Holiday Inn Express & Suites Houston NW - Hwy 290 Cypress by IHG

The rest of my stay was good, which makes this even more frustrating. The TV didn’t work, but I didn’t feel comfortable asking anyone to fix it because I didn’t want another interaction with the desk clerk. She also took away my late checkout, and the afternoon employee was rude when I explained that I was meant to leave at 2 p.m. Before booking online, I called the front desk at 8:52 p.m. to ask about service animal rules. I knew some businesses ask for papers even though public and private facilities and businesses can’t legally require papers, certifications, or medical records for a service dog. If they had said they needed them, I planned to explain the Federal American Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Texas Human Resources Code, so they could pass that information to management. I would have brought my papers anyway to make things smoother, but I didn’t have them with me. I was calling around to find out whether I could pay for a pet stay or whether the hotel understood disability law and didn’t require paperwork. The person I spoke with said they only accepted service animals. When I asked if I needed to bring my papers, she said no, so I thanked her and booked. At check-in, the desk clerk became hostile as soon as I said her associate had told me no papers were needed. She said, “I don’t know who you talked to but that isn’t gonna happen.” I told her asking for papers was against the law and that I’d called ahead to prevent a problem. She kept cutting me off with, “I’m not going to argue with you, go to your room.” Going to my room without my service animal wasn’t an option because that would put my life at risk. Even if I could manage one night without him, I couldn’t leave him in the parking lot. I asked to cancel and get a refund so I could go to the Holiday Inn down the road, where they knew the law and accepted service animals without papers. Instead she said, “No I’m checking you out.” The police were called, and her manner changed immediately. I reported her and the hotel to the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. I hate that I had to do that, especially since everything else about my stay was good.