Braillito Maps · Accessibility guides
ADA hotel room requirements: how many rooms, and what goes in them
A hotel in the United States does not have to make every room accessible, but it has to build a set number of them, according to its size. The 2010 ADA Standards split them in two: guest rooms with mobility features, some of them with a roll-in shower, and guest rooms with communication features, such as visible alarms and visible signals for the phone and the door, meant for guests with hearing impairments. Section 224 says how many, and section 806 says what each one has inside (2010 ADA Standards, 224, 806 and advisory 806.3). These are the figures, each with its section of the standard.
This is a summary. The official 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are the reference.
Which places count as transient lodging
The Standards call hotels and similar places transient lodging: a building with one or more guest rooms for sleeping whose accommodations are primarily short-term. Homes meant as a residence, inpatient medical care facilities, licensed long-term care facilities and detention or correctional facilities are not transient lodging, and neither is a private building with no more than five rooms for rent that the owner actually lives in (2010 ADA Standards, 106.5, definition of “transient lodging”).
For places of lodging, the Department of Justice rule applies the transient lodging provisions of the 2010 Standards, including sections 224 and 806 (2010 ADA Standards, 28 CFR 36.406(c)). Time shares, dormitories and town homes can fall under these rules and also under the Fair Housing Amendments Act, which the standard says should be consulted before designing housing (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 224.1).
- Which edition applies: new construction and alterations follow the 2010 Standards when the last building permit application was certified complete on or after March 15, 2012, or, with no permit, when construction started on or after that date. Before September 15, 2010 the 1991 Standards applied, and in between, either one (2010 ADA Standards, 28 CFR 36.406(a)). An older hotel may therefore have been built to the 1991 Standards, which this page does not cover.
- Alterations: where guest rooms are altered or added, section 224 applies only to the rooms being altered or added, until the hotel reaches the number required for new construction (2010 ADA Standards, 224.1.1). The count is based on the rooms altered or added, not on all the rooms in the building (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 224.1.1).
- Several buildings on one site: buildings under the same permit application on a common site may be added together to work out the number and type of accessible rooms if each has 50 guest rooms or fewer; a building with more than 50 is counted on its own (2010 ADA Standards, 28 CFR 36.406(c)(1)).
How many ADA rooms a hotel needs, and how many with roll-in showers
The number of guest rooms with mobility features depends on the total number of guest rooms, and part of them must have a roll-in shower, the kind with a threshold no higher than 1/2 inch (13 mm) that a wheelchair can roll into (2010 ADA Standards, 224.2 and 608.7):
| Total guest rooms | Without roll-in showers | With roll-in showers | Total accessible rooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 25 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 26 to 50 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 51 to 75 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 76 to 100 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 101 to 150 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 151 to 200 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| 201 to 300 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| 301 to 400 | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| 401 to 500 | 9 | 4 | 13 |
| 501 to 1000 | 2 % of total | 1 % of total | 3 % of total |
| 1001 and over | 20, plus 1 for each 100, or fraction thereof, over 1000 | 10, plus 1 for each 100, or fraction thereof, over 1000 | 30, plus 2 for each 100, or fraction thereof, over 1000 |
Two things are easy to miss in that table. A hotel with 50 rooms or fewer is not required to have a roll-in shower at all: its accessible rooms need a bathtub or a shower that complies, of whichever type (2010 ADA Standards, table 224.2 and 806.2.4). And from 51 rooms on, the roll-in shower rooms are on top of the others, not a subset of them: a hotel of 600 rooms needs 18 rooms with mobility features, 12 without a roll-in shower and 6 with one (2010 ADA Standards, table 224.2).
In a room with more than 25 beds, such as a hostel dormitory, at least 5 % of the beds need the clear floor space beside the bed described below (2010 ADA Standards, 224.3).
Rooms with communication features for deaf and hard of hearing guests
A second, separate count covers guest rooms with communication features: visible alarms and visible notification of phone calls and door knocks, described in the next sections (2010 ADA Standards, 224.4 and 806.3). This count is higher than the first one:
| Total guest rooms | Rooms with communication features | Section |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 25 | 2 | 2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 |
| 26 to 50 | 4 | 2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 |
| 51 to 75 | 7 | 2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 |
| 76 to 100 | 9 | 2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 |
| 101 to 150 | 12 | 2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 |
| 151 to 200 | 14 | 2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 |
| 201 to 300 | 17 | 2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 |
| 301 to 400 | 20 | 2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 |
| 401 to 500 | 22 | 2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 |
| 501 to 1000 | 5 % of total | 2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 |
| 1001 and over | 50, plus 3 for each 100 over 1000 | 2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 |
The two kinds of room are linked by two rules. At least one of the rooms with mobility features must also have communication features. And no more than 10 % of the rooms with mobility features may be counted toward the minimum of rooms with communication features (2010 ADA Standards, 224.5). Because of that 10 % cap, nearly all the rooms counted for communication features have to be rooms other than the ones with mobility features. A hotel of 100 rooms, for example, needs 5 rooms with mobility features and 9 with communication features (2010 ADA Standards, tables 224.2 and 224.4).
Dispersion: not all in the cheapest rooms
Accessible rooms, both kinds, are spread across the different classes of guest room, with choices of room type, number of beds and amenities comparable to the ones other guests get. When there are too few accessible rooms to cover every class, they are spread in this order of priority: guest room type first, then number of beds, then amenities (2010 ADA Standards, 224.5).
The advisory note lists what that range of options can include: room size, bed size, cost, view, bathroom fixtures such as hot tubs and spas, smoking and nonsmoking, and the number of rooms provided (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 224.5). Advisory notes explain the requirements but do not set enforceable requirements of their own (2010 ADA Standards, 28 CFR 36.406(b)). In alterations, the standard notes that dispersion is easier to achieve when the accessible rooms are not all placed in the same area of the building (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 224.1.1).
What a guest room with mobility features must have
Section 806.2 lists what goes inside a room with mobility features. It does not repeat the rules common to every accessible space, which still apply: closets, for example, follow the storage requirements (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 806.2).
| Element | Requirement | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Living and dining areas | accessible | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.1 |
| Patios, terraces and balconies | accessible, when they serve the guest room | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.2 |
| Bed | at least one sleeping area with a clear floor space of at least 30 by 48 inches (760 × 1220 mm) on both sides of a bed, positioned for a parallel approach to the side of the bed; one such space between two beds is enough | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.3, its exception, and 305.3 |
| Bathroom | at least one bathroom of the room meets the toilet and bathing room rules, with at least one toilet, one lavatory and one bathtub or shower that comply | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.4 and 603 to 610 |
| Roll-in shower, where required | a standard or an alternate roll-in shower (see the next section) | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.4, 608.2.2 and 608.2.3 |
| Vanity counter | if the other guest bathrooms have vanity counter space, the accessible one has comparable space, in size and closeness to the lavatory | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.4.1 |
| Kitchen or kitchenette | it follows section 804: the sink meets the sink rules, at least 50 % of the shelf space meets the storage rules, and each appliance provided has a clear floor space and controls that comply, with extra rules for the dishