How Accessible is an Accessible Hotel Room?

Traveling is a wonderful thing and I don't know many people who don't enjoy doing it. However for me traveling can be both exciting and nerve racking at the same time. You never really know how "accessible" a hotel is until you get there. Nine times out of 10 the hotels are what I like to think is the absolute bare minimum the law requires accessible. Many times I find myself looking at the room and questioning how the hell anyone thought this was accessible. Not to mention a lot of the touristy things aren't really accessible. So planning a trip is a dance of trying to find what is going to be the most accessible, affordable, and fun. With my next vacation (going to Hawaii!) on the horizon and the hours I spent scouring the internet for information that I never found. I have decided to now write reviews of all the hotel rooms I stay in. Hoping this will maybe helpful to someone somewhere because just one time I want to go on vacation and not have the pit of worry in stomach about the accessibility of a hotel room.

On to the last hotel room I stayed in. It was at the La Quinta in Jacksonville Florida. First of all if you aren't aware of this, as we weren't, when you make a reservation with a hotel they have the right to only take your preferences into consideration. Meaning that needing a wheelchair accessible room is only a preference, I had no idea but noted. So when we arrived they informed us that the people staying the room the night before decided to stay another night meaning I had to stay in a room that didn't have the roll in shower I require. This was extremely frustrating and annoying but since it was only one night I just put up with it. Side note when my boyfriend was complaining to the front desk lady about how I wasn't going to be able to get into the shower now she actually said that she would come and help me get in the shower. I was completely weirded out by this, she was missing the point of what he was saying. Anyways back to the room...

Overall I would say it wasn't one the best nor the worst I have stayed in. Once in the wheelchair accessible room the shower had the hand held shower head along with a shower bench. That actually had a back on it and wasn't one of the those tiny ones that look like they can really only hold a person who weighs 50 lbs. The room was a little dingy smelling but I guess that comes with the territory. Not to mention the beds were pretty firm and I don't love firm. I like to sink into bed. My biggest complaint would be that the carpet from the lobby to all the rooms was so thick I was out of breath each time I had to wheel from the room to the car. I came to the conclusion that anyone with less function than me would have a real hard time with the carpet. All of the doorways had the real cracked cement leading up to the door making getting in the door not always a simple task. 

In all I would say that this room was moderately accessible and pretty affordable. For a para it wouldn't be too hard to manage but I don't know about a quad. Also the room was little tight so needing too much equipment or supplies would take up most of the room fast. I wouldn't be worried if I ever had to stay there again but I might try and find a different hotel next time.

Here are some photos, ignore the mess it was a last minute thought as we left at 6 am!

the bathroom for the door

Toilet wasn't too bad. Definitely a tight space.

This shower chair is one of the better ones I have had but it is so tiny I just don't get how hotels think this works for full grown adults! Or better the ones without the back, so hard to shower without the back! 

So the shower head had to be put down for me because I couldn't get it down myself.

One of the doorways.

The evil carpet!

Hope this is helpful to someone out there!