The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) established a series of accessible design requirements for the construction of hotels and other lodging facilities that apply to the design of ADA hotel rooms. Most of these regulations remain today, while a few were updated in 2010 to promote greater accessibility. You can access the full text of the 1991 ADA Standards for Accessible Design here and the 2010 standards here.
The 1991 standards apply to all hotels that began construction before March 15, 2012, provided that no alterations to guest rooms have taken place since that date. For all hotels built or which have undergone alterations to accessible guest rooms on or after March 15, 2012, the 2010 standards apply.
This page addresses the accessibility requirements for the most common hotel room features and notes, where possible, which regulations are new to the 2010 standards.
ADA Hotel Room Features & Inventory Requirements
The ADA regulations were developed to protect people of all abilities, not just wheelchair users. As a result, the requirements for accessible hotel design cater to a diverse array of disabilities. Three primary features—bathtubs with grab bars and a seat, roll-in showers with a seat and communication equipment for the hearing and [...]