Guide

The federal rule that says the hotel must hold your accessible room

You booked an accessible room months ago. You called twice to confirm. You arrive, and it's gone — "someone's in it, but we have a regular king."

Here is what almost nobody at that desk knows: since 2012, federal ADA regulations (28 CFR §36.302(e)) have required hotels to do two specific things. First, hold the reserved accessible room for the person who reserved it. Second, take that exact room out of the reservation system so it cannot be double-sold.

Giving your roll-in-shower room to a walk-up guest is not an inventory hiccup. It is a federal civil rights violation with a citation number.

What to do about it: reconfirm in writing 48 hours out with a letter that cites the regulation (our generator writes it for you). At the desk, ask the clerk to note in the system that you are invoking the ADA reservation rule, and ask for the manager on duty. If the room is still gone, document everything — names, times, what was offered — and file with the Department of Justice at ada.gov. Police cannot help; this is civil rights enforcement, and it lives with DOJ, your state attorney general, and your state's Protection & Advocacy organization.