A hotel must let your trained service dog stay with you, cannot charge a pet fee or a cleaning fee for it, and cannot put you in a "pet-friendly" room just because of the dog. It can charge for real damage, and it can expect the dog to be with you and under your control at all times. An emotional support animal has none of these federal rights: the hotel's own pet policy applies, fees included.
Hotels are public accommodations under the ADA
Hotels, motels and inns are "places of public accommodation" under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), so the federal service animal rule, 28 CFR 36.302(c), applies to them. It protects a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. The rule lets you go "in all areas of a place of public accommodation where members of the public, program participants, clients, customers, patrons, or invitees, as relevant, are allowed to go." In a hotel that means your room, the lobby, restaurants, meeting rooms and the pool deck.
The DOJ FAQ adds one limit at the pool: service dogs do not have to be allowed in the water, but they must be allowed on the deck. Allergies and fear of dogs "are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals."
What can a hotel ask about a service dog?
When it is not obvious what your dog does, the front desk may ask only two questions: is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. They may not ask about your disability, ask for an ID card, certificate or letter, or ask the dog to show its task.
That means a registration number, a vest or a card is never something a hotel can demand, and it is never something that proves anything either. The Department of Justice says registration documents sold online "do not convey any rights under the ADA". More in what businesses can ask about a service dog.
Can hotels charge a pet fee for a service dog?
No. The rule bars any "surcharge, even if people accompanied by pets are required to pay fees". The DOJ FAQ answers the hotel question directly:
"Hotels are not permitted to charge guests for cleaning the hair or dander shed by a service animal. However, if a guest's service animal causes damages to a guest room, a hotel is permitted to charge the same fee for damages as charged to other guests."DOJ ADA service animal FAQ, question 12
So: no pet fee, no pet deposit, no "deep cleaning" charge for shedding. If your dog chews a chair leg, you can be billed for the chair on the same terms as any guest who damages a room.
Can a hotel put you in a pet-friendly room?
Not because of your service dog. The DOJ FAQ says guests with service animals "may not be restricted to 'pet-friendly' rooms" and get "the same opportunity to reserve any available room" as everyone else. If you want a ground-floor room near an exit for relief breaks, you can ask for one, the same way any guest can ask for a room preference.
Can you leave a service dog alone in a hotel room?
No. This surprises a lot of handlers, but the DOJ FAQ is direct:
"Are hotel guests allowed to leave their service animals in their hotel room when they leave the hotel? A. No, the dog must be under the handler's control at all times."DOJ ADA service animal FAQ, question 29
The rule also says a business "is not responsible for the care or supervision of a service animal," so housekeeping and front desk staff are not there to dog-sit. Plan for the dog to go with you. A dog left barking in a room can also become a dog that is "out of control", one of the two reasons a business may ask you to remove it (the other is a dog that is not housebroken).
Are emotional support animals allowed in hotels?
Only if the hotel allows pets, and then on the hotel's pet terms. The ADA does not cover emotional support animals because they have not been trained to perform a task. The DOJ notes that "some State or local governments have laws that allow people to take emotional support animals into public places", so check your state, but the federal answer is no. Kentucky, for example, expressly says ESAs have no public-access right in its service dog law (KRS 258.500(16)).
An ESA letter does not change this. ESA letters matter in housing, not in hotels. A vest that says "emotional support" helps people understand your dog, but it does not get it into a hotel that does not take pets. See can emotional support animals go anywhere?
State add-ons: trainers, conditions and local rules
State laws sit on top of the ADA. They cannot take away federal rights, but some add to them or add conditions of their own:
- Nevada: NRS 651.075 makes it unlawful for a public accommodation to refuse "a person who is training a service animal", to charge an extra fee or deposit, or to "require proof that an animal is a service animal or service animal in training". See Nevada service dog laws.
- Kentucky: KRS 258.500 names hotels and motels, bars extra charges, and ties the state-law right to the dog being tagged, vaccinated, licensed, leashed and under control. A separate provision on public lodging tenancy (KRS 258.500(14)) lets the establishment request documentation from a listed provider identifying the tasks the dog performs.
- Louisiana: R.S. 46:1953 names hotels and copies the ADA's two questions and its ban on requiring proof of certification.
- Minnesota: 363A.19 names hotels and applies "if the service animal is properly harnessed or leashed", with no extra charge.
Las Vegas is a useful example of local rules. Caesars says "We allow Service Animals in all our locations" and, for its Las Vegas PetStay rooms, "Service Animals are always permitted. No other pets are allowed." Clark County's Strip animal ban exempts ADA service animals (Clark County Code 10.39.010(3)). Check your state's service dog law before a trip.
Booking tips for traveling with a service dog
- Mention the dog if it helps you. Telling the hotel ahead can get you a room near an exit or a relief area, and it avoids surprise at check-in. The two questions and the fee rules apply either way.
- Ask where dogs can relieve themselves. Many city hotels have only a small patch of grass or none at all.
- Bring the dog's routine. Bowls, food, a mat or crate for the room, and waste bags. The hotel is not responsible for your dog's care.
- Carry the rule, not a certificate. A wallet card that quotes the two questions lets a night manager read the rule in a few seconds. It proves nothing about your dog, and it is not meant to.
- If you are refused, ask for a manager, write down names and times, and see the steps on our travel hub.
Common questions
Can a hotel refuse my service dog?
Only if the dog is out of control and you do not take effective action, or it is not housebroken. Allergies, fear of dogs or a no-pets policy are not reasons to refuse a trained service dog.
Can a hotel charge a pet deposit for a service dog?
No. Hotels may not charge pet fees, deposits or cleaning fees for hair and dander. They may charge for actual damage on the same terms as other guests.
Can the hotel ask for my service dog's ID or certificate?
No. Staff may ask only whether the dog is required because of a disability and what task it is trained to perform, and may not ask for documentation.
Can I leave my service dog in the hotel room while I go to dinner?
Not under DOJ guidance. The dog must be under your control at all times, and the hotel is not responsible for its care.
Does an ESA letter work for hotels?
No. Hotels follow the ADA, which does not cover emotional support animals, so the hotel's pet policy applies. ESA letters are relevant to housing, not hotels.
Do I have to stay in a pet-friendly room?
No. Guests with service animals may reserve any available room, like any other guest.
Sources
- DOJ, ADA service animal FAQ (questions 11, 12, 29, 33)
- 28 CFR 36.302(c), service animals
- DOJ, ADA Requirements: Service Animals (2010)
- Nevada NRS 651.075, public accommodations
- Kentucky KRS 258.500, assistance dogs
- Minnesota Statutes 363A.19
- Caesars Rewards, service animal and pet policy
General information, not legal advice. Policies and laws change; follow the sources. Last checked September 25, 2026.