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OK to book handicapped accessible room if able-bodied? Elite upgrades?

OK to book handicapped accessible room if able-bodied? Elite upgrades?

Old Jun 29, 2006, 2:10 pm
  #76  
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I stand by my statement since I was quoted, I would always give up my room if it was needed, and each time I've asked I've been assured that it was not needed and would indeed go empty if I didn't take it or the next person or whatever.

I am very comfortable saying the times I've had that room nobody was denied it who needed it (though it wouldn't really matter because they assured me they had others available).
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Old Jun 30, 2006, 5:07 pm
  #77  
 
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My husband is deaf and disabled, and although this is somewhat off-topic, I wanted to report about a room we were given at a new Marriott in Burbank that was specifically for a Deaf customer. I can't remember if it had other accessible features in the bathroom such as grab bars(I think it did, as my husband needs them, although he is not in a wheelchair). The room was great in that it offered flashing lights when someone rang the doorbell, or if the fire alam went off, etc. This innovation is great for those like my husband, who are rather anxious about staying in hotel rooms alone. Usually he has to tell the front desk that he is deaf and then be at the mercy of anyone who is therefore told about it--meaning that he can easily either be a victim of a burglary while asleep, or risk that someone remembers he can't hear a fire alarm if the need arises. Therefore, he rarely goes anywhere alone, and this room at the Marriott was really great.

Bottom line is I think they only had one, and I assume that they don't have a Deaf person stay there every night, but it would be nice to know it would be available to us when we need it. I have never seen it before at any other hotel, but I have to admit that I have never asked for it when I travel with my husband since I am not Deaf.
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Old Jun 30, 2006, 6:52 pm
  #78  
 
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Originally Posted by Hanlgt
Bottom line is I think they only had one, and I assume that they don't have a Deaf person stay there every night, but it would be nice to know it would be available to us when we need it. I have never seen it before at any other hotel, but I have to admit that I have never asked for it when I travel with my husband since I am not Deaf.
I've seen a number of such rooms - at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach they combine all possible accomodations in a single room - there was a fire alarm while I was there, and the strobe light went on several seconds ahead of the audible alarm. I nearly fell out of bed from the shock before figuring out what was going on. Then I broke a speed record for getting into a wheelchair, out of the room and into the elevator before they shut it down.

Somewhere (probably a Marriott), I requested a wheelchair accessible room and received instead a room designed for the use of Deaf or HI guests; I couldn't even get into the bedroom due to the furniture configuration.

I've stayed at several Courtyards and Residence Inns where the room had a doorbell with a switch that could be flipped to enable a visual bell.
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Old Jul 3, 2006, 4:27 am
  #79  
 
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It's happened to me on several occasions, I have a reservation with no special requests and find that I'm in a handicapped room. I don't know if I got the last room in the house or if the desk clerk just didn't care or what. I never thought much about it, really, assuming that the hotel knew what they were doing and that there must have been other similar rooms in the event they were needed. Now I feel bad!
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Old Jul 3, 2006, 4:43 pm
  #80  
 
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Originally Posted by vickiburton
It's happened to me on several occasions, I have a reservation with no special requests and find that I'm in a handicapped room. I don't know if I got the last room in the house or if the desk clerk just didn't care or what. I never thought much about it, really, assuming that the hotel knew what they were doing and that there must have been other similar rooms in the event they were needed. Now I feel bad!
Hey, Vicki!

Seems to me that's a completely different situation than TABs who deliberately reserve an accessible room, or hotels that underprice the accessible rooms.
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Old Aug 29, 2006, 9:44 pm
  #81  
 
