Justice Department Secures Agreement with Hotel in Springfield, Illinois, to Ensure Access for People with Disabilities

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Department of Justice announced today it has reached a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located in Springfield, Illinois, to resolve alleged violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Department reached the agreement with Driftwood Hospitality Management, LLC, and 3000 S. Dirksen LP, who own and operate the hotel. The agreement requires the hotel to renovate its facilities by increasing the number of accessible rooms and eliminating barriers in existing rooms.

The settlement resolves an ADA complaint alleging that after reserving an accessible room, when an individual with a disability attempted to check-in, the Crowne Plaza provided a room that lacked toilet handrails and did not have an accessible shower. According to the complaint, after the complainant explained their needs, the hotel provided a second room that lacked toilet handrails, had broken toilet seat hinges, and had an inaccessible shower. Despite the complainant requesting an accessible room, the hotel did not provide one, leaving the complainant unable to use the shower or toilet without assistance from a family member. 

The complaint prompted an investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. The investigation revealed that the Crowne Plaza does not maintain the number of accessible rooms required by the ADA and that many of its existing accessible rooms may contain barriers prohibited by the ADA. The ADA requires that hotels provide access to individuals with disabilities by honoring reservations, making accommodations, and providing a certain number of accessible rooms according to the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

“People with disabilities must be able to travel without sacrificing their independence when simply trying to find a place to sleep, shower, or use the bathroom,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua I. Grant for the Central District of Illinois. “We appreciate the hotel’s prompt action to renovate its facilities to ensure equal access for all and we encourage all hotels in the Central District of Illinois to ensure their rooms are accessible as required by the ADA.”

Under the agreement, the hotel will create eleven new accessible rooms and eliminate existing barriers in other rooms. Driftwood Hospitality will also create an ADA policy and provide ADA training for all hotels it owns, operations, and manages, including the Crowne Plaza. Without admitting to violating the ADA, the hotel also agreed to a monetary payment to the complainant to fully resolve the matter.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant represented the government during the investigation and settlement process. For more information about the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov, or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD).  Information about filing a complaint, including instructions for filing a complaint online, can be found at https://www.justice.gov/crt/how-file-complaint.