KEY POINTS:
A blind couple are angry they were charged cleaning costs after spending their honeymoon with their two guide dogs in a Wellington hotel.
Olivia and Jonathan Godfrey, of Palmerston North, stayed three nights in the Central Terrace Heights serviced apartments last month.
They were shocked when they were charged $85 for professional carpet cleaning, the Dominion Post reported.
"We think there was a bit of premeditation going on. They said housekeeping would make the best effort to clean it (dog hair) up and we were fine with that," Mrs Godfrey said.
She said the cleaner made little effort to remove the dog hair.
Terrace Heights Serviced Apartments operations manager Rob Rameka said many Wellington hotels would not let guide dogs stay but the Central Group did not discriminate and did blind people a favour by accepting them.
"We did something nice for them because they wanted a harbour view, which I kinda thought was funny because they're blind ... but we put them in a nice room," he said.
'It's up to us to protect it (the room); it was new carpet and lounges. I think both dogs were moulting," Mr Rameka said.
Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind guide dog services spokeswoman Helen McKenzie said guide dogs were legally allowed in any public place, excluding zoos and hospital burns units.
- NZPA