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I just read this entire thread and as a frequent traveler and HH Gold member I feel that I should tell my experience. I travel quite often for work and due to my disability I am in a wheelchair. No where on the Hilton Honors profile does it ask if you NEED a wheelchair accessible room it just list that as a room preference. Well this is something that I NEED in order to get in and out of the bathroom. The bathroom doors in a non-accessible room are often less wide and my wheelchair cannot fit in. I frequently have stayed at the DT in Little Rock and on SEVERAL occassions when I made a reservation online and request as my preference an accessible room, I have gotten to the hotel to find that they had me on the HHonors floor in a non accessible room and that none of the accessible rooms were available because other guests were in them. Once they walked me over to another hotel of much lower quality. The other time they just said that there were no room available and that they could not find me another hotel to stay in so I was out of luck. Now I should say that I was staying at this particular Hilton property once a month for at least two days or more while in Little Rock for business. This went on for almost a year. I always made the reservation online and then had to call the hotel and get assurance that I would be given the wheelchair accessible room. I was sad to see that NONE of the rooms on the HHonors floor were wheelchair accessible. Granted I was always allowed to use the HHonors floor facilities such as the manager's reception and the breakfast buffet. The front desk manager said that they were not certain that I just wanted the accessible room for the extra bathroom space or if I indeed did need the room for the accommodations it provides to someone with a mobility impairment. I think HHonors needs to make a place in the profile where you can designate that you have a specific need for an accessible room and not just a desire to have one because the bathroom is larger.

Once when I was staying in Washington DC I had a reserved accessible room...or so I thought...only to find out that my room was given away before I arrived and they had no other wheelchair accessible rooms available. They of course had plenty of non accessible rooms available in this instance but I cannot use those rooms. It took a hotel maintenance man to suggest having me go up to the JR. Suite and see if I could use the bathroom in there because he felt the bathroom door in there was wide enough for me to use...and indeed it was. Luckily for me they did upgrade me to this room at the regular rate I was staying in.

When I was younger and in college I played wheelchair sports. Often we ( a team of 10 wheelchair athletes) had to deal with the fact that no single hotel would have enough wheelchair accessible rooms to accommodate us. Often we'd have to find ways around the inaccessble rooms and adapt. The ADA requires a certain percentage of rooms in hotels to be accessible for people with disabilities. As a businessman I can understand filling all the rooms in the hotel with paying guests. It is just ultra frustrating to find out that someone who does not have a disability is in a room that is designed for people with disabilities, especially when I have reserved a room that is wheelchair accessible with a credit card.

If I were not disabled I would not book a room designed to specifically meet the needs of people with disabilities. Now if I was given one of these rooms I would be certain to let the hotel management know that I am more than willing to switch into any other available room if someone who has needs that this room was specifically designed for does show up.

That being said. I am lucky that I do not have an extremely severe disability that leaves me to be a quadrepeligic. I have and will continue to give up priority seating on planes, or hotel rooms for someone who has a more severe disability than myself.

Nothing annoys me more than when someone who does not have a disability sees me coming and uses a rest room stall that is designed wider so that my wheelchair can fit in it. I've seen tall men use these stalls for the extra leg room and I've seen overweight men use these stalls too. Now I don't mind if a person who does not have a disability uses these facilities if there is no one waiting, however, when you see someone waiting and you use that facility when it's the only one that a person with a mobility impairment can use and someone with a mobility impairment is waiting to use the rest room then I do have a major problem with that. I can't tell you how many times someone has climbed over me to get to the accessible bathroom stall and they did not have a disability. I have incontinence issues as do many people with disabilities who are paralyzed and we cannot always hold out and wait for you to read "War and Peace" while stretching out your legs in comfort to finish.

The ADA mandates a certain percentage of parking spaces and hotel rooms be made accessible for people with disabilities. ( There are many more issues set forth in the ADA but these are the one's that are being brought up here in this thread) As our country's population is getting older with first generation Baby Boomer's now looking to retire we need to make this world a barrier free environment. For those businesses that do not make themselves more accommodating to people with dsabilities you are missing out. Our population overall is getting older and many of these people will develop medical issues as they continue to age. Those businesses that do not make themselves more friendly to people with disabilities are going to have a tough time competing with those who do meet the needs of people with disabilities as our countries population continues to live longer.
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Old Aug 29, 2006, 10:05 pm
  #82  
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You make a very good point. These hotel programs should have a permanent field for required ADA/accessible rooms. I have been given more of these rooms than I care to have ever had (and didn't want nor request), and from time to time, that is all that is available to book (or is substantially less rate than others, not even requesting it). If this is the option provided, I always put a note in the comments field that I DO NOT NEED the accessible room. I would certainly hope that with advance reservation, most hotels would be able to accomodate you most of the time, and advise you IN ADVANCE if they can't.
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Old Aug 30, 2006, 4:34 am
  #83  
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Angry at the wrong person

Originally Posted by kmj37
As a person with a disability, I consider it absolutely unacceptable to book an accessible room when one is not needed, no matter the circumstances or the price. It is the ethical equivalent of parking in an accessible parking space, whether it is illegal or not.

