What to Ask Before Booking an Accessible Luxury Hotel

The accessibility page on most hotel websites is not written for you.

It is written by a marketing team, reviewed by a legal team and published to demonstrate compliance. It tells you that an accessible room exists. It tells you the room has been adapted for guests with disabilities. It may show you a photograph taken from a standing position that does not show you what you need to see.

What it almost never tells you is whether you can actually live comfortably in the room for the duration of your stay. Whether the shower works for your specific requirements. Whether the bed transfer is independent. Whether the pool is accessible and if so how. Whether the restaurant you want to eat in on your first night requires a workaround to reach.

These are the questions you need to ask before you book. This guide covers all of them.

The Room

The bathroom door

Ask for the exact door width in centimetres. Standard accessible guidance requires 800mm clear opening width minimum. Some rooms exceed this. Some do not despite being described as accessible. Know the measurement before you book.

The bathroom configuration

Is it a roll-in shower or a wet room? Is there a shower seat? Is the seat fixed or fold-down? Is it wall-mounted or freestanding? Can the showerhead be detached and adjusted to the correct height?

Ask for the exact position of the grab rails. Ask for a photograph of the shower area from the position of a seated user. If the hotel cannot provide this photograph, they are telling you something important about how much they have thought about the experience of using the room.

The turning radius

The minimum accessible bathroom turning radius is 1500mm. Ask specifically whether the bathroom meets this standard. Do not accept a general confirmation that the room is accessible. Ask for the measurement.

The bed

Ask for the height of the bed from the floor to the top of the mattress. Independent transfer typically requires a bed height between 45cm and 50cm. Ask whether the bed height can be adjusted. Ask whether the space beside the bed allows a wheelchair to park alongside for transfer.

The furniture arrangement

Ask whether furniture can be rearranged before your arrival to create the turning space you need. Good hotels will do this as standard. Ask whether it has been done or whether it needs to be requested.

The Hotel

The entrance

Ask specifically about the entrance from the street. Is it step free? Is there a ramp? Is the ramp permanent or removable? If there are steps, is there an alternative accessible entrance and where is it?

The lifts

Ask for the internal dimensions of the main lift. Ask whether all facilities, pool, spa, restaurants, gym, are accessible from the lift without further steps or obstacles.

The pool

If the pool matters to you, ask whether there is a hoist. Ask who operates it and whether staff are trained to assist. Ask whether pool wheelchairs are available and what type.

The restaurant

Ask whether the restaurant is step free from the lift. Ask whether the bar area, the terrace and any private dining rooms are accessible.

The spa

Ask whether the spa reception, the treatment rooms and the relaxation areas are accessible. Ask whether the spa team has experience working with wheelchair users and what specific provisions have been made.

Before You Arrive

The pre-arrival call

The best accessible luxury hotels will offer a pre-arrival call with a team member who knows the room and the property. If the hotel does not offer this, request it. Ask to speak with the person who will be your main point of contact during your stay.

Confirmation in writing

Whatever has been agreed, room configuration, furniture arrangement, pool hoist availability, early check-in, get it in writing. Written confirmation ensures that the right information is in the right place before you arrive.

The contact name

Ask for a direct contact name and number within the hotel for any issue that arises during your stay. The best accessible experiences happen when there is a person attached to your stay, not just a room number.

What Good Answers Look Like

A hotel that answers these questions with specific measurements and photographs has thought about your stay. A hotel that responds with general reassurances, the room is spacious, our team is very helpful, we cater for all guests, has not.

The quality of the pre-booking conversation is itself data. A team that is specific, responsive and prepared before you arrive is a team that has prepared for you. That preparation is the foundation of everything that follows.