Source: http://www.ada.gov/flatotel.htm
Timestamp: 2016-02-07 15:02:25
Document Index: 780926596

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 12181', '§ 12182', '§ 12188', '§12181', '§ 12181', '§ 36', '§ 12182', '§ 36', '§ 12182', '§ 36', '§ 9', '§ 9', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36']

VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND EURO AMERICAN LODGING, LLC and MACSON USA, LLC
VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND
EURO AMERICAN LODGING, LLC and MACSON USA, LLC WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12181 etseq., provides, among other things, that "no individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation," 42 U.S.C. § 12182(a); and
WHEREAS, on May 5, 2005, pursuant to its authority under 42 U.S.C. § 12188(b)(1) (A)(i), the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (the "United States") commenced a limited review of certain hotels in New York City to determine whether these hotels, with respect to the specific areas reviewed, were operating in compliance with Title III of the ADA (the "Compliance Review"); and
WHEREAS, as part of the Compliance Review, the United States requested information from the owners and operators of Flatotel International (the "Hotel"), conducted a limited inspection of certain features and facilities within the Hotel, and met with representatives of the Hotel; and
I.APPLICATION AND PARTIES BOUND
1.The Hotel is a place of public accommodation within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. §12181(7) because, among other things, it is “an inn, hotel, motel, or other place of lodging.” 42 U.S.C. § 12181(7)(A); see 28 C.F.R. § 36.104.
2.Euro American Lodging, LLC (the “Owner”) is a public accommodation within the meaning of Title III of the ADA because it owns the Hotel, a place of public accommodation. See 42 U.S.C. § 12182(a); 28 C.F.R. § 36.104.
3.Macson USA, LLC (the “Operator”) is a public accommodation within the meaning of Title III of the ADA because it operates the Hotel, a place of public accommodation. See 42 U.S.C. § 12182(a); 28 C.F.R. § 36.104.
4.This Agreement shall be binding on the Owner and the Operator, and each of their agents and employees. In the event the Owner seek to transfer or assign all or part of their interest in the Hotel, and the successor or assign intends on carrying on the same or similar use of the facility, as a condition of sale the Owners shall obtain the written accession of the successor or assign to any obligations remaining under this Agreement for the remaining term of this Agreement. II.DEFINITIONS
III.MAIN PUBLIC ENTRANCE
8.The Hotel shall ensure that its main public entrance is accessible to, and usable by, persons with disabilities, including persons using wheelchairs for mobility. For purposes of this Agreement, the Hotel shall be considered in compliance with this Paragraph if it maintains its main public entrance in the condition as it existed at the time of the Government's inspection on November 8, 2005. The Hotel shall notify the United States, through undersigned counsel, in writing if it makes any modification of the main public entrance during the term of this Agreement. IV.REGISTRATION COUNTER and FRONT DESK TTY
9.The Hotel shall ensure that its registration counter (or any auxiliary counter) complies with Section 7.2 of the Standards, or that the Hotel provides equivalent facilitation as provided in Section 7.2(2)(iii) of the Standards. For purposes of this Agreement, the Hotel shall be considered in compliance with this Paragraph if it maintains its registration counter or auxiliary registration counter in the condition as it existed at the time of the Government's inspection on November 8, 2005. The Hotel shall notify the United States, through undersigned counsel, in writing if it makes any modification of the registration counter during the term of this Agreement.
V.ACCESSIBLE UNITS, SLEEPING ROOMS, and SUITES
11.To increase accessibility for individuals with disabilities, the Hotel agrees that the Hotel shall take the following steps within the time periods specified: First, within nine months after the effective date of this Agreement, the Hotel agrees to conduct, and maintain a record of, a self-evaluation of the rooms that the Hotel currently designates as its "accessible" rooms to identify any designated "accessible" room that does not comply with Section 9.2.2 of the Standards. Second, within three years after the effective date of the Agreement, the Hotel agrees to eliminate, to the maximum extent feasible, any barriers to access identified during its self-evaluation, and to provide a total of 10 units, sleeping rooms, or suites to bring these rooms into compliance with Section 9.2.2 of the Standards to the maximum extent feasible; and provide a total of 3 units with accessible roll-in showers.
