Important questions to ask before you book and other helpful travel tips for hearing loss.
Staying in a hotel often has a certain atmosphere of novelty and fun. You’re in a new place, free of your daily routine – perhaps even treating yourself to room service, a hotel spa treatment, or relaxing while you plan vacation activities. To help ensure you choose the hotel that can deliver the experience you’re hoping for, consider hearing loss accessibility during the booking phase.
Here are a few questions to consider as you evaluate hotels for their hearing loss accessibility features:
- Does the room have visual notification features?
- Are the beds equipped with shakers for alarms?
- Are any assistive communication devices provided?
- Does the TV have closed captioning?
- Can a concierge help arrange bookings?
- Do they offer email or text alerts for updates on bookings?
Keep reading to learn more about these hearing loss accessibility features and other helpful travel tips for hearing loss.
Does the room have visual notification features?
Visual notification features allow guests with hearing loss to see alerts for certain events. They include doorbell flashers, phone ring flashers, and strobe lights in case of smoke or fire. These hearing loss accessibility features are key requirements for a room to qualify as ADA accessible.
Are the beds equipped with shakers for alarms?
Some people love sleeping in on a trip, but others have places to be! If phone call wakeups or a standard alarm clock are difficult to hear, ask about hotel rooms with beds equipped with shakers to wake guests up. These helpful devices are vibrating alarms that will shake you awake at a specified time. Some hotel bed shakers will also connect to the emergency alarm systems for tactile alerts.
Are any assistive listening devices provided?
While the ADA doesn’t require assistive listening devices to be provided, some hotels offer phone amplifiers or TTY devices to assist guests with their communication needs. Sometimes these hearing loss accessibility features might only be available on request. When you’re contacting the hotel to book your stay, use this travel tip for hearing loss: ask what’s available and whether you need to reserve them ahead of time.
Does the TV have closed captioning?
If you enjoy relaxing in front of the TV after a long day of activities, you may be interested in this hearing loss accessibility feature: closed captioning. This convenient service displays the audio of your favorite shows or movies in text on the screen. Most hotels provide closed caption decoders either by default in hearing loss accessible rooms or on request. If you need assistance turning on the captions, the hotel staff can help, or you can check out this infographic on how to turn on closed captions on your TV.
Can a concierge help arrange bookings?
Some hotels offer concierge services to arrange restaurant reservations, activity bookings, transportation needs, and other logistics to make your trip stress-free and fun. If hearing over the phone is difficult, you may consider taking advantage of this convenience. This way, you can spend your time enjoying your stay instead of making activity arrangements. You may also consider asking the concierge about the best hearing loss-friendly destinations to visit during your stay.
If hearing over the phone is difficult, learn how a CapTel captioned telephone can help.
Do they offer email or text alerts for updates on bookings?
Our last hearing loss accessibility consideration in this post is all about how you’ll receive notifications and updates about your hotel booking. Requesting email or text alerts containing your reservation confirmation and other pertinent information about your stay can help ensure you don’t miss any important communications.
Additional travel tips for hearing loss that may be helpful before staying in a hotel include:
- Bring extra supplies for any hearing devices you may use, including batteries and cleaning kit
- Inform hotel staff about your hearing loss and let them know your preferred method of communication should they need to contact you with important information
- Make copies of your travel documents and bring one with you, and leave the other at home with a neighbor, family member, or friend
For more travel tips for hearing loss, read our hearing loss accessibility articles on travel by bus, car, and plane.
To learn more about how a captioned telephone can help you catch every word over the phone, call 800.2339130 or visit CapTel.com today.
