Understanding Hotel Design Priorities for Individuals of Different Physical Ability Levels

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of hotel features on perceptions of stress and usability across groups of healthy adults, older adults, and wheelchair users. Participants completed a guided walkthrough of a hotel that included tasks in the room, bathroom, and lobby. The older adults had the lowest level of perceived stress, whereas the wheelchair users had the lowest rating of usability. The healthy group had generally positive perspectives on the hotel features, while the wheelchair users had predominantly negative comments. Subjects’ concerns ranged from more leisure concerns, such as not having access to preferred television shows (healthy group), to difficulty with accessibility of basic room features such as stepping into the shower area (older adults) and opening the room door (wheelchair users). Although inclusive design may pose a challenge to hotel managers and designers, it is necessary to ensure all guests have access to basic features.