Hoodoo Moab offers excellent accessibility lodgings with a touch of luxury – with one glaring exception, which I will get to momentarily.
Conveniently located near Moab’s many natural attractions, this hotel makes for an enjoyable and relaxing vacay for travelers with accessibility requirements, travelers like us.
My husband and I, along with our caregiver, recently stayed in Suite 119 – a bedroom with two queen beds and a separately divided living area with a pullout bed. It was perfect for the three of us, providing both convenience and suitable privacy for traveling with a caregiver.
Accessibility: What Worked
Room 119 Entry
Located on the ground floor, the entry to Suite 119 is easily wheelchair accessible with plenty of room on a tiled floor to maneuver. The outside room number panel offers braille lettering.
Bathroom Toilet
The toilet area is equipped with sturdy hand bars at a convenient height. The bathroom is spacious, making it easy for a caregiver to assist. The bathroom is also accessible from both the bedroom and the living area, again making the room configuration absolutely ideal for traveling with a caregiver.
Bathroom Shower AND Tub!
The suite includes both an accessible roll-in shower and an accessible tub. Truly impressive.
The roll-in shower is spacious and has a folding bench for seating. The toiletries are located too high for a wheelchair user. The faucet is hard to turn on. But overall, wonderful.
The accessible tub is equipped with a foldable bench and sturdy hand bars. There’s plenty of room to accommodate the addition of a caregiver.
Bathroom Sink Area
The sink and mirror area, complete with welcoming, white fluffy towels and boxed hairdryer, is leveled at a height suitable for a wheelchair user. A mobility device can easily roll under the counter.
Bed Height
The two queen beds are not only comfortable, they are low enough to enable easy transfer in and out of bed.
Flooring
Beautiful, low pile carpet and tile flooring make it easy to maneuver a wheelchair.
A/C Unit
The A/C unit is, blissfully, very quiet.
Pool Shower Room
The pool shower room is equipped with hand bars near the toilet and in the shower. The shower also has a built-in foldable bench.
Parking
Accessible parking is located just outside the exit side doors near Suite 119. Unfortunately, this set of doors does not have an ADA door opener.
Accessibility: What Needs Work
Pool Accessibility
As is recommended for all travelers with accessibility needs, we always call the hotel directly to double-check the online accuracy of their accessibility rooms and equipment before finalizing our booking.
One question that is always on our list is: Do you have a pool mobility lift? When we made our Hoodoo Moab booking, the hotel staff informed us that the hotel pool is equipped with a ramp instead of a mobility lift.
Okay, we thought. We’ll make it work.
However, little did we know (nor did the hotel staff), that the pool ramp ended in the water at THREE STAIRS. Clearly, not accessible to anyone in a wheelchair, myself included. Clearly, not safe. Clearly, not up to par with Hilton’s quality indoor accessibility standards.
As the below videos show, the pool ramp requires two caregivers to hoist a guest (in this case me) down the winding, improperly sloped configuration, and then down over the stairs for all to witness.
In addition, using the ramp, a guest’s mobility device – whether it be a wheelchair, powerchair, or walker, etc. – gets wet, which may cause damage to the device.
Management Responsiveness
Once informed about the pool access inadequacies, the new general manager, Justin Vasterling, and the maintenance chief, Dan Janus, immediately met with us and took our concerns seriously. Both staff members were unaware of the stairs at the end of the ramp. Both assured us that pool accessibility would be reconsidered, going so far as to ask my husband, Lou, for pool mobility lift recommendations and any other helpful adjustments to increase access to all guests. The general manager also graciously discounted our stay for the inconvenience and miscommunication upon booking.
Would we stay at Hoodoo Moab again? You bet. Especially if a pool mobility lift is installed.
Accessible Attractions Near Hoodoo Moab
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Scenic Byway U-128
- Dead Horse Point
Making Accessibility Happen
Accessible travel for people with disabilities is big business. Speak with your dollars, your vote, and your voice to let commerce know what’s working, and what’s not.
This post was emailed to: Justin Vasterling, Dan Janus, Moab City Council, and Hilton Headquarters.
Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton
111 N. 100 West
Moab, UT 84532
Special thanks to Josh Martinez for his input and transcription for this article. Most of all, we thank him for being a wonderful traveling caregiver companion.
And, as always, thanks to my husband and life’s co-adventurer, Lou.
Beep, beep!
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