Barrier-free wellness vacation: what to clarify before booking

Whether a stay suits you is not shown by the word “barrier-free” but by specific information about your exact route, from the entrance through your room and the restaurant to the spa area. You will find such information in a description compiled on site, where one exists, and in the property's answers to your questions. Only with this information can you judge whether the stay will work for you.

Why a label is not enough

“Barrier-free” can refer to the whole property, to individual rooms or to a particular apartment. An elevator or an accessible bathroom does not yet tell you whether you can also reach the pool, the sauna or the relaxation area. Filters on booking and listing sites may also be based on different criteria. What matters, then, is whether the routes and areas you want to use work for you.

Describing your route through the property

Go through one day of your stay in your mind: arrival at the parking lot or the transit stop, entrance and reception, elevator, room and bathroom, restaurant and the way to the spa area. For each stop, ask whether there are steps, thresholds or steep ramps, how wide doors and passageways are and whether the elevator reaches all the floors you need. Give the measurements that matter to you, such as the width of your wheelchair. Also say whether individual steps are an obstacle for you.

Asking about the spa area point by point

An accessible room says nothing about the spa area. Even a spa on one level does not mean that the way there is step-free. So ask specifically: How do you get into the pool and back out, via steps with a handrail or a pool entry aid? Is the way to the sauna flat, and how high are the benches? Are there changing rooms, showers and restrooms you can use? And if you would like to book a treatment: Can you reach the treatment room, and can you get onto the treatment table?

Assistive devices, companions and support

Clarify whether the assistive devices you need are available at the property or whether you will bring them, and whether there is enough space for them in the room. If you travel with a companion, ask whether they can accompany you in all areas, including the spa area. If you need care or personal assistance, clarify before booking who will provide it. Do not assume that a hotel offers it.

Getting there and the surrounding area

If you travel without a car, also ask about the way from the stop to the property and whether a transfer is possible. If you want to go on excursions, whether you can use a trail or a lift depends on that individual trail and that individual lift. A trail's width, surface and gradient matter more than its label.

How to get a reliable answer

Barrier-free hotels at South Tyrol for All

Where possible, start with a description compiled on site. South Tyrol's official tourism website names “South Tyrol for All” as a point of contact for barrier-free travel and states that the establishments listed there are visited by experts. According to its own information, the hotel overview of “South Tyrol for All” takes access routes, rooms and bathrooms, the dining room, common areas and the spa area into account in its assessment. For individual establishments you will also find details there, for example on a pool entry aid or the sauna. Then write to the property before booking, briefly describe your situation and ask about anything that is still missing for your stay or may have changed in the meantime. Ask for measurements and photos of the entrance, bathroom and spa area and for the name of the person answering you. If you only get a general “barrier-free” in return, ask what that means for your route and the areas you want to use. The information on our platform is not an accessibility assessment.

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