How to reserve an ADA accessible hotel room
good advice from Corbett O'Toole, posted here with her permission

I stay in lots of hotels and organize conferences with other people with mobility disabilities. My hotel experiences reflect Murphy's Law: If it can go wrong, it will. Over the years I developed a checklist based on the experiences of lots of disabled people. It reduces my frustration.
There are MANY people on the Berkeley Disabled listserve with lots of hotel experience. It's a great resource. If you need info, ask for it. Someone will know.

* Write down what YOU need in an accessible room. Do you need a roll-in shower? A specific height for a toilet seat? A shower bench? A specific height of the bed? Easy-to-reach light and temperature controls? A refrigerator / microwave in the room?
The more YOU can state your needs clearly, the better luck you will have.

* ONLY make reservations with the staff at the Hotel. Do NOT depend on the national reservations office. The local hotel staff KNOW their facility and can give you specific information about rooms, hotel layout, etc.
Reason: If you book an accessible room through the National reservations line (or any online service), the local hotel may also reserve the same room for a different person for the same nights you need it. When there is a problem, the local hotel staff will honor the reservation THEIR staff made. And you will be out in the cold.

* If you want to use an online services like Hotels.com to get a cheap room rate, here is what you can do. First, call the hotel you want to stay at and ask all your access questions - including what "category" of room the accessible room is (i.e. "standard", "junior suite", "business floor", etc.).
Second, go to the online hotel reservation sites and get the best deal on room rates.
Then call back to the hotel and speak to reservations. Give them your online reservation number confirming that you booked a room in their hotel. Then tell them that you need an accessible room with your specific access needs (I.e. roll-in shower).
If you wrote down the room you want, then tell the reservation person that (I.e. I need the wheelchair accessible room with the roll-in shower). The hotel will link your online reservation number to their accessible room.

* While you are on the phone with the hotel reservations, WRITE DOWN the specific ways that the hotel talks about that room (i.e. "handicapped room"; "ADA room type 1"; "the xx27 stack"; "wheelchair suite with king bed"). You will need this information later.

* Ask the hotel reservations staff person to confirm the reservation WITH access information with you by email. Tell them to include the accessible room specifics IN the email. If they do, print it off and bring it with you to the hotel.
If their email does NOT state your needed accommodations, then YOU email them with the information. For example:
"I reserved an accessible room with a roll-in shower for [DATES]. This email confirms that your reservations staff [INSERT STAFF NAME] assigned me to the wheelchair accessible room with a roll-in shower. My reservation number is: xxxxxx."

* Print off and BRING with you ALL correspondence with the hotel. You will probably need it.

* Check out the room you reserved before you move into it. Is it set up the way you requested? Is there anything in the room that creates a barrier for you? If there is, talk to the hotel staff about getting it fixed before you move into it.
Some things are: furniture that needs to be moved or removed; bathroom door that prevents you from getting into the bathroom (ask them to remove it); contols for lights and temperature might need to be moved or pre-set; TV remote that you cannot reach. Hotels will move stuff around for you and even do extraordinary things (such as putting a second mattress on top to make the height right for you) IF you told them in advance AND you confirmed it with them by email.

* IF the hotel makes everything work for you, write a nice note to the hotel Manager telling them what a great job the hotel did for you. You can also ask if the hotel has "feedback" or "comment" cards. On it you can note people who made your experience with the hotel better.

* IF the hotel makes it difficult for you, then write an note to the hotel Manager telling them the problems you encountered at their hotel. Ask for the name and email of the hotel chain's ADA coordinator and cc them on all correspondence with the Manager.

A FEW FINAL WORDS:

- There is no such thing as a "standard accessible room". So do NOT assume anything. If you need grab rails on the right side of the toilet, ask if they are there (and make sure it is in your hotel confirmation email). For lots of reasons, each hotel room is configured differently. It's up to YOU to ask the questions and require the accommodations you need.

- Hotels MUST confirm that you have an accessible room (with your specifications) BEFORE you arrive. I still have hotel reservation staffs tell me "We will request the accessible room for you but we can NOT guarantee it." That is ILLEGAL. Tell the staff this is illegal, and ask to speak to the manager. When you finally have the reservation with the specifications you need - confirm it in writing (email is fine).

- If you reserve an accessible room and they give it away before you arrive, they MUST find you another accessible room (with your specifications) at their hotel or at another hotel for the SAME price of your original reservation.

MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE: TRUST that the hotel is trying to be honest but VERIFY EVERYTHING that you need.

Good luck.

Corbett

If you use a hoyer lift you need to confirm w/ the hotel that your lift can roll under the bed. a bed on a platform does not work for hoyers, the bed must be on a bed frame. If the frame is too low call the front desk and demand that they raise the bed. Often this can be accomplished w/ a few wood blocks.
--Rose

Also make sure that the area around the hotel itself is accessible. I went to a conference in seattle, in a wonderful hotel, as far as accessibility and everything else, but it was on the steepest hill.
--Dean Tuckerman