Shifting Corporate Structures<\/h3>\n
Hotel corporations are no longer in the business of building and owning hotels. When a new hotel gets built, it\u2019s initially financed by an individual, a company, or group of investors such as a real estate investment trust. The owners hire architects, contractors, and designers to build the hotel and often find a property management company to handle operations. Sometimes the hotel is run as an independent property, but most commonly the owner(s) will apply to become a franchise. Once approved, a major hotel chain like Marriott or Hilton provides the franchisee with a license to bear its \u201cflag,\u201d or brand. They can do this prior to construction (which helps attract investors) or with an existing property.<\/p>\n
While part of holding a license for a hotel chain\u2019s flag means incorporating certain standard design elements, it\u2019s up to the architects to follow ADA guidelines in their blueprints and the contractors to incorporate them during construction of a new property. The newer the property, the better the chances that a hotel will adhere to the ADA with regards to accessible rooms and public spaces. Where the major problems come into play is in hotel room design that doesn\u2019t fall under the ADA mandate.<\/p>\n
Compliance vs. Convenience<\/h3>\n![\"inaccessible](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/FullSizeRender-300x273.jpg?resize=179%2C163\")
<\/a>Impossible to reach the faucet or shower head.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nI can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve stayed in rooms where the bed is so high it\u2019s impossible for me to transfer into it. Or the faucet and shower head in the roll-in shower is unreachable from the fold-down bench<\/a>. Or the curtain pulls are unreachable behind heavy furniture<\/a>. Or I can\u2019t get into the bed on the side I need because it\u2019s right next to the wall. I\u2019ve even been in a room where the hotel placed a mini-fridge underneath the roll-under bathroom sink. All of these situations are extremely frustrating because hotels are under no legal requirement to fix these inconveniences.<\/p>\nMany large hotel companies have an ADA compliance officer on staff, and there are plenty of licensed and certified ADA inspectors available for hire. These individuals go out to properties and advise hotel owners and their contractors what ADA deficiencies exist. This allows the owners to remedy the problems prior to opening and to avoid lawsuits. However, even if an ADA inspection is conducted and everything on the property is up to code, rarely is a wheelchair user taken through each new property to evaluate it from a disabled guest\u2019s perspective\u2014the very people who will actually be staying in the ADA rooms.<\/p>\n
Reactive vs. Proactive<\/h3>\n
ADA inspections happen in ideal scenarios. But in many cases, franchisees have purchased an older and lower-end property and aren\u2019t motivated to do anything that isn\u2019t legally required. These franchisees are simply counting on disabled guests not complaining\u2014or more specifically, not filing an ADA lawsuit<\/a>. They feel it would take less time and cost less money just to deal with a lawsuit rather than investing money up front to prevent them from happening. Sadly, guests with disabilities are less likely to complain than able-bodied guests, usually because they don\u2019t know their rights under the ADA, don\u2019t travel often and accept their situation as the norm, or would rather just grin and bear it.<\/p>\n![\"No](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/IMG_3146-225x300.jpg?resize=169%2C225\")
<\/a>No space between the bed and the window.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAs a frequent traveler, I know my rights and when to complain. However, elevating it to the corporate\/chain level may not get me anywhere. The franchisor (e.g. IHG, Starwood, Choice Hotels, etc.) usually prefers to allow local management to handle the problem. If I call out the hotel corporation on social media, they often respond within a matter of minutes with a request to message them with the details of my problem\u2014after which they will contact my hotel\u2019s manager and advise me to resolve it with them. If the franchisee of my hotel falls into the \u201cdoesn\u2019t care\u201d category, I\u2019m likely to receive little to no compensation for my lack of access to basic amenities like a usable bed or bathroom.<\/p>\n
<\/a>I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve stayed in rooms where the bed is so high it\u2019s impossible for me to transfer into it. Or the faucet and shower head in the roll-in shower is unreachable from the fold-down bench<\/a>. Or the curtain pulls are unreachable behind heavy furniture<\/a>. Or I can\u2019t get into the bed on the side I need because it\u2019s right next to the wall. I\u2019ve even been in a room where the hotel placed a mini-fridge underneath the roll-under bathroom sink. All of these situations are extremely frustrating because hotels are under no legal requirement to fix these inconveniences.<\/p>\n Many large hotel companies have an ADA compliance officer on staff, and there are plenty of licensed and certified ADA inspectors available for hire. These individuals go out to properties and advise hotel owners and their contractors what ADA deficiencies exist. This allows the owners to remedy the problems prior to opening and to avoid lawsuits. However, even if an ADA inspection is conducted and everything on the property is up to code, rarely is a wheelchair user taken through each new property to evaluate it from a disabled guest\u2019s perspective\u2014the very people who will actually be staying in the ADA rooms.<\/p>\n ADA inspections happen in ideal scenarios. But in many cases, franchisees have purchased an older and lower-end property and aren\u2019t motivated to do anything that isn\u2019t legally required. These franchisees are simply counting on disabled guests not complaining\u2014or more specifically, not filing an ADA lawsuit<\/a>. They feel it would take less time and cost less money just to deal with a lawsuit rather than investing money up front to prevent them from happening. Sadly, guests with disabilities are less likely to complain than able-bodied guests, usually because they don\u2019t know their rights under the ADA, don\u2019t travel often and accept their situation as the norm, or would rather just grin and bear it.<\/p>\n As a frequent traveler, I know my rights and when to complain. However, elevating it to the corporate\/chain level may not get me anywhere. The franchisor (e.g. IHG, Starwood, Choice Hotels, etc.) usually prefers to allow local management to handle the problem. If I call out the hotel corporation on social media, they often respond within a matter of minutes with a request to message them with the details of my problem\u2014after which they will contact my hotel\u2019s manager and advise me to resolve it with them. If the franchisee of my hotel falls into the \u201cdoesn\u2019t care\u201d category, I\u2019m likely to receive little to no compensation for my lack of access to basic amenities like a usable bed or bathroom.<\/p>\nReactive vs. Proactive<\/h3>\n
<\/a>