convert

I was looking at hotel rooms and I noticed that an ADA room with all the accessiblities was available that was less expensive than the regular room. How are these room? Should and could I reserve them. Will I be taking the room from someone who needs it. Will I get a room upgrade if there is availiablility as gold.

DivMiler

I do occasionally. I make it clear in the "special requests" field that I do not require the accessible room. I have never gotten the accessible room when I have checked in.

sc flier

Same here, but I have sometimes ended up in them anyway. (Not sure if I've ever ended up in one in a Starwood. Can't remember.)

Often, these rooms are on the ground floor or very close to the elevators. These are not my normal preferences. If at a hotel with small bathrooms, then the accessible room's large bathroom can be a perk. However, some folks don't like some of the accessible showers at all.

"Will I be taking the room from someone who needs it?"
That's a possibility. Very nice of you to be concerned about that.

If I'm not mistaken, don't some SPG Award reservations get reserved for accessible rooms (even though you can't see which room type your online award is associated with)?

Eastbay1K

I do the same thing - I think I've received "ADA" rooms more when not requesting them than when it is the original room choice

aslsigner

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/hspr-H102; Blazer/4.0) 16;320x320)

As someone that does request and often needs an ADA room, it's still my responsibility to book early enough to actually get this room. It's like handicapped spaces: I can't be mad if there are no more spaces when I get to the mall.
Now, with that said, I haven't found the rates EXCEEDINGLY cheaper than standard rooms so the cost/benefit should normally indicate this room will be at the same rate.
I can only assume that a property with, for example, a dozen rooms but they have not booked any of them to date and they just want revenue from these extra rooms.

JoeBagodonuts

let me join the list to say I'll book these in a heart beat and put in the notes that I do not want or need a handicap room

I also reiterate this at check in.

Only once in a blue moon do I get stuck with one of these rooms and well that is what I paid for LOL

Craig6z

I booked one at the Aladdin last Fall, and like others notated that it wasn't necessary. At check-in I made it clear to the receptionist that she could assign me somewhere else, but the woman didn't seem to care. They gave me an ADA room anyhow.

Nice room... probably 150 square feet larger then an average Aladdin room, BTW.

wth

I'd book it without hesitation. I believe ADA only ensure access, not preference. And they do tend to be roomier.

However, I think the previous suggestions about making it clear that you do not need the accessible room is nice just in case someone really has a need for it.

CPRich

Unless it is full on non-handicapped parkers.

I've only done it once, about two months ago. I was booking the day of arrival and it was the only room left - I felt the chances of boxing out someone who needed it was quite sllim.

I don't think I've ever seen a room cheaper, but I probably still wouldn't.

aslsigner

Well, this is an entirely different issue.
Being able to book an ADA room is irrespective of the fact that you are in need of the facilities that make that room ADA compliant. Conversely, if you park in a handicapped space, illegally using a handicapped placard (ie. you are not handicapped yourself nor are you transporting someone who is), that's a parking violation punishable by some pretty hefty fines. I don't think *wood will throw a fine at you for booking an ADA room and saving a few bucks.

CPRich

We can agree to disagree on this one.

I look at it on ethical grounds, not legal. I assume accessible rooms are for people who are disabled and need the extra room, handles, modified components, etc, because functioning in a standard room is difficult or impossible. By taking the only, or one of the few, such rooms, I may be putting someone in a very tough situation, which I find selfish to save a few dollars when standard rooms are availble.

Being legal doesn't mean it's right, IMHO.

bgriff

It's worth noting that ADA rooms are not always larger, and that may in fact be why it's coming up as cheaper at the property where the OP was booking. I was in an ADA room once at the Westin Grand in DC when the hotel was particularly full. That room was much smaller than the average room at that property, and laid out in a much less convenient way (for just about anyone, handicapped or not). All of the bathrooms at that property are spacious so that was no benefit.

tev9999

I booked an ADA room by mistake a few months ago. I just clicked on the first non-smoking king with the cheap (company) rate. I did get put in the room.

Since then I watch more carefully. It seems that the ADA rooms will be around longer than the kings, then doubles. I'm guessing most people either prefer the regular rooms, or intentionally avoid taking them from someone who needs it.

I'll just take a double instead of my normal king instead now. Have not run into the issue where it is the only one available.

tadive

As long as you're taking the time to notify the hotel that you do not need the ADA room, I see no issue with it. It's the hotel's responsibility and/or choice to make that room available to someone who needs it.

It's the same thing when booking a cruiseship cabin. You can book a person who does not need a handicapped accessible cabin into one (sorry, but cruiseships don't tend to use the term ADA) however, the cruiseline makes it clear that if someone with a need comes along, your client will be bumped out of that cabin into any other one in that same category or higher. There's nothing ethically wrong with it -- either the cabin will sit empty, be occupied by someone who needs it, or be occupied by someone who doesn't need it in lieu of sitting empty.

I see no difference in the hotel-scenario. Now, if you booked the ADA room under false pretenses, that would be a different scenario. The OP didn't indicate that he/she was being underhanded about it. He/she is not getting the room at the expense of someone with a real need -- he or she is getting it in lieu of it sitting empty. No moral dilemma there.

CPRich

Yeah, it's the hotel's fault. I reserved a room designed for a disabled person even though I don't need it, but anything goes wrong, not my fault. After all, I wrote a note...