A Guide to Accessibility in Your Hotel
A Guide to Accessibility in Your Hotel
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, over 25 million Americans “have disabilities that make traveling outside the home difficult.” And while the hotel industry hit $200 billion in revenue in 2018, it is still difficult for disabled travelers to find hotel accommodations. In 2018, Airbnb unveiled new filters on its platform that simplify the process for guests to find places with the specific features they need, such as step-free room entry. This is a great move forward for the industry, but it also means the competition is getting steep—if hotels don’t catch up, disabled consumers may just turn to places like Airbnb for their travel needs. Here, we’ll look at some ways you can ensure your hotel benefits those with disabilities.
First things first, are you ADA compliant? The ADA has a list of regulations designed to help consumers who are not just wheelchair-bound, but also hearing and sight impaired. From bathroom specifications to communication devices, there are a range of requirements your hotel needs to abide by in order to be compliant.
When folks are looking to book a stay, one of the preliminary things they’ll do is conduct an online search. This means it’s critically important for your hotel to dedicate a page to your handicap-accessible features and information, and it needs to be SEO-friendly in order to rank high in search. Make sure your page is easy to access as well, meaning users don’t have to dig around your website to find the information they’re after. To streamline the booking process, implement an online booking system that allows guests to reserve these handicap-accessible rooms.
The best-case scenario for guests with disabilities is if your rooms are located on the ground floor. But if they are not, you’ll need to provide accessible elevators located as close to the hotel entrance as possible. Remember that convenience is key, especially for those with special needs.
Disability awareness is huge for those working in the hospitality industry, and there are plenty of training resources available online. The better your staff understand the unique challenges these guests face when staying in a hotel, the more loyalty you’ll build with your consumers. And we all know that one bad customer experience can lead to an online bashing of your business, so it’s best to keep that risk to a minimum by making certain all of your employees are properly trained and aware. Even if your hotel has the greatest amenities for disabled guests, it can all go south if every member of the team isn’t aware of the nuances that can make a hotel stay horrendous. You want to make every guests’ stay as enjoyable as possible, regardless of their disabilities.
To bring your hotel up to par with the industry, you may be looking toward renovations or new training opportunities. Be sure you have the funds available to make your hotel suitable for guests of all types with a loan from ARF Financial. Apply today to see how much you qualify for! It’s free, and it won’t affect your credit score.