Service Dogs in Hotels: A Guide to Rights and Responsibilities

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Published on August 24, 2025

Brad Peters, Founder, Director, CEO of HRBUniversal & The Plate & Pour Collective Equity Partner Program

Service animals play a vital role in the lives of individuals with disabilities, providing assistance and support that enables them to navigate the world more independently. As such, their presence in public accommodations, including hotels, is protected by law. This article aims to clarify the rights of service dog handlers and the responsibilities of hotel establishments to ensure a welcoming and compliant environment for all guests.

Understanding Service Animals

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability. Examples of such work or tasks include, but are not limited to, guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties.

It is crucial to differentiate service animals from emotional support animals (ESAs) or therapy animals. While ESAs provide comfort, they are not specifically trained to perform tasks directly related to a person’s disability, and therefore, do not have the same legal protections under the ADA in public accommodations like hotels.

Rights of Service Dog Handlers in Hotels

Hotels generally must permit service animals to accompany individuals with disabilities in all areas where guests are allowed. This includes guest rooms, dining areas, conference rooms, and recreational facilities. Hotel staff are permitted to ask two questions to determine if an animal is a service animal:

  • Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
  • What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

Hotel staff cannot ask about the nature of a person’s disability, require documentation for the service animal, or ask the dog to demonstrate its task.

Responsibilities of Hotel Establishments

Hotels have specific responsibilities when accommodating service animals:

  • No Surcharges: Hotels cannot charge a pet fee or any additional fees for a service animal.
  • Accessibility: Hotels must ensure service animals have access to all public areas and guest rooms.
  • Reasonable Modifications: In certain circumstances, hotels may need to make reasonable modifications to their policies to accommodate service animals.
  • No Discrimination: Hotels cannot deny service to an individual with a disability accompanied by a service animal unless the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or if its presence would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods or services provided.

Responsibilities of Service Dog Handlers

While service dog handlers have rights, they also have responsibilities to ensure a smooth and respectful experience for all:

  • Control of the Animal: The service animal must be under the control of its handler at all times, typically through a leash, harness, or other tether. If the use of these devices interferes with the service animal’s performance of its work or tasks, or the individual’s disability prevents their use, then the service animal must be otherwise under the handler’s control (e.g., voice control, signals, or other effective means).
  • Hygiene and Behavior: Service animals must be housebroken. Handlers are responsible for cleaning up after their service animals.
  • Disruptive Behavior: If a service animal’s behavior is disruptive, uncontrollable, or poses a direct threat to others, hotel staff may ask that the animal be removed. This is a rare occurrence and is typically only considered if the animal is not under control or is not housebroken.

Common Misconceptions

There are several common misconceptions regarding service animals in hotels:

  • Breed Restrictions: Hotels cannot impose breed restrictions on service animals.
  • Allergies and Phobias: Allergies or fear of dogs are not valid reasons to deny access or refuse service to an individual with a service animal. Hotels are expected to find a reasonable solution, such as designating specific rooms for guests with allergies or offering alternative accommodations.
  • Size of the Animal: The size of the service animal is not a factor in determining whether it can be accommodated.

By understanding and adhering to these rights and responsibilities, hotels and service dog handlers can contribute to an inclusive and accessible environment, ensuring that individuals with disabilities can travel and enjoy hotel stays with the vital support of their service animals.

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