatively affected their business. She says people have been
confusing their College Drive location with the hotel on Siegen Lane, where
the event actually took place. General Manager Jennifer Holmes says because
of this incident, they have received some threatening phone calls. 

 

"They said they were going to riot in front of our hotel," said Holmes. She
pointed out that the Best Western hotels are privately owned. 

 

 

Additionally, Karen Vaughn says the corporate office for the hotel did
contact her, almost a week after the incident, and offered to honor her
reservation.

 

"I've already booked with another hotel that's understanding and happy to
follow the law. I don't want to go to a hotel where I have to force them to
follow the law."

 

The front desk worker who said she was aware of the law but couldn't go
against the owner's policies, has been fired. She says she was fired by the
hotel owner for putting too much attention on the hotel and the owner.