[NFBWATlk] Landmark Hotel Orcas Island

[Merribeth Greenberg]

Hi Allison,
I am sorry to hear about your experience.
I work at a Hilton and can tell you that chain hotels are more informed and
know better. The staff gets training on ADA, safety issues, sensitivity
training, etc.
I am thinking they are a locally owned business. But, at the same time.
they should not have treated you like that and need to get some training on
ADA themselves.
As someone had already had suggested I would post on TripAdvisor and other
social media places about your experience. I am sure the management or
owners look at those reviews and would not like for the negative things out
there. Especially at this time of low occupancy with the pandemic.

Beth Greenberg


On Sun, Mar 7, 2021 at 8:45 PM Allison Mello via NFBWATlk <
nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> My name is Allison Mello.
>
> I am new to this list.
>
> This past weekend my husband and I stayed with some friends at the Landmark
> hotel on Orcas Island.
>
> Upon check out, the manager called my friend who made the reservation and
> inquired whether an animal had stayed with us.
>
> She answered that it was a guide dog. The phone was passed to me. I spoke
> with the rude and pugnacious manager. She asked if I had a service animal
> and what kind of service animal it was. I said that yes I had a service
> animal and that he was a guide dog.
>
> She asked what a guide dog does, and then cut me off during my reply
> saying,
> "oh, a guide dog. I know."
>
> She demanded proof. Paperwork. A copy of his card. She said that it was
> required for airlines, so it was required for them.
>
> I informed her that airlines are part of a different law, and that it is
> illegal to ask for any paperwork.
>
> She started to try and educate me on the difference between an emotional
> support animal and a service animal. We hung up. She sent a threatening
> email demanding proof and saying the consequence for not complying was a
> $200 fee.
>
> I informed her of the language in Title II of the ADA, to which she
> responded by saying that people with service animals don't understand the
> work it takes hotel cleaning staff, and that they would need to clean the
> comforters.
>
> This brings so many things to light. One, obviously I know how to clean
> after my dog. Two, these are the routine issues a public accommodation has
> to deal with. Three, in a pandemic why aren't they cleaning their
> comforters
> anyways?
>
> I am angry. I am upset. And I think other dog handlers need to be aware.
>
>
>
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