Booking Accommodation When Travelling Blind

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When I travel, I generally travel alone. There have been a few times when I’ve travelled with friends, but those experiences are definitely not the norm for me. So choosing the right accommodation is really important as I only have my own needs to think about. In some ways this makes life easier. I prefer something quiet rather than with a party atmosphere, so at least I don’t have to compromise on that! On the other hand, I do have to consider what, if any, impact my blindness might have.

This isn’t a post where I tell you what kind of accommodation you should stay in. I don’t know you. I don’t know what kinds of places you enjoy. But hopefully the questions I ask myself and the things I consider important will help you if you’re wanting to travel but struggling with this aspect of it.

Hotel, hostel, or something else

Choosing what type of accommodation you’d like to stay in is probably the first step. I’m going to cover a few types, and some of the things you might want to consider for each of them.

Hostels

By staying in a hostel you’re going to save yourself a lot of money, but there are also other things you need to consider. Most likely you’ll be sharing a room with other travellers, though some hostels do offer private rooms. If you’re in a shared room you will certainly have to share a bathroom with other people, and even private rooms don’t always come with their own bathroom.

Hostels are great places to meet other people. They may organise activities and especially parties, and usually the people who stay there are friendly. I feel like maybe I’m too old for them now. My partying days are well and truly over, and I find the idea of sharing my space with strangers and staying up late to party totally unappealing. Having said that there was a time when I’d have loved it.

Blindness can play a part as well. In a hostel there may or may not be many staff around, and you’re going to have to accept that you are sharing the space with other people. You don’t know how the people you’re sharing a room with will react to you, though in my experience most backpackers are very friendly. Ultimately they’re a fantastic way of meeting other people, as long as people are what you’re after. Remember that whilst other backpackers may be willing to give you a hand, they aren’t obligated to do so.

Hotels

If I’m being honest, I stay in hotels more than anything else. They’re generally quiet, they offer the kinds of rooms I want, and if I desperately need to be alone then they give me the space for that. Not all hotels offer the same things though. There’s been a recent trend towards hotels with minimal to no staff. I haven’t seen this everywhere, but when booking hotels recently I came across a few where guests check themselves in online, and there are no staff to assist.

I don’t mind the idea of this as such, but my concern is that you can’t guarantee how accessible it will be. If there’s a code to get in, will the keypad be a touchscreen? How do the bedroom doors unlock, and is that accessible? If there’s a self-serve breakfast, will anyone be around me to assist? I don’t want to touch food that’s available for everyone, just so I can find out what it is.

You can still find staffed hotels at reasonable price points, and I’ve often found that they’re cheaper than a private room in a hostel, so if having your own room is critical then look at both to price compare. What a hotel offers can vary a huge amount from budget to luxury. I’ve found that the quality of assistance I receive as a blind person isn’t really tied to how up-scale or not the hotel is. I’ve stayed in some supposedly fantastic locations where staff regularly grabbed me and clearly couldn’t cope with the idea that a blind person was there, and I’ve had excellent service in budget hotels.

It’s also worth considering whether you’ll get the most out of a more expensive hotel. They often come with facilities like gyms and business centres, but you’ll need to determine whether these things will be accessible. That’s not to say you should avoid up-scale hotels. Sometimes you want to relax somewhere with a comprehensive room service menu and decent air conditioning. Trust me I get it. But consider what you’re getting for your money and how much of it will be accessible for you.

Airbnb

I’ve stayed in an Airbnb before and generally had a positive experience. I think I enjoy them more when I’m with friends though. I don’t have a lot to say about them, but it’s worth considering how you’ll actually access the place. Is there a key in a lock box, and if so, can the host tell you what kinds of controls it has. Also, are you staying in one so that you can cook your own food. It’s worth asking the host about access to appliances, as they may or may not be accessible.

Honestly how a host responds to these questions can go either way. Some will completely understand that you need the information. Others will start to question whether you should really be there on your own. Unfortunately there isn’t a huge amount you can do about that. Sometimes you can save a lot of money by staying in one when compared with a hotel, especially if you’re in a big group. So if you’re looking for a more home like experience, they’re worth a look.

