Access for All Guidance note 10: Holiday Accommodation

In hotels and holiday accommodation, access should be provided to the full range of services offered e.g. swimming pools and fitness rooms and the associated changing areas, reception, dining areas and bars, conference rooms and sanitary conveniences. Public bars, restaurants and lounges should be accessible to wheelchair users.

Guidance on accessible routes in buildings and reception areas can be found in Design Note No 2 – Internal circulation. Guidance on lifts can be found in Design Note No 3 – Lifts. Guidance on wayfinding and signs can be found in Design Note No 4 – Wayfinding and signs. Guidance on restaurants and leisure facilities can be found in Design Note No 7 – Entertainment and places of assembly.

At least one for every 20, or fraction of 20, guest bedrooms or units of accommodation should be accessible and each be provided with an en-suite accessible bathroom or shower room with toilet.

Accessible bedrooms

  • Numbers on the doors of rooms should be at least 22mm high, placed between 1200mm and 1500mm above floor level, and be embossed.
  • Window controls should be at 800-1000mm above floor level, and be capable of being operated single-handedly.
  • Visual fire alarms should be provided. A vibrating fire alarm, which would allow a hearing impaired person to know when there is a need to evacuate the building, should also be considered.
  • All areas should be accessible, with a clear path of 800mm.
  • An area, clear of permanent obstructions, of at least 1500mm by 1500mm should be provided within the room for turning, adjacent to the bed.
  • Any balcony should be accessible.
  • Any door viewer should be set at 1050-1500mm above floor level.
  • A table or desk should allow for a person in a wheelchair to sit at it
    comfortably, with legroom of 750mm between the underside of the table and the floor, and a depth of 600mm.
  • Curtains and windows should be easy to open and close.
  • An accessible bedroom should have an en-suite accessible bathroom or shower room incorporating a toilet.

Accessible bathrooms and shower rooms with toilets

  • If the door open into the room, the size of the room will need to be enlarged accordingly.
  • A clear area of at least a 1500mm diameter circle should be provided within the room for turning, with room to allow transfer from a wheelchair to the bath, shower or toilet.
  • The wc pan, washbasin, grab rails, and room door should be provided in accordance with Diagram 1 in Design Note No 5 – Accessible toilets.
  • The provision of an emergency pull cord should be considered; they should be red, close to a wall, and have two 50mm diameter bangles, one 100mm and one 800-1100mm above the floor.
  • The floor should be slip-resistant.
  • Water temperature should be thermostatically controlled at 40 to 45°C.

Accessible shower rooms with toilets

  • Will need to be at least 2400mm by 2500mm. The shower area should be at least 1200mm by 1200mm.
  • The shower area should have a folding seat, and wall-mounted drop-down support rails.
  • The shower curtain should be in reach of the seat.
  • The whole floor should be self-draining. There should be no step into the shower, and any threshold should be no higher than 15mm.

Accessible bathrooms with toilets

  • Will need to be at least 2500mm by 2700mm.
  • A standard bath can be used, but it should have a clear gap under it to allow the feet of a hoist to fit under the bath.
  • Support rails should be provided over the bath.
  • A transfer seat at the foot end of the bath, or a removable transfer seat that fits on the rim of the bath, should be provided.