Building Better Business –
Upgrading Accessibility Facilities
Business owners are often concerned about the cost of improvements to cater for disabled guests.
Here are 3 real-life examples of voluntary high-accessibility accommodation schemes. Two of these businesses decided to build-in these facilities before start-up, one is a conversion upgrade. All are pleased they went for it, and find the business benefits are clear.
There are also several other very useful first-steps improvements you can make first if you prefer. See our InfoSheet “Top 5 Low-Cost Customer Service Improvements That Can Improve Your Bookings, Profits And Reputation”.
Isle Access is an Isle of Wight charity helping businesses gain more by helping disabled customers.
The Red Barn, Rookley, IW – Sarah & Neil Starsmore, owners – website link
The Red Barn offers self-catering holiday accommodation for non-disabled and disabled guests with five bedrooms (3 ground floor bedrooms and one double sleeping area upstairs) and caters for up to 7 people (8 including small child).
It is a dedicated barn conversion an idyllic setting near Rookley village, in a valley amid farmland and woodland. Facilities for severe disability were built into the conversion from the start, and have evolved further with customer feedback.
This venture has been a great success over its 16 years, usually being fully-booked for the coming season and sometimes for the next one too (pre-COVID). Repeat bookings are very high with one customer coming 20 times. This popularity shows in almost 100% 5-star TripAdvisor ratings.
The White Horse, Dorking, Surrey – MotionSpot, Architects – website link
An upgrade scheme changed a few of their 56 standard bedrooms into fully accessible ones. Fixtures & installation cost £6000 per room, and brought in more than that in less than a year.
Over the full year, they brought in £6900 per room because of the higher higher price (12% above standard), 75% higher occupancy and higher associated spend.
The improved occupancy rate was partly due to many bookings being returning guests, showing the welcome that these facilities received, and suggesting good reviews and recommendations. In fact they are a four-star hotel with 4-star TripAdvisor rating.
Island Riding Centre, Newport, IW – Louise Buckner, owner – website link
With a choice of 10 self-catering houses ranging from 2 to 4 bedrooms, Island Riding Centre can accommodate couples, families, groups and school parties. They have facilities to help people with disabilities to ride the horses – they have a Riding for the Disabled Association Accessibility Mark.
Also, the bedrooms and bathrooms have been designed so most have different adaptations and equipment, providing for different levels of severity of disability. This kept the development within budget while creating a wide choice for guests. Louise also ensures that portable facilities are available on request to tailor rooms to suit individual guests’ needs.
These accessibility features were built in from the 2017 beginnings so we have no before-and-after comparison, but Louise is sure they attract customers who then give 5-star ratings on Trip Adviser.