Those rooms are there for people like myself who require those design modifications in order to complete basic, everyday functions like taking a shower. It is possible that harm will come to me if I'm forced to use a shower or other facilities without these modifications.

In the end, it is possible that you end up screwing a person who really needs the room. What if your hotel is the only hotel in the neighborhood with appropriate accommodations in that price level?

Consider also that many people with disabilities are limited in their transportation options. Renting a car may not be practical. Taxi use may be neither practical nor economical. Public transportation is hit or miss depending on the city. That hotel may be the only one within reasonable distance of the person's final destination, and you have possibly taken the last room available to that person at that hotel, out of greed, laziness, or general disregard for others.
I have a wife who is physically challenged and have had occasion to try and get her a room that was accessible. While I FULLY understand why you are upset I think you are pointing your anger in the wrong direction. While the OP "did not do the right thing" by booking the room to save $100.00, it is the property management that is being greedy here. They are offering an accessible room, at a discount no less, to anybody willing to pay. More over, they are discounting that room to get it filled so they can get to THEIR financial goal of 100% of capacity. I happen to agree with you that these rooms should be "held" for someone who needs them but the property management is not willing to take the hit on those rooms when they have no physically challenged guests, so much so that they are willing to auction the room off by lowering the price. Trust me on this- if they had NOT sold the room to the OP they would have given the room to the next person who walked in the door if it were the last room in the house, period, end of discussion. The end result would be exactly the same whether the OP took the room or not. Moreover, I book my stays on the website 100% of the time and have it down to a science. I FLY through and book my room always ticking the cheapest price offered as that is the correct thing for a Diamond to do (you will always get the upgrade if available regardless of the rate paid) and I can not tell you honestly that I really dont look at the description just the price. Does that make me just as bad as you feel the OP is? I want a room at the cheapest price possible and I expect Hilton TO DO THE RIGHT THING and keep us out of it. I think that this is what the OP was trying to say, though I do not agree with his/her methods. The parking space analogy is a good one. This is like the local shopping center using a plastic, removable, accessible placard on the parking spaces and removing them when they are really busy to get more people in the store. That is the despicable part IMHO and someone should propose legislation that states just having accessible rooms is not enough; they must be designated for use for those who need them.

AvidFlyer-
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Old Aug 30, 2006, 8:09 am
  #84  
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Originally Posted by avidflyer
While the OP "did not do the right thing" by booking the room to save $100.00, it is the property management that is being greedy here....

...if they had NOT sold the room to the OP they would have given the room to the next person who walked in the door if it were the last room in the house, period, end of discussion.

Does that make me just as bad as you feel the OP is? I think that this is what the OP was trying to say, though I do not agree with his/her methods....

AvidFlyer-
Just want to point out that the OP (me) did not fail to "do the right thing" as believed by several people unable to comprehend SIMPLE ENGLISH.

The OP ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS and didn't DO anything.

The OP hasn't reserved a room with Hilton in months and has no plans at present to do so.

The OP was initiating an academic inquiry by asking more knowledgeable people for their opinions.

Sheeeeeeeeeesh.
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Old Aug 30, 2006, 8:29 am
  #85  
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Originally Posted by toomanybooks
Just want to point out that the OP (me) did not fail to "do the right thing" as believed by several people unable to comprehend SIMPLE ENGLISH.

The OP ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS and didn't DO anything.

The OP hasn't reserved a room with Hilton in months and has no plans at present to do so.

The OP was initiating an academic inquiry by asking more knowledgeable people for their opinions.

