My family came up from Texas, and we planned a fun trip—taking the younger kids to the carnival while the older ones attended a crab boil and went rafting. After arriving and checking into our hotel, the front desk clerk asked for my ID. Upon seeing it, he immediately informed me that I couldn’t stay at the hotel because I lived within 50 miles of the property.
I was shocked and explained that this restriction should have been clearly stated prior to booking. I also shared that I had family in the area and that this was part of a planned family gathering. The clerk told me I could cancel the reservation but would need to do so through Expedia, as it was made through a third party.
I contacted Expedia, and they informed me I would be charged $280 to cancel the reservation. At this point, I felt cornered and reluctantly agreed to stay. However, the clerk then required a $250 cash deposit, claiming he couldn’t accept it on my debit card or return it that way, which I found highly inconvenient and suspicious.
At this point, I began to feel I was being discriminated against. I showed my law enforcement credentials—including commission cards from the State of Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Department. The clerk’s demeanor noticeably changed after seeing my identification, as if realizing he may have made a mistake.
Still, I was uncomfortable staying at the hotel under these circumstances. I decided to leave this hotel.
