My Travel Preparation - Lodging

When starting to research travel to an area my wife and I have to look over the wants, and needs for our family. It is not always as simple as you would believe. For example, a stay on the Washington or Oregon coast can prove tricky if we are looking for accessible lodgings AND activities that interest us, and my 8 year old son (who loves exploring tide pools). Usually we can find lodging, but not activities or vice-versa which is frustrating.

I've learned the hard way that you must research the hotel that you are going to stay in. I have stayed at a Best Western that gave me an upside down lunch tray with lawn chair legs for a shower bench. It

made all the water puddle on the floor and into the towels (could have been shocking for my wife when she used the hair dryer). Another experience was in Florida where we stayed at the Disney Port

Orleans Riverside after our cruise disembarked. We discovered mold in the shower (lots of it), the hardest bed I have ever tried to sleep on and a questionable cleaning job (run a vacuum), plus no room service put me on edge. The Flip side if the proverbial coin was a private home we found on VBRO that was completely wheelchair accessible and included a lift into a pool, What I am saying is that just not all accessible rooms are created equal, and along those lines not all moderate rooms are equal either.

When looking into rooms we have to  look past the sleek veneer and examine the bones of the room, this is especially important when traveling internationally. Is the path from the front desk reasonably accessible (are there stairs/ramps/paved paths)? Are the doors going into the room at least 32" wide? Are the interior doors (bathroom) wide enough to get my chair thorough, and can i close the door when I am inside? Are the beds low enough for me to transfer into? For my blind, and deaf friends do they have braille where appropriate, and visible fire alarms? Do they have the ADA packet that is required (most hotels front desk have no clue).  Do the pool and spa have lifts or raised platforms to transfer? Also important, is this close to where I want to go, or do they have accessible shuttles that can take a wheelchair. This last one is important when you are going to resorts, or theme parks as the distances can be longer than it looks on a map.


My best advice is to choose a location. Then you can contact local travel bureau to find things to do, and how accessible the area is and if there is any equipment that can be loaned to you. A bit of work on the front end, can save you a lot of trouble when you are supposed to be relaxing.My best advice is to choose a location. Then you can contact local travel bureau to find things to do, and how accessible the area is and if there is any equipment that can be loaned to you. A bit of work on the front end, can save you a lot of trouble when you are supposed to be relaxing.