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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=Disability.Outreach@usdoj.gov
href="mailto:Disability.Outreach@usdoj.gov">Outreach , Disability (CRT)</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=Mazen.Basrawi@usdoj.gov
href="mailto:Mazen.Basrawi@usdoj.gov">Basrawi, Mazen (CRT)</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, November 09, 2010 12:21 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHES AGREEMENT WITH HILTON WORLDWIDE
INC. OVER ADA VIOLATIONS AT HILTON HOTELS AND MAJOR HOTEL CHAINS OWNED BY HILTON
</DIV></DIV>
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<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us><FONT face="Times New Roman">Note: The consent decree and a fact
sheet are attached below in pdf format.</FONT></SPAN></P>
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face=Arial><IMG alt="Picture (Device Independent Bitmap)"
src="cid:7689DEF7F4964317A7C68D5B3DEDF262@CarlosPC"></FONT><B></B></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us><B></B></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><B><FONT size=5
face="Times New Roman">DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE</FONT></B></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr align=center><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">________________________________________________________________________
</FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us>
</SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us> <FONT face="Times New Roman">Civil Rights
Division</FONT></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN></P></UL></UL></UL></UL></UL></UL></UL></UL></UL></UL></UL></UL>
<P dir=ltr align=center><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us><FONT face="Times New Roman">TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9,
2010 (202) 514-2007</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr align=center><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><A
href="http://www.JUSTICE.GOV"><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><U><FONT color=#0000ff
face="Times New Roman">WWW.JUSTICE.GOV</FONT></U></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN></A><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us>
<FONT face="Times New Roman">
TDD (202) 514-1888</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr align=center><SPAN lang=en-us><B></B></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us><B></B></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><B></B></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr align=center><SPAN lang=en-us><B></B></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us><B></B></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><B><U><FONT
face="Times New Roman">JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REACHES AGREEMENT WITH HILTON
WORLDWIDE INC. OVER ADA VIOLATIONS </FONT></U></B></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr align=center><SPAN lang=en-us><B><U><FONT face="Times New Roman">AT
HILTON HOTELS AND MAJOR HOTEL CHAINS OWNED BY HILTON </FONT></U></B></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><I></I></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><I></I></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us><I><U></U></I></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us><FONT face="Times New Roman">WASHINGTON – The Justice Department and
Hilton Worldwide Inc. today announced a comprehensive, precedent-setting
agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that will make
state-of-the-art accessibility changes to approximately 900 hotels
nationwide. The agreement is in the form of a proposed consent decree
filed today in federal court to resolve a simultaneously filed lawsuit under the
ADA. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT face="Times New Roman">The department’s
complaint alleges that Hilton’s hotels designed and constructed after Jan. 26,
1993, fail to comply with the ADA and Department of Justice regulations.
Hilton operates a system of hotels throughout the United States under the
trade and service names of “Hilton,” “Conrad Hotels & Resorts,”
“Doubletree,” “Embassy Suites,” “Hampton Inn,” “Hilton Garden Inn,” “Hilton
Grand Vacations,” “Homewood Suites,” “the Waldorf Astoria” and
“Home2Suites.” Hilton Worldwide Inc. (HWI), owns, operates, or has entered
into and maintains franchise license agreements for each hotel in the HWI
system.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT face="Times New Roman">“The ADA protects the
right of people with disabilities to stay in accessible hotel rooms, and to
reserve those hotel rooms through the same convenient systems as everyone else,”
said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights
Division. “Persons with disabilities who travel for pleasure or business
must be able to count on getting the accessible room they reserved, and the
hotel must provide the choice of amenities that everyone comes to expect from a
major national hotel chain like Hilton.”</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT face="Times New Roman">The agreement is the
result of a lengthy investigation and negotiation. Hilton officials
cooperated with the department throughout the process. Allegations in the
department’s complaint include failure to provide the required number of
accessible rooms, failure to disperse accessible rooms among the various
categories of available accommodations, failure to provide individuals with
disabilities the ability to reserve accessible rooms through Hilton’s central
reservations system on-line or by telephone, and failure to provide individuals
with disabilities with the accessible sleeping accommodations that they
reserved.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT face="Times New Roman">Today’s settlement
represents the first time the Department of Justice has required a franchisor to
require all franchised or managed hotels that enter into a new franchise or
management agreement, experience a change in ownership, or renew or extend a
franchise agreement, to conduct a survey of its facilities and to certify that
the hotel complies with the ADA. It is also the first time that an
agreement under the ADA has specifically detailed how a hotel reservations
system should be made accessible. The agreement also represents the first time
that a hotel chain has been required to make its online reservations system
accessible and to provide on its website current data about accessible features
in guest rooms throughout the chain. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT face="Times New Roman">Under the
agreement:</FONT></SPAN></P>
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lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
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<LI><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">All owned and joint venture hotels built after Jan.
26, 1993 will be surveyed and brought into compliance with Department of
Justice ADA title III regulations, including dispersing accessible rooms
among the various classes of available accommodations, providing accessible
rooms with roll-in showers and tub seats, and providing accessible rooms for
guests with hearing impairments; </FONT></SPAN></LI></DIV>
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lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
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<LI><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">For franchised and managed hotels built after Jan.
26, 1993, where Hilton enters into a new franchise or management agreement,
renews or extends an agreement for more than six months, or agrees to a
change of ownership, Hilton will require the owners to survey their hotels
for compliance with specified provisions of the ADA, and where necessary,
bring their hotels into compliance; </FONT></SPAN></LI></DIV></UL>
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lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
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<LI><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Hotels constructed in the future will be required to
comply with the ADA; </FONT></SPAN></LI></DIV></UL>
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lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
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<LI><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Specific ADA training will be provided for
staff;</FONT></SPAN></LI></DIV>
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lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
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<LI><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Hilton’s reservations system will be improved so
individuals with disabilities can reserve accessible rooms with specific
available options and amenities, and have the same opportunity to guarantee
a reservation for an accessible room as that offered for any other
reservation;</FONT></SPAN></LI></DIV></UL>
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lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
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<LI><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Hilton will improve the accessibility of its
websites; </FONT></SPAN></LI></DIV></UL>
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lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
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<LI><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Hilton will appoint a national ADA compliance officer
responsible for Hilton’s compliance with the ADA and the consent
decree;</FONT></SPAN></LI></DIV></UL>
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lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
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<LI><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Hilton will appoint ADA on-site contact persons at
each hotel responsible for resolving ADA-related complaints at the local
level; and </FONT></SPAN></LI></DIV></UL>
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<LI><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Hilton will pay a civil penalty of $50,000 to the
United States.</FONT></SPAN></LI></DIV></UL></UL>
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lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us> <FONT
face="Times New Roman">People interested in finding out more about the ADA or
this consent decree can call the toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301
or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access the ADA website at</FONT></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us> </SPAN><A href="http://www.ada.gov"><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><U><FONT color=#0000ff
face="Times New Roman">www.ada.gov</FONT></U></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN></A><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us><FONT face="Times New Roman">.</FONT></SPAN></P>
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lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
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lang=en-us><FONT face="Times New Roman">###</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT color=#000000 size=2
face=Arial><<Final Consent Decree.pdf>> </FONT></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT color=#000000
size=2 face=Arial><<HWI Fact Sheet 5.pdf>> </FONT></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT
face="Times New Roman">10-1268</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us><FONT size=2 face="Times New Roman">DO NOT REPLY TO THIS
MESSAGE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE USE THE CONTACTS IN THE MESSAGE OR
CALL THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT 202-514-2007.</FONT></SPAN><SPAN
lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN></P>
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