Do I need any special paperwork to check into a hotel with my service dog?

Question

I'll be taking a road trip with my German Shepherd tonight and want to stay at Best Western hotels. She has a patch on her backpack that says "service dog" and I have a one sentence letter from my doctor but he's very vague. It says "Please let _____ travel with her dog for her medical condition." Does anyone know if I need anything official or is her backpack fine? Also can they charge me the $25/night pet fee for her? (It's ok if they do but just curious).

Answer 1

i agree with calling the hotel chain to see the rules on service dogs.  the backpack should be ok, but i thought service dogs had to be registered with a national registry.  it makes them exempt from yearly licnesing and able to go into movie theaters, stores, airplanes, etc.  

Answer 2

If you know you are staying in a particular hotel then you must have the phone number.  I'd call them and ask them.  Good trip!

Answer 3

Browsing through Best Western's online information, it looks like it is somewhat hotel dependent (no corporate rule in place).  One hotel does say "properly-documented service animals only" so I would play it safe and contact the hotels, make sure what they need/what they consider "proper documentation".   Also I don't see any info anywhere about pet fees (may be hotel specific again) so that's probably something else you'll want to bring up beforehand.

On a side note, I found a review/complaint from a person who was told that her service animal wouldn't be allowed in the room at all, it's hard to know from the posting though (http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?i... ) whether this was an undereducated front-desk person or the actual hotel policy.

Answer 4

I highly doubt it. They shouldn't charge you or anything. If they do tell them that it is a service dog and it is aloud anywhere. Usually they will just ask some questions and then tell you about their dog (this can be pretty boring but its good to make a good impression:)

Answer 5

You shouldn't need more than what you have. Hotels are just like every other business. And they can't ask for papers depending on state regulations

http://www.ada.gov/animal.htm

Q: How can I tell if an animal is really a service animal and not just a pet?

A: Some, but not all, service animals wear special collars and harnesses. Some, but not all, are licensed or certified and have identification papers. If you are not certain that an animal is a service animal, you may ask the person who has the animal if it is a service animal required because of a disability. However, an individual who is going to a restaurant or theater is not likely to be carrying documentation of his or her medical condition or disability. Therefore, such documentation generally may not be required as a condition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a service animal. Although a number of states have programs to certify service animals, you may not insist on proof of state certification before permitting the service animal to accompany the person with a disability.

Depends on what they are charging you 25$ a night for

Q: Can I charge a maintenance or cleaning fee for customers who bring service animals into my business?

A: No. Neither a deposit nor a surcharge may be imposed on an individual with a disability as a condition to allowing a service animal to accompany the individual with a disability, even if deposits are routinely required for pets. However, a public accommodation may charge its customers with disabilities if a service animal causes damage so long as it is the regular practice of the entity to charge non-disabled customers for the same types of damages. For example, a hotel can charge a guest with a disability for the cost of repairing or cleaning furniture damaged by a service animal if it is the hotel's policy to charge when non-disabled guests cause such damage.

Answer 6

call the hotel and tell them you'll have your service dog with you.