These Big Hotel Brands Have Embraced Accessibility — Here's Why That Matters
Hotel brands like Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt are answering the call for more accessible accommodations.
Courtesy of Scandic Hotels Group
Accessibility is a focus for Scandic Hotels Group.“Everyone deserves to see the Eiffel Tower, London’s Tower Bridge, and the beauty of Italy,” says Victoria Page, a travel advisor at the agency Embark Beyond. That’s one reason Page has made a point of working with clients who have disabilities. “Whether somebody has mobility issues, an immune system disorder, autism spectrum disorder, or memory challenges, I try to offer peace of mind,” Page says.
In that mission, she’s found strong partners across the hotel industry, which has lately made major moves to better accommodate the more than 1 billion people worldwide who have a disability.
“We’re in the ‘welcoming all’ business, and we want everyone to feel great, no matter who you are or what your abilities are,” says Apoorva Gandhi, a senior vice president at Marriott International. The company has in recent years worked to go beyond the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, he says: “Small gestures can have a big impact.”
Four Brands Prioritizing Accessibility
This global chain has recently put an emphasis on supporting travelers with impaired vision. It’s the first hotel company to partner with Be My Eyes, a free mobile app that connects blind and low-vision users with Hilton staff, who are available to provide virtual assistance. The tool works something like a FaceTime call: as guests navigate public spaces, elevators, and even their rooms, assistants help them get around and use items such as thermostats, coffee machines, and window blinds.
Hyatt recently partnered with the nonprofit KultureCity to understand the needs of neurodivergent travelers and better accommodate those with invisible disabilities before they arrive. The brand now makes 3-D room tours available and sends detailed pre-arrival emails, both of which are tools KultureCity describes as helpful for those with conditions including ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and dyslexia.
The company began work on its Room for All initiative prior to the pandemic, working with third-party organizations such as Disability:IN to survey travelers with disabilities about what they’d like to see in a truly inclusive hotel. “They were not shy — and we didn’t want them to be,” Gandhi recalls. Among the most frequently heard suggestions were larger bathrooms, flexible bed heights, low-pile carpeting suited to mobility devices, and sliding doors. Ways to implement these solutions are now spelled out in Marriott’s inclusive design guide, which influences how new properties are built.
This Stockholm-based brand, which has more than 250 properties in northern Europe, first laid out its internal accessibility standards in 2005. Today, its list of 159 must-haves includes cane holders at reception and color-coded rugs to help with way-finding in public spaces. Also on the list are Scandic’s allergy-sensitive rooms, which are pet- and carpet-free and have toiletries approved by the Swedish Asthma & Allergy Association.
A version of this story first appeared in the March 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "Making Hotels More Hospitable."
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