Hotel & Motel Management - September 18, 2007 - (Page 47)

www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition HotelMotel.com | H&MM September 18, 2007 Hotel Operations ADA COMPLIANCE 47 BY HEATHER GOOCH, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR USFS nurtures a growing market Roy Flora, c.o.o. of US Franchise Systems, recalls how he once saw an associate at a competing hotel lean over the front desk and shout questions at a guest in a wheelchair who was trying to check in. After a few moments, the guest calmly said, “I may not be able to walk, but my hearing’s just ﬁne.” It was a deﬁning moment, because Flora maintains that the biggest reason the disabled market is being underserved in the hospitality industry is because employees are uncomfortable and are not trained to overcome their fears. To that end, USFS conducts the Opening Doors program, mandatory training with every employee in what Flora calls “attitude accessibility.” “People are afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, so they do nothing,” he said. “How do you cure that? You train people to be capable and comfortable. You step in the shoes of a disabled guest. You maneuver around a room in a wheelchair or while blindfolded. You ﬁnd out how they want to be treated. The bottom line: They want an accessible, pleasant experience.” Flora sees to it that USFS goes beyond the requirements of the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act. For example, USFS speciﬁcally requests disabled mystery shoppers to ensure any measures its brands take are working as intended. Flora said that the initiatives for the disabled dovetail well with an aging population. With baby boomers continuing to travel, often with elderly parents in tow or with their own increasing special needs, Flora said it only makes good business sense to reach out and assist guests in every way possible. check IN Retrosexual Retreats, guyfocused getaways hosted by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, are now available. One such package in Santa Monica, Calif., is the Fairmont Miramar Hotel’s Mancation Vacation. Joining Route 66 Riders, the hotel has concocted a package that includes a night’s stay, steak dinner with wine pairings and a Harley-Davidson bike trip. Rates start at $379. The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in Dixville Notch, N.H., is offering a special rate from January through March of 2008. From Sunday to Thursday, guests will have the opportunity to book the Ski Free Package for $89 per night. The package includes lodging, breakfast in the dining room, lift tickets to the alpine ski area and trail passes for cross-country skiing. In the heart of the French Quarter, the Chateau Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans debuts the French Quarter Forever package, effective until Sept. 30, starting at $89 a night. The package features luxury guest rooms, drinks at the hotel bar, breakast at the hotel restaurant and a coupon book for local venues. The Omni Jacksonville (Fla.) Hotel offers the Jacksonville Football Package through Dec. 23 for Jaguar fans to indulge in deluxe lodging before or after a game. Room rates start at $229 per night for room accommodations; full American breakfast in Juliette’s or roomservice; two caps; football amenity; chips, salsa and beer; and valet parking for one car. Additional Omni Hotels are offering similar promotions. Compiled by Stacey Higgins, shiggins@questex.com A big help for little people Matt Roloff, chairman of Direct Access Solutions, markets the Short Stature Accessibility Kit to hotels. Roloff, his wife and children all star in The Learning Channel TV reality series “Little People, Big World.” The kit includes a custom stepstool, an ergonomic reach grabber, a door security latch adapter, an extension or “pushpull” tool and a specially designed closet rod adapter. To see the kit online, visit www.lp-access.com. Is your parking lot in compliance? The Americans with Disabilities Act extends outside the building. What follows are recommendations for the ratio of accessible spots in an average hotel parking lot: 1 to 25 1 van space 26 to 50 1 standard space + 1 van space 51 to 75 2 standard spaces + 1 van space 76 to 100 3 standard spaces + 1 van space 101 to 150 4 standard spaces + 1 van space 151 to 200 5 standard spaces + 1 van space 201 to 300 6 standard spaces + 1 van space 301 to 400 7 standard spaces + 1 van space 401 to 500 7 standard spaces + 2 van spaces 501 to 1,000 2 percent of total spaces; 1 in every 8 accessible spaces must be van-accessible 1,001 and over 20 + 1 extra space for each 100 spaces over 1,000; 1 in every 8 accessible spaces must be van-accessible Source: www.ada.gov At your service The ﬁrst service dogs were trained to help visually impaired German World War I veterans become more mobile when returning to civilian life. Today, service dogs can be trained to assist their handlers with a variety of disabilities. A guide dog takes its vision-impaired handler around obstacles. A hearing dog alerts the handler to a variety of sounds—ranging from a baby crying to the microwave ﬁnishing its task. A mobility assist dog can be the arms and legs for a disabled person. The dog can help its handler open doors, get dressed and do other tasks. For more info Company Circle No. American Standard. . . . . . . . 377 Aquatic Access. . . . . . . . . . . 378 Compu-TTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 Direct Access Solutions . . . . 380 HITEC Group International . . . 381 Indepenence2 LLC . . . . . . . . 382 Sloan Valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 Speakman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384 Vignola Hospitality Resources . 385 A seizure alert/response dog responds when the handler has a seizure. A psychiatric service dog keeps a person with a psychiatric disorder calm, and to go out in public. Source: The Seeing Eye, DanaWheels http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.ada.gov http://www.lp-access.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - September 18, 2007

Hotel & Motel Management - September 18, 2007 Contents Vista Inns Redefines Business Model Conley Applies Satisfaction Theory to Boutique Hotels Questex Acquires Oxford Publishing Perspective At Your Risk Consultant’s Corner Sales Clinic Travel Trends On Finance Franchise Law Cornell Insights HotelWorld Update Training Trends Satisfaction Trends Management Trends Speakers Named, Registration Open for IH/M&RS Going Green Saves Green Trends & Stats Vacuums Go the Extra Mile Transactions Offsetting Emissions is Newest Sustainability Initiative Minibar Advancements Supplier News People on The Move ADA Compliance Can Be Easier With Programs Business Travelers Interested in Remote Check-In/Out Awards Markets Dictate Renovations vs. New Builds More Development Opportunities Available Top Hotel Companies Survey The Lodging Conference Previews Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - September 18, 2007

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