Finding wheelchair accessible hotel rooms in New Orleans is often difficult, as so few properties provide photos of their adapted guest rooms — here, you’ll find information and photos that describe the level of wheelchair accessibility at several New Orleans hotels. While none are perfect, you’ll have a clearer idea of what to expect, rather than facing an unwelcome surprise at check-in.
This list is not exhaustive and I encourage you to share your experiences at other New Orleans hotels in the comments below.
Renaissance New Orleans Pere Marquette French Quarter Area Hotel
Located between the French Quarter and Central Business District, the Renaissance New Orleans Pere Marquette Hotel is a 4 star property with typically affordable room rates. The hotel isn’t fully ADA compliant, but you may be able to make it work for you as I was..
The bathroom features a roll-under sink and a toilet with grab bars. There was enough space to park my wheelchair directly alongside the toilet for a safe, lateral transfer. Interestingly enough, the toilet paper roll was mounted on the sink rather than the wall, making it far out of reach of the toilet.
During my stay at the Renaissance hotel, I had reserved a room with an accessible bathtub, rather than one with a roll-in shower (the hotel was sold out for the weekend). The first photo above showcases the bathtub, which was a solid offering with the exception of a portable shower seat. I managed to use it OK, however if you are looking for a bathtub with an ADA compliant seat, you won’t find it here.
The hotel’s website features an image of a roll-in shower, which I have included above, and it looks to be properly designed with a wall-mounted shower seat, grab bars in the appropriate locations, and a handheld shower head within reach if the seat.
For some additional detail, I recorded the following measurements of the room I stayed in:
- Bed height to top of mattress — 29 inches.
- Clear space under bed — None
- Desk height; clearance under desktop — 31.5 inches; 29.75 inches
- Sink height; free space under sink — 34.5 inches; 29 inches
- Toilet seat height — 18 inches
- Toilet grab bar height — 36 inches
- Bathtub side wall height — 13.5
- Bathtub grab bar height — 32 inches
To learn more about the hotel or to make a reservation, visit the Renaissance New Orleans Pere Marquette website.
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The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, located inside a historic building in the city’s French Quarter, is one of the The Big Easy’s premier luxury accommodations. On a holiday weekend trip to New Orleans, I booked a stay at the Ritz and was surprised at check-in with a complimentary upgrade to an Executive Suite.
My Executive Suite was located on the 14th floor in the 15-floor hotel. Suite number 1425 was spacious, with a double-doored bedroom, living room and bathroom. The bed height, from the floor to the top of the mattress, was 26 inches. Since the bed sat atop a platform, there was no clear space underneath to accommodate a transfer lift.
For some additional detail, I recorded the following measurements of the room:
- Desk height; clearance under desktop — 29.5 inches; 25 inches
- Sink height; free space under sink — 34.5 inches; 27.5 inches
- Toilet seat height — 17.5 inches
- Toilet grab bar height — 36 inches
- Shower seat height — Adjustable
- Shower grab bar height — 36 inches
For more information about this hotel, read my detailed review of The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans. To make a room reservation, visit the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans website.
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The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Open since 1893, The Roosevelt New Orleans is one of the premier luxury hotels in the city and, by Walforf Astoria standards, a surprisingly good bargain.
My accessible guest room featured a large king size bed that measured 30 inches from the floor to the top of the mattress. For those who use a mobile lift or hoist, there was 6.5 inches of clear space under the bed. By removing the bed frame, the bed could be lowered to a more manageable height of23.5 inches.
The bathroom was lovely with one major exception: the water controls and handheld shower head were located far from the built-in shower seat. Even with my long arms, I wasn’t able to reach the water controls.
For some additional detail, I recorded the following measurements of the room:
- Bed height to top of mattress — 30 inches.
- Clear space under bed — 6.5 inches
- Desk height; clearance under desktop — 29.5 inches; 25 inches
- Sink height; free space under sink — 34.5 inches; 27.5 inches
- Toilet seat height — 17.25 inches
- Toilet grab bar height — 37 inches
- Shower seat height — 16
- Shower grab bar height — 35.5 inches
For more information or to book a stay at this hotel, visit the Waldorf Astoria New Orleans website.
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Hyatt Place New Orleans / Convention Center
During my first trip to New Orleans as a wheelchair user in 2016, I stayed at the Hyatt Place New Orleans hotel, which is located in the city’s Warehouse District right across the street from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
My room featured a king size bed that was accessible from all sides, along with a small sitting area with a sofa and ottoman.
The bathroom featured a roll under sink and toilet with grab bars, however there was not space to park the wheelchair directly alongside the toilet — an angled transfer onto the front of the toilet seat was necessary. The room had a roll-in shower with a built-in seat, and the controls were within reach. The grab bar on the back wall wasn’t of much use due to its positioning.
For more information and to check room rates, visit the Hyatt Place New Orleans website.