VI.DISPERSAL OF ACCESSIBLE ROOMS
12.To provide persons with disabilities a range of options equivalent to the options available to other persons served by a hotel, the Standards obligate hotels to disperse their accessible rooms among the various classes of sleeping accommodations available. Standards § 9.1.4(1). Factors to be considered include room size, cost, amenities provided, and the number of beds provided. Id. The Hotel will ensure that, within two years after the effective date of this Agreement, it offers at least one accessible room in each of the following classes of sleeping accommodations: Deluxe with Queen, Deluxe with King, Deluxe with two double beds, Premium with Kitchenette Queen, Premium with Kitchenette King, Premium King, “A” Category Suite One Bedroom, “A” Category Suite Two Bedroom, Un-remodeled Studio Suite, Un-remodeled Suite, Un-remodeled Standard, One Bedroom Tower Suite, Two Bedroom Tower Suite. VII.ROOMS ACCESSIBLE TO PERSONS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENTS
13.To increase accessibility for individuals with hearing impairments, the Hotel shall provide a total of 17 units that are accessible to persons with hearing impairments. The Hotel may satisfy the requirements of this paragraph either by providing units
that are in compliance with Section 9.3.1 of the Standards or by providing equivalent facilitation in compliance with Section 9.3.2 of the Standards. To the extent the Hotel provides rooms that comply with Section 9.3.1 of the Standards, the Hotel shall complete the construction of such rooms within three years after the effective date of the Agreement. To the extent the Hotel provides equivalent facilitation that complies with Section 9.3.2 of the Standards, the Hotel shall purchase portable visual alarms and communication devices and install sufficient electrical outlets (including outlets connected to the Hotel's central alarm system) and telephone wiring in units to enable persons with hearing impairments to utilize the portable visual alarms and communication devices within nine months after the effective date of the Agreement. Standards § 9.1.3.
VIII.POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND PROCEDURES
15.The Hotel's policy shall specify, among other things, that (a) persons with disabilities may reserve accessible guestrooms/suites in the same way and on the same terms that other persons can reserve guestrooms/suites (see 28 C.F.R. § 36.302); (b)
all reservation staff (including staff located on-site at the Hotel and staff located off-site at a reservations center) shall have ready access to information about the lodging facility’s accessible guestrooms/suites (including specific information on room layout and types and sizes of accessible showers, bathtubs and other features, such as tub seats) for use in making reservations and answering questions (see 28 C.F.R. § 36.302); (c)
accessible guestrooms/suites shall be held for possible use by persons with disabilities until all other rooms in the same price category have been rented (see 28 C.F.R. § 36.302); (d)
the rates for accessible guestrooms/suites shall be the same as the rates for guestrooms/suites with comparable features and amenities that are not designated accessible (see 28 C.F.R. § 36.301(c));
accessible features inside and outside the Hotel shall be maintained in good working order (see 28 C.F.R. § 36.211);
fire-safety information, maximum room rate information, telephone and television information cards, guest services guides, restaurant menus, room service menus, and all other printed materials provided for use by guests shall also be available in alternate formats so that blind persons and persons with low vision have access to the information (see 28 C.F.R. § 36.303(b); 36.303(b));
televisions in guestrooms/suites shall include televisions with built-in captioning features or close-captioning decoders provided for use by persons who are deaf or hard of hearing (see 28 C.F.R. § 36.303(e));
persons with disabilities shall be permitted to use service animals, without incurring any extra charges or conditions, in guestroom/suites and all public areas of the facility (see 28 C.F.R. § 36.302(c))
Hotel staff shall be made available to move furniture, and provide and adjust accessible features in guestrooms when features require installation or adjustment to ensure accessibility (see 28 C.F.R. § 36.302(a)); and
Hotel staff shall be trained to offer assistance, upon request, to persons with disabilities who cannot transport their luggage to/from their guestrooms/suites and who may need assistance in locating guestrooms and Hotel amenities (see 28 C.F.R. § 36.302(a)).
IX.ALTERATIONS
X.ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY 17.In addition to the measures set forth above, the Owner and Operators agree that the Hotel has undertaken, or will undertake within one year after the effective date of this Agreement, the following measures to increase accessibility at the Hotel: The Hotel shall renovate no fewer than 3 of its remaining 53 un-renovated rooms in compliance with Section 9.2.2 of the Standards, and at least one of these rooms shall have an accessible roll-in shower. The Hotel shall disperse these accessible rooms among the various classes of sleeping accommodations among the remaining 53 un-renovated rooms.
XI.MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE
18.Every year during the term of this Agreement on the anniversary date of the effective date of the Agreement, the Hotel shall provide to the United States a narrative report of the actions taken during the reporting period to remove any barriers to access and otherwise enhance accessibility for individuals with disabilities at the Hotel and any plans for action concerning ADA compliance in the coming year. The report shall include as an exhibit copies of any complaint, whether formal or informal, received the during the reporting period alleging that the Hotel was not being operated in compliance with the ADA or otherwise discriminated against any person on account of disability. 19.The Owner and Operator of the Hotel shall cooperate in good faith with any and all reasonable requests by the United States for access to the Hotel and for information and documents concerning the Hotel's compliance with this Agreement and the ADA. 20.The United States shall have the right to verify compliance with this Agreement and the ADA, both as set forth in this Agreement and through any means available to the general public, including visits to the public areas of the Hotel and communications with Hotel staff. The United States shall have the right to inspect the facility at any time.
XII.ENFORCEMENT
22.In consideration for the Hotel's timely performance of all of its obligations under this Agreement, the United States agrees to discontinue the Compliance Review of the Hotel, except as provided in the Enforcement portion of this Agreement. The United States reserves the right to investigate any complaint it receives concerning the Hotel, to initiate future compliance reviews concerning the Hotel with respect to any aspect of the Hotel or its operation not expressly addressed in Parts III through VIII of this Agreement, and to investigate and commence a civil action with respect to any violation of the ADA. In the event the United States receives and investigates an ADA complaint concerning the Hotel, or commences any future compliance review concerning the Hotel, nothing in this Agreement shall limit the scope of any investigation or compliance review of the Hotel or preclude the United States from seeking relief beyond that required under this Agreement. 23.A copy of this Agreement shall be made available to any person upon request. 24.The effective date of this Agreement is the date of the last signature on the Agreement. The term of this Agreement is three years from the effective date. 25.This Agreement memorializes the commitments made by the Owner and Operator of the Hotel to increase accessibility of the Hotel and the terms under which the United States has agreed to conclude this particular Compliance Review of the Hotel without further review or enforcement action. This Agreement is not intended to certify or signify, however, that the Hotel is now (or, with the actions taken pursuant to this Agreement, will be) in full compliance with the ADA, or constitute a finding by the United States of such compliance, and it may not be used in any proceeding to signify such compliance. This Agreement does not affect the Hotel's continuing responsibility and obligation to comply with all aspects of the ADA. This Agreement is not intended to reflect any legal interpretation of any provisions of the ADA by the United States, and it may not be used in any proceeding to demonstrate such legal interpretations. 26.This Agreement does not constitute an admission by the Hotel of non-compliance with any provision of the ADA. 27.The individuals signing this Agreement represent that they are authorized to bind the parties to this Agreement. 28.Failure by the United States to enforce the entire Agreement with regard to any deadline or any other provision of the Agreement, shall not be construed as a waiver of its right to enforce other deadlines or provisions of the Agreement. 29.This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties relating to the complaint, and no other statement, promise, or agreement, either written or oral, made by either party or agents of either party, that is not contained in this Agreement, shall be enforceable. New York, New York
3/ , 2006
By: HEATHER K. McSHAIN
Oct. 27 , 2006
EURO AMERICAN LODGING, LLC
By: 135 West 52nd Street
MACSON USA, LLC