Service animals vs pets at hotels: what the ADA says
Short answer: Under the ADA, a service animal is a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Hotels must waive pet fees and deposits for it, can’t limit it by breed or size, can’t require paperwork, and may ask only two questions. You can still be charged for damage. Emotional support, therapy and comfort dogs are not service animals under the ADA, so the hotel’s pet policy (fees, weight limits, number of dogs) can apply. Drury charges ESAs its pet fee, Sonesta puts them under its pet program, and Red Roof lets them stay free.
Official sources onlyADA.gov, the federal regulation (28 CFR 36.302), and each chain’s own pages
Checked Nov 8, 2026Rules and hotel policies can change, so confirm before you book
Not legal adviceWe quote or plainly paraphrase official text; state laws may differ
At a glance
From ADA.gov and the ADA regulation for businesses open to the public (Title III), read Nov 8, 2026.
Service dog (ADA)
A dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability
No pet fee or deposit. Any breed and any size. Not limited to “pet-friendly” rooms. You can be charged for damage, like any guest.
Emotional support, therapy or comfort dog
Not a service animal under the ADA
ADA.gov: they “do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.” The hotel’s own policy decides. Some chains charge their pet fee; Red Roof doesn’t.
Service dog in training
Not covered by the ADA
ADA.gov: “the dog must already be trained before it can be taken into public places.” Some state or local laws cover dogs in training.
Pet dog
Hotel pet policy applies
Fees, weight limits, number of dogs and room rules are whatever the hotel sets. See our pet fees by chain.
Service dog vs emotional support dog vs pet, rule by rule
Left column: ADA.gov and 28 CFR 36.302(c). Right column: there is no single rule; it depends on the hotel’s pet policy (examples further down).
How hotel rules differ for ADA service dogs and for emotional support or pet dogs
Question
ADA service dog
Emotional support or pet dog
Pet fee or pet deposit?
NoA business that charges pet fees or deposits “must waive the charge for service animals”
Usually yes, if the hotel charges petsExceptions: Red Roof (ESAs free); chains with no pet fee
Cleaning fee for hair or dander?
NoADA.gov FAQ Q12
Hotel pet policy
Charged for damage?
Yes, if the hotel charges other guests for damage
Yes (hotel pet policy)
Weight, size or breed limit?
No“Any breed and any size of dog” (ADA.gov)
Hotel pet policy (often 2 dogs and a weight limit)
Only “pet-friendly” rooms?
NoYou may reserve any available room (FAQ Q11)
Often yes (hotel pet policy)
Paperwork, ID card or vest required?
NoStaff can’t require documentation, certification or a vest
Hotel pet policy
Leave the dog alone in the room?
NoFAQ Q29: not when you leave the hotel; the dog must be under your control at all times
Hotel pet policy (Red Roof, Drury and Motel 6 say no)
Leash?
Harness, leash or tether, unless your disability or the dog’s task prevents it; then voice or signal control
Hotel pet policy (usually leash or carrier outside the room)
Lobby, restaurant, pool deck?
Yes, anywhere the public can go. Not in the pool itself (FAQ Q33)
Often not allowed (e.g., Drury, Red Roof, La Quinta pet rules)
More than one dog?
Generally yes, if each is a service animal and both can be accommodated (FAQ Q13)
Hotel pet policy (often 2 max)
What hotel staff can (and can’t) ask
When it isn’t obvious what a dog does, ADA.gov says staff may ask only two questions:
The two questions
Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Staff can’t ask about your disability, require medical documentation, require a special ID card or training papers, or ask the dog to demonstrate its task. Under the regulation, staff generally shouldn’t ask even the two questions when it’s readily apparent the dog is doing a task, such as guiding a person who is blind. ADA.gov also says online service-animal “certification” or “registration” documents “do not convey any rights under the ADA.” (ADA.gov FAQ · 28 CFR 36.302(c)(6))
When a hotel can ask a service dog to leave
The regulation lists two reasons a business may ask that a service animal be removed:
“(i) The animal is out of control and the animal’s handler does not take effective action to control it; or (ii) The animal is not housebroken.” — 28 CFR 36.302(c)(2)
If a dog is properly excluded, the hotel must still offer you its services without the dog present. ADA.gov adds that a dog can’t be excluded based on assumptions about its breed, though a particular dog that poses a direct threat to others’ health or safety may be. One bark doesn’t make a dog “out of control”; repeated barking in a quiet place can. ADA.gov also says “allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service.” (ADA.gov requirements · ADA.gov FAQ Q23, Q27)
What this means for big dogs
Pet weight limits (40 lb, 75 lb, 80 lb) are pet rules. ADA.gov’s topic page says service animals can be “any breed and any size of dog,” and the regulation’s only removal reasons are control and housebreaking. An emotional support dog, though, is not a service animal under the ADA, so a hotel’s pet weight limit can apply to it. If your big dog is an ESA, read the pet policy as if it were a pet. Our hotels for dogs over 80 lb guide covers those limits.
