Ask The Expert!
by Candy Harrington, editor of Emerging Horizons
“Really” Reserving an Accessible Room
When making hotel reservations how can I improve my chances of getting the accessible room (with a roll-in shower) that I need? I usually call the 800 reservation number, and they tell me that they will guarantee the reservation, but when I get to the hotel all that’s left is a room with a tub (which I can’t use at all). It seems they are just treating my need as a request. What can I do?
Well, first off, I recommend that you call the hotel directly. The reason for that is the on-site personnel have the most updated access information about the property. So, while the folks at the call center may think they are reserving the room you need, they may not have enough information to do so.
Second, you have to ask the clerk if they will block the accessible room with a roll-in shower for you upon reservation. You have to use that exact terminology — blocking. In hotel language that means they will hold a particular room for a particular guest on a particular date. If they hem and haw about it or say no, you need to just find another hotel. They may say that they will guarantee it, but that only means that they will guarantee you a room at a quoted rate. So don't use that term at all.
The bottom line is, don’t do business with properties that refuse to block accessible rooms.
On the plus side, I'd say that probably about 80% of the hotels we survey will block accessible rooms upon reservation. We run a list in every issue in Emerging Horizons, and it used to be only about 30% when we started doing this — 13 years ago. So at least it is improving.
— March 7, 2010