Sheeeeeeeeeesh.
The "right thing" refers to your refusal to give the room up to someone who needed it even after an upgrade at the same price was offered. I was pointing out that no matter what YOU did (or did not) do, the result would be exactly the same because the property will not let those rooms go un-occupied.
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Old Aug 30, 2006, 8:44 am
  #86  
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Originally Posted by avidflyer
The "right thing" refers to your refusal to give the room up to someone who needed it even after an upgrade at the same price was offered. I was pointing out that no matter what YOU did (or did not) do, the result would be exactly the same because the property will not let those rooms go un-occupied.
Agreed - that's the key here, and really what GimpysRevenge is talking about: we all know that people use the accessible facilities when they don't need them. In the hotel case, it's sometimes because the hotel leaves us no other choice because of either how they price the rooms or how they assign them. The question is are you willing to give it up for someone who really needs it? If your own personal answer is "yes, I would switch to a regular room if someone needed the accessible room", then I don't see any ethical problem with booking the "last room at the inn" when it is the accessible room type.
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Old Aug 30, 2006, 9:26 am
  #87  
 
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WOW! I've now just discovered this lively debate and read through all 6 pages. Firstly, I must be missing something because I don't think I've ever seen an accessible room available for booking at a lower rate whenever I've done a search (or maybe I have and simply discounted it after reading the description)

Personally, I would probably never book an accessible room, but I don't blame anyone who would, given a full $100 a night inducement. The fact that the price is so much lower tells me that the hotel is very confident that the room will go unfilled unless an economic incentive is provided to the general public to fill it. The corollary to this is that the hotel is also very confident that the room won't actually be needed. In the case that it is, the ONLY right thing to do is to give it up to someone who actually needs it.
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Old Aug 30, 2006, 9:46 am
  #88  
 
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Originally Posted by avidflyer
The "right thing" refers to your refusal to give the room up to someone who needed it even after an upgrade at the same price was offered.

To be fair to the OP, he wasn't the one who refused to give up the room to someone who needed it after an upgrade was offered. Please read post #2.
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Old Aug 30, 2006, 10:08 am
  #89  
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Originally Posted by kuroneko
To be fair to the OP, he wasn't the one who refused to give up the room to someone who needed it after an upgrade was offered. Please read post #2.
Agree 100%
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Old Aug 30, 2006, 11:32 am
  #90  
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1) I understand the reason that each Hotel has these type of rooms. But I dont believe that any 1 person has a right to stay at any particuliar Hotel. If there was but 1 Hotel in any locale thatwould be different. So a person wants to stay at a Hilton prop to earn HH pts and credits, thats fine but there is no reason that this should be a gaurantee. Even a reg person cant be 100% sure that they can get a room at any Hotel anytime.

2) want to make it a law OK, so who will pay the Hotel if the room goes empty overnight and they could have filled it? Its Wrong to make any Hotel lose a nights earnings , just in case there is a walk-in that needs such a room.

3) Its not the same as a parking lot. Except if its a lot that charges for parking that is Private. Where its a mall lot there is no lack of earnings with the free parking, if no one occupies that space.

4) Maybe Hotels should also have to have beds that are extra long so that Tall people can get a reg nights sleep. and dont forget the Showers where the nozzle is usually very low for a tall person. I know its not the same as someone who has REAL SPECIAL NEEDS. Its just how much should Private Enterprise have to pay out of its own pockets. Should Airlines have to leave extra room or have extra wide seats and no seats in front in order to enable people with NEEDS to fly in coach, why should a person with needs have to buy a 1st class tkt instead of a coach tkt. etc etc

Both of my parents are people with Special Needs and I feel that no particuliar Hotel should ahve to guarantee them a room, yes it should have said rooms but No my parents should not be guaranteed a room there. Just as when the cheap seats are gone a person can decide to either pay more or fly on a different day. Should a non-smoker be able to sit in a smoking area, after all they will taking away the possibilty of a smoker from being able to eat or drink in that Place.

Sorry but I see nothing wrong with anyone occupying an accessible room, nor should it be against the law either, like that will be able to be enforced. Nor do I see it as Morally Wrong. And yes Ive parked in spots far from where I needed to be cause the only ones available were Handi_Capped ones and the Plates on the car are Handi-Capped Plates but neither of my parents were with me, so I see the plates then as if they were reg plates and I do NOT park in those spots.
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