‘WoodSpring Suites is a terrible hotel’: Hotel guest says worker kicked them out for having a service dog
This hotel guest claims a manager assaulted his partner and kicked them out as they tried to clear up confusion about her service dog.
What is a service animal?
While many are just as cute and cuddly, service animals are not pets.
Some common tasks service animals are trained on include: retrieving objects for a person in a wheelchair, reminding a person with depression to take their medication, detecting the onset of a seizure for a person with epilepsy and helping the person remain safe during the seizure, as well as alerting a person with PTSD of an ongoing panic attack by licking their hand.
A service animal is not the same as an emotional support animal. Emotional support and comfort are not tasks associated with a person's disability.
Where can service animals go?
Service animals are federally allowed in the majority of public spaces. And that's even if they have a no-pet policy. That could include restaurants, malls, hospitals, schools, and hotels since the service animals need to be with their person. This also applies to certain housing, such as college dorms, public housing, and emergency shelters.
A service animal can only be kept out if the dog's presence would "fundamentally alter the nature of the goods, services, programs, or activities provided to the public."
Meeting this threshold is uncommon. But an example would be keeping a service animal out of an operating room since they could compromise the sterile environment.
Veteran with disability kicked out of hotel
TikToker @v.1333 says she was discriminated against by the St. Louis, St. Charles WoodSpring Suites manager over her service animal. Her video has more than 1 million views.
@v.1333, we'll call her V, says that upon check-in, she and her husband let the hotel staff know that she'd have her service dog with her during her stay. She notes they also explained what services the dog performs.
Having informed them, V says she thought her stay would go smoothly. But, she says, throughout her 10 days there, the hotel manager flooded her with notices and warnings. The notices and warnings, according to V, said that if the service dog didn't adhere to the pet policy, they'd be evicted. V identifies the manager as Sarah Brodeur.
She also accuses hotel staff of entering her room multiple times without notice or consent.
V says she made three requests to speak to the manager but wasn't able to speak to her until she went down to find her.
"Instead of admitting there was a [mistake] on their end, she proceeded to evict me, change the key cards, and call the police," V says.
The Daily Dot called the hotel in question, and Sarah picked up the phone. Sarah hung up when we identified ourselves and asked if she was the manager from the TikTok.
@v.1333 WoodSpring Suites St Louis St Charles Missouri General Manager Sarah Brodeur. She is now going by Sarah Faith and is not allowing staff to give her name. They are instructed to say the manager is "Ashley". Sarah and her team were informed on multiple occasions (check in being the first) that I have a service dog. My husband informed them that my dog is required for my disability and what my service dog performs. Throughout our 10 day stay Sarah phe proceeded to flood us with notices and warnings which stated that if he didnt adhere to hotel pet policy we’d be evicted. after multiple occasions of them entering our room without notice or consent. multiple warnings about our service dog not adhering to pet policy. And multiple request to speak with her (3 requests) I came down to speak to her. Instead of admitting there was a msitake on their end she proceeded to evict me, change the key cards, and call the police. Then run away into the office behind the front desk. Scared, I called the police first in fear of a trespassing charge and in fear of my stuff in my room being thrown out. Due to my medications and valuable belongings. I called my husband and he came down from work and went to speak to her again about our dog being a service animal and how it was unfair and wrong for her to do this then she proceeded to shut the door in his face and a plastic poster flew off and hit him in the chest. As you can see here, she acknowledges it by stating he was in the way. We then walked out and the police arrived. We explained all this to the police, and annoyed they regurgitated over and over how they were just the middle man, couldnt do anything. Rushed us and reminded us how they could actually be saving lives instead of that when i asked for their patience. She informed the cops she wanted us about by 12. My husband rushed to ask for someone to cover him at his job and borrowed someone elses car to get there. we arrived by 3 and our personal stuff had been gone through and bagged. I am missing $1500 worth of vaulabes. I feel wronged and honestly disappointed at this. How many others has there been? How many more will there be? Times are different and the way karen, i mean Sarah B. Carried and carried herself cant go on. The company has and did nothing to resolve my issue, in short they claim their hands are tied. No refund. I was evicted in 2 hours due to having a service dog. I am a veteran, i am a proud veteran at that, but this isnt what anyone fights for. Its what we fight against. this is a blatant violation of the American with Disabilities Act. Violation of American freedoms. And tyranny at its finest. Please sharke, like, repost. #karen #viral #karensoftiktok #viral #karenalert #fyp #americanswithdisabilitiesact #adadiscrimination #illegal #ada #servicedog #veteran #ptsd #serviceanimal #raiseswareness #servicedog #discrimination #missouri #stlouisarea #stcharles #woodspringsuitessuck ♬ original sound - 133x
According to the WoodSpring Suites site, its hotels allow service and guide animals at all of its location. That's as long as they're disclosed and "registered" as such upon check-in.
The Daily Dot also reached out to Choice Hotels, which owns and operates WoodSpring Suites.
The location V and her husband were at had three stars on Google. Several guests reported rude staff and lack of cleanliness.
Violation of federal law
The manager claims V and her husband didn't properly inform them about the service animal at check-in and proceeds to slam the front desk window cover down, seemingly hitting one of them.
"Assault," the husband starts yelling.
The manager tells them they need to leave the room by noon, but since her husband needs to find someone to cover his shift, they didn't get there until 3pm.
During that time, V claims hotel staff went through all of V's belongings (which included necessary medical equipment) and bagged them.
"I am missing $1500 worth of valuables. I feel wronged and honestly disappointed at this. How many others has there been? How many more will there be?" V says.
"This is a blatant violation of the American with Disabilities Act. Violation of American freedoms. And tyranny at its finest," V adds.
V says she and and her husband filed a police report for the missing valuables.
The Daily Dot reached out to the St. Charles County Police Department.
Commenters react
"Woodspring suites is a terrible hotel. I worked at one here in TN," a top comment read.
"I used to work for the same hotel but different location. 1. i’m so sorry this happened to yall. 2. i can confirm our management was just as bad," a person agreed.
"Sara also allowed people in our room while we were gone but my oldest was there and had him step out and we had several items come up missing as well," another alleged.
The Daily Dot reached out to V for comment via TikTok direct message and comment and to Sarah via phone call. Sarah hung up, effectively refusing to comment.
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