Location

Location is absolutely critical for me when I travel. Some trips I’m willing to be further out from transport, especially for longer trips. I can Uber from the airport or train station or if I’m feeling up to it I’ll take public transport. On shorter trips where I’m hopping around from place to place, being close to transport is critical because I don’t have the time to be heading in and out of the city all the time.

I always look up exactly where any accommodation is before I book it. I usually use Google Maps or similar to figure out how far it is from the train station or airport, as well as any significant locations that I plan on visiting. I also try and establish whether this is a generally safe area. Usually you can do this by conducting a quick bit of research online to see which areas of the city you’re visiting have the highest crime rate. It can sometimes be hard to judge though.

Access to food

Whether my hotel offers dinner and breakfast isn’t always a dealbreaker for me, but it can be. And I think blindness plays into this at least a little bit.

Sometimes I need to stay somewhere that offers room service because I know travel will have left me mentally checked out, and I’m going to want to get some food and be alone. This is particularly the case if I’ve had to fly there. I’m not a fan of airports or air travel because I find the experience generally underwhelming as a blind person, often close to dehumanising. If I’ve flown to a place, I’m usually going to want to go to bed and mentally decompress from the experience, and I really don’t want to be looking for food.

Having a hotel that includes breakfast can be really helpful particularly if I think the city might be difficult to navigate. I don’t want to be hungry and trying to figure out navigating first thing in the morning. Having said all that, if I know my hotel is located very close to lots of places I will let that requirement slide.

Hostels generally don’t provide food, however they do often have communal kitchens and may also have barbecue areas. If this is more your thing, they’re a good option and will help you to save a lot of money as well. I would personally map out where a couple of nearby supermarkets are in advance of booking. You don’t want to book a place only to realise the nearest place to pick up groceries is ages away in an unfamiliar city.

Tips

• You can use Google maps to plan directions in advance from the airport or station to prospective hotels, which will give you an idea of how far away they are.
• If I know I’m going to take an Uber from the station or airport, before I book the accommodation I’ll often use the app to check roughly how much the journey will cost. I know prices can vary but it gives me an idea and helps me budget, or find somewhere else to stay if it’s out of my reach.
• Reviews are very useful for giving you information that isn’t clearly advertised, such as whether the hotel is staffed or not. I always read reviews before I consider booking anywhere, unless it’s a really well-known chain where I already know what to expect.
• If you’re staying in a hostel, the Hostelworld app will allow you to connect with other people that are also staying at the same time. It’s a way to break the ice and hopefully get to know a few people in advance.
• Some hotels will provide transport to and from the airport. I’d advise contacting them so you know exactly who you’re supposed to be looking out for and where. If you’re getting assistance you can pass this information along to the person assisting you.
• I feel like I talk about this in every travel post, but for hotel bookings I generally use Expedia. It’s easy to use and the app is also accessible with Voiceover on iOS, and you can earn loyalty points. They will also show you how far by walking or driving the hotel is located from other landmarks within the area, which I find useful. There is generally accessibility information for each location as well. It’s not hugely comprehensive, but will tell you if your hotel has things like a lift, braille signs, and accessible parking.
• Whether you tell a hotel in advance that you are blind is up to you. I generally don’t, because I’m not sure why they’d need to know and I feel like telling them gives them more time to panic and be ruled by assumptions rather than reality. I have never had a problem when asking hotel staff to assist me to get food at breakfast, and to show me where my room is initially when I check in.
• I have told Airbnb owners that I’m blind, mostly so I can get accessibility information about accessing the keys, for example. I’ll also ask them if there’s any information I need to be aware of, because some will leave printed info packs in the accommodation but I might not find it.
• Remember that if you collect loyalty points for a particular airline, you may be able to collect extra points by booking certain hotel brands or by using specific sites. It’s worth checking out if you can.
• Many hotels offer their own loyalty schemes. Before you book, have a quick look to see if they do.

I hope this post has answered some of the questions you might have when booking an overnight stay as someone who is blind or visually impaired. If there’s anything else you would like to know, you can always leave a comment.