I originally intended to give Holiday Inn Express in Kanab four stars, but unfortunately, our…read moreexperience regarding my service dog and the staff's apparent lack of understanding of the ADA reduced this review to three stars.
The property itself is perfectly decent. It appears renovated, our room was nicely maintained, and overall the physical condition of the hotel was good. My concern is primarily with staff training, customer service, and the distinction between a pet and a service animal.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a trained service dog is not considered a pet. Hotels generally must permit a service animal to accompany a person with a disability in areas where guests are normally allowed, regardless of a hotel's regular pet policy. When it is not obvious what service the animal provides, staff are generally limited to asking two questions: whether the dog is required because of a disability and what work or task the dog has been trained to perform. A hotel cannot simply treat a service animal as an ordinary pet or restrict it to designated "pet-friendly" rooms.
Unfortunately, that distinction seemed to create considerable confusion during our stay.
We had reserved a king room in advance, but upon arrival we encountered substantial difficulty regarding my service dog and ultimately ended up in a room with two queen beds rather than the king accommodation we had expected. What should have been a straightforward check-in became unnecessarily stressful because we repeatedly had to explain that a service animal and a pet are not the same thing.
I do want to recognize General Manager Tim. Once he became involved and understood what had occurred, he was gracious, professional, and took responsibility for the experience. He ultimately compensated our two-night stay, which I appreciated. That demonstrated accountability from senior management.
Unfortunately, another troubling interaction occurred around checkout. A member of the housekeeping staff saw our dog and reacted very strongly, saying words to the effect of, "Oh my God, you have a dog here," and suggesting the area would have to be shut down. The interaction was uncomfortable and unnecessary. She subsequently shared personal information about herself, which I did not understand to be relevant to the situation.
My purpose in writing this review isn't to attack individual employees. It's to encourage management to provide comprehensive ADA and service-animal training. Employees working in the hospitality industry need to understand the difference between pets and trained service animals and know how to interact professionally with guests who use them. This protects both the guest and the hotel.
The property itself deserves credit for being clean, renovated, and reasonably comfortable, and Tim deserves recognition for taking responsibility and attempting to make things right. However, travelers should also be able to expect knowledgeable and welcoming service, particularly regarding something as fundamental as ADA compliance.
With proper staff training and stronger coaching in hospitality, this could easily have been a four-star experience. Unfortunately, based on what we personally encountered, three stars is the most I can give this stay.
