Hotel familiarization is a part of navigating travel experiences for blind and low vision visitors, and provides an opportunity to guests to learn about their room layout and other hotel amenities. Whether it’s for an overnight medical trip, out-of-state school field trip, or a long-term stay for a summer internship, I often ask hotel familiarization questions whenever I arrive so I can get an idea of the hotel accessibility and figure out if I will need assistance with anything. Here are my hotel familiarization tips for travelers with visual impairments, and how hotel employees can assist with the hotel familiarization process.
Booking hotel rooms with low vision
People with visual impairments don’t necessarily need an accessible room reservation, unless they have a personal preference or a secondary medical condition that requires it. However, hotel booking websites can be difficult to navigate with large print or a screen reader, so some guests may prefer to call the hotel to book a room or call to confirm their booking, since the website may be inaccessible.
Since I have a secondary medical condition that affects my balance, I have to book an accessible room with a roll-in shower. Since website information can be inaccurate, I call the hotel before booking to confirm that there is a room available for the given date(s).
Related links
- App Accessibility Checklist for Low Vision
- How To Improve Your Blog Theme For Visually Impaired Users
Checking in and locating the hotel room
How do I get to my room? After checking in, that’s usually my first question related to hotel familiarization. Since I had my hands full when I arrived for my summer internship, a hotel employee showed me how to get to the elevator and helped me get to my room, noting that it was the third room on the left after I exited the elevator. Having these specific directions was really helpful, as I wouldn’t know where to go if they told me my room was “over there” or “that way.”
If there isn’t an employee that can walk with me, I use a visual assistance app on my phone to enlarge the room numbers and other signs so I can locate my room number on my own, though it’s still helpful to have someone show me where the elevator is.
Related links
- Google Lookout App For Low Vision
- All About Visual Assistance Apps For Visually Impaired
- How To Be An Effective Human Guide For People With Vision Loss
Getting inside the room
Do you swipe or tap the key card to get inside? One of my friends was confused when they stayed in a hotel room by themselves for the first time, because they had assumed that they would need to swipe their key to get in. There was no tactile indicator showing that they actually needed to tap their card, so my friend spent several minutes attempting to swipe the key card on a nonexistent card reader. Later on, they said they wished someone had mentioned that they would need to tap the key card against the door to get inside.
Connecting to the internet
A lot of hotels will have a paper or sign in the room with Wi-Fi information, and I typically enlarge this information with my phone. However, for passwords that are case sensitive or that are otherwise hard to read, I’ll ask a hotel employee or use a visual interpreting app like Aira or Be My Eyes to read the login information so that I don’t accidentally connect to the wrong area or use up all of my mobile data.
Related links
- Using The Envision App With Low Vision
- Using Aira With Low Vision
- How I Use Be My Eyes With Low Vision
Exploring the room layout
Where is the thermostat? What about the mini-fridge? Is the trash can under the desk, or is it somewhere else? Exploring the room layout either alone or with assistance can help guests figure out where various objects are located. Having clear walkways in the room is helpful for everyone, but is especially helpful for people with visual impairments who might not notice potential tripping hazards.
Some hotel rooms hide items in other areas, like putting a mini-fridge in a cabinet or putting the remote in a drawer. Hotel employees can let visitors know where these items are located so that the visitor can locate the items on their own.
A note on hotel bathrooms
Again, blind travelers and travelers with low vision generally don’t need to book rooms with accessible bathrooms, unless they prefer them or have another disability/medical condition that requires it. However, some visitors may have additional questions about the bathroom layout, such as:
- Where are the extra towels?
- How do I turn the shower on/off?
- Does the door slide open or does it have a doorknob?
Hotel employees can offer to show guests how to turn the shower on/off at check-in, or guests can use a visual interpreting app that will provide a description of the shower knob. I really appreciate it when someone tells me at check-in or has a note about how to turn the shower on and off so that I don’t get water everywhere.
Related links
Contacting the front desk
In addition to the phone inside my hotel room, I keep the hotel’s front desk phone number handy on my phone as well, in case the hotel phone stops working. Some phones have buttons that connect to housekeeping or room service, but these are often in small print and don’t have tactile labels attached, so guests with visual impairments might not know what they are unless someone tells them or they use a magnifying aid.
Locating other hotel amenities
Several hotels offer amenities such as free breakfast, a gym/pool area, lounge areas, a restaurant/cafe, ice machines, and similar. It’s helpful to have someone tell me what floor these items are located on, as well as how to get to them from the elevators. Instead of asking for all of this information at check-in, I typically just call the front desk and ask about different amenities once I’m done unpacking.
Navigating the surrounding area
Some hotels offer a shuttle service for traveling to surrounding areas or have a drop-off/pick-up area for ridesharing apps, both of which are helpful to know about for visitors that don’t drive. I also like to ask about restaurants and grocery stores that are within walking distance of the hotel, so I can get food if needed.
If I arrive somewhere and it’s dark outside, I prefer to order food delivery since I don’t like walking around an unfamiliar area at night. I typically ask the delivery worker to meet me in the hotel lobby and eat in the common/dining area.
Related links
More tips for hotel familiarization and low vision
- Many hotels have white bathroom floors and white towels, so towels on the floor may be difficult to see or pose a tripping hazard. I try to hang towels whenever possible, or place used towels under the sink.
- Even if I am traveling with a sighted family member or friend, I like to know how to navigate the hotel on my own, especially if I end up meeting up with people or going somewhere without my travel companion.
- I typically hang my white cane/blindness cane on a hook near the door or prop it against a corner wall. I talk about more storage options in Twelve Blindness Cane Storage Solutions
- Flying somewhere? I share several accessible in-flight entertainment options in Tips For Passing Time On Flights With Low Vision and airport tips in Airport Security and Low Vision
