No room at the inn if you’re a local

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, January 6, 2002

By Theresa Goffredo

Herald Writer

EVERETT — They are retired Navy. Both have gray hair. He’s 63. She’s 54. Their idea of partying is hanging out at the Sons of Norway drinking Coca-Cola. During the winter, they like to go to Florida.

And on a night not too long ago, Martha and Ron Cummins were looking for a safe port from a very windy storm.

The couple lives in a mobile home park in Lake Stevens surrounded by tall trees. They feared the force of the wind would land a few timbers on their home, so they decided to seek shelter in a hotel.

They remembered always seeing the "Welcome Navy" sign posted at the Travelodge of Everett on Broadway. And they didn’t want to spend a lot of money, trying to save for a Florida trip.

But when the Cummins arrived at the hotel front desk, they weren’t welcome.

They were refused a room.

It seemed the hotel management has a policy of not renting rooms to locals who live within a 25-mile radius of the hotel. The policy is posted at the Travelodge front desk.

"They said it is their assumption that anybody within a 25-mile radius owns their bed and that’s where they should sleep, because they don’t want the problems with local residents —prostitution and drugs and marital disputes," said an exasperated Martha. "But we’re very upstanding and lifelong citizens of Everett."

And Martha and Ron weren’t made to feel much better when they learned the hotel’s policy is not illegal.

Everett’s attorney, Mark Soine said geography is not among the classic categories of discrimination, such as race, color, gender or ethnicity.

"To my knowledge refusing to rent to someone who is local is not one of those issues," Soine said. "It may have something to do with a concern on the hotel’s part."

And that is precisely why Travelodge posts that policy — they have concerns based on previous experience.

Everett police spokesman Boyd Bryant said that in the mid-1980s, the Travelodge had its share of problems with winos and difficult clients.

Bryant remembered one man in particular, a one-legged man who would bring a month’s worth of liquor with him to the Travelodge, rent a room, put a do-not-disturb sign on the door and never once leave his bed.

To get him to leave the hotel, Bryant said he’d have to drag the guy out.

"For years now they’ve had no problems," Bryant said. "They’ve shut themselves out of this business of winos and homeless folks from the shelters."

Travelodge owner Ed Tudor said the problems were even worse, including theft and major damage.

"There are some who walk away with every piece of furniture in the room," Tudor said in a phone interview from his Seattle office. "I had that happen five different times before the sign went up, and that’s a $2,000 hit every time."

Tudor, who has owned the Travelodge property for 22 years, said he’s had the "no locals" policy sign up for 15 years and this is the first time anyone has ever challenged it. Travelodge does not discriminate based on race or gender or religion. But like businesses that refuse service to customers not wearing shoes or a shirt, Tudor said he can legally put restrictions on those who rent his rooms.

Travelodge manager Steve Yannello said his family eventually posted such a sign when they owned a hotel along the notorious Aurora Avenue strip in Seattle, a known hangout for prostitutes. Yannello called the "no locals" sign a blessing.

"With locals we have to speculate what they want to do here," Yannello said.

Yannello wasn’t working the night the Cummins came to the Travelodge for a room. But he said if they would have explained their need, he probably would have rented to them.

"There’s no act of discrimination here, but some people’s level of anxiety is different than others," Yannello said. "We’re here to protect people who come to Everett."

As for the Cummins, they wound up staying at the Best Western.

"They loved us," Martha said. "And they served a great continental breakfast."

You can call Herald Writer Theresa Goffredo at 425-339-3097

or send e-mail to goffredo@heraldnet.com.