As a parent who likes to travel with my wife and two kids, I’m having a hard time finding wheelchair-accessible rooms that are furnished with two queen-sized beds. Most of them just have one king-sized bed with no room for a roll-away; and I haven’t seen any with adjoining rooms either. Often we have had to make the uncomfortable choice between doubling our hotel budget or going without the needed accessible features. Do you have any tips or suggestions for finding family-friendly wheelchair-accessible rooms?

Unfortunately you are right — the king-sized bed is the most popular choice for hotels these days. I’ve looked at thousands of accessible rooms, and although I do see a good number of double queen rooms, the majority of the rooms I see are single king rooms. Although it’s unofficial I would estimate it’s a 3:1 ratio (kings to double queens).

There are a number of reasons for this. First off single king rooms are a favorite of hoteliers. Chalk it up to the growing number of business travelers who prefer single beds, or the fact that properties make more money per head on a single king room, but it is a definite trend.

As far as accessible rooms go, it’s sometimes a space issue. Space is at a premium at most properties, and some rooms just don’t have enough space for a wheelchair-accessible pathway around two queen-sized beds. So, the properties solve that problem by furnishing them with one king-sized bed. This is especially true at budget properties that usually have smaller rooms. Many upscale properties have more space in their rooms, so it’s less of a problem there. But like you noted, that could mean doubling your room price.

My only suggestion is to look at suite or suite-like properties like Comfort Suites, Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites or Residence Inn. Although many of these properties also have king-sized beds in their rooms, they usually also have a sofa bed or room for a rollaway bed. Yes, they are more expensive than the budget chains, but they also include a small kitchen, which can help pare down your meal costs.

I’m sorry I don’t have better news for you, but it is a definite trend in the industry.