What each chain’s own pages say
Quoted or closely paraphrased from each chain’s official pages, re-read Nov 8, 2026. Green = the chain spells out both service animals and emotional support animals. Orange = service animals covered, ESAs not stated. Gray = neither stated on the page we read.
Red Roof Inn / Red Roof PLUS+
Service animals and ESAs: no charge
Service animals
Welcome at all Red Roof properties “for no additional charge”
Emotional support animals
Included with service animals as “Assistance Animals”: “not pets, and pet policies or pet requirements do not apply”
Assistance animal + a pet
No pet fee for the one pet (the $15/night fee applies only to non-assistance animals)
Note
Red Roof’s ESA policy goes beyond what the ADA requires. It’s a chain choice
Not re-checked Nov 8, 2026: Best Western, Extended Stay America, Hyatt, Choice brand pages
These sites blocked automated page readers on Nov 8, 2026 (HTTP 403), so they aren’t in the cards above. Open the official page in your browser or call the hotel. (Choice hotel pages did load; one example is below.)
Two hotel pages that spell it out
Property-specific examples, re-read Nov 8, 2026. They are not brand rules.
Hotel Indigo Asheville Downtown, NC (IHG) (property-specific)
ESAs pay the pet fee
Pet policy text
“A non refundable fee of 75 dollars plux tax… This fee excludes trained service animals but does apply for Emotional Support Animals”
Weight
Pets up to 125 lb
Conflict
Text and the amenities blurb say $75 per stay; the fee field says “Pet fee per night: 75 USD.” Ask the hotel
Red Roof treats ESAs like service animals: no charge, and “pet policies… do not apply.” Drury says ESAs “are considered pets” and pay the daily pet fee. Both are chain choices; the ADA itself only says ESAs aren’t service animals. (Red Roof · Drury)
Pet rules vs service-dog rules on leashes and leaving the dog alone
Red Roof, Drury and La Quinta require pets to be on a leash or in a carrier, and Red Roof and Drury say not to leave pets alone in the room. For a service dog, the ADA rule is a harness, leash or tether unless your disability or the task prevents it, and ADA.gov’s FAQ says not to leave it in the room when you leave the hotel.
State laws, housing, and airlines are different
State and local laws may differ. ADA.gov says some state and local laws define “service animal” more broadly than the ADA, and some allow emotional support animals in public places. Check your state attorney general’s office or the official source for where you’re staying.
Housing is a separate law. ADA.gov’s FAQ says that under the Fair Housing Act, housing providers must permit animals that “provide emotional support” as a reasonable accommodation. ADA.gov describes that as a housing rule. None of the official pages we read apply it to hotel stays.
Air travel is covered by the Air Carrier Access Act, not the ADA (ADA.gov). Hotel rules and airline rules aren’t the same.
Miniature horses have their own ADA provision. Some chains (Red Roof, Drury) mention them in their definitions.
This page isn’t legal advice. It quotes or plainly paraphrases ADA.gov, the federal regulation and hotel pages as of Nov 8, 2026. For questions about your rights, the ADA Information Line is 800-514-0301 (voice) or 1-833-610-1264 (TTY). (ADA.gov topic page)
Before you book
Service dog? You don’t need to book a pet-friendly room or pay a pet fee. Be ready to answer the two questions.
Bring a leash, harness or tether, and plan to keep the dog with you rather than alone in the room.
Emotional support dog? Read the hotel’s pet policy as if your dog were a pet: fee, weight limit, number of dogs.
Ask the hotel directly how it treats ESAs. Most brand pages we read don’t say.
Get the answer in writing (on your reservation or by email).
Check your state’s rules if you’re relying on a state law that’s broader than the ADA.
All read Nov 8, 2026, directly on ADA.gov, eCFR and the chains’ own websites (WebFetch of the official URLs; curl for La Quinta and Loews page text and for HTTP status on blocked sites). No search-engine copies were used. These are plain links to official pages, not affiliate links.
Not re-checked Nov 8, 2026 (automated readers blocked, HTTP 403): Best Western, Extended Stay America, Hyatt, choicehotels.com brand pet pages. HUD.gov’s assistance-animals page didn’t serve readable text, so the housing note relies on ADA.gov only.
Every value comes from the chain's own website, checked on the date shown. "Not stated — call property" means the official source doesn't say. Policies change and individual hotels can differ, so confirm with the hotel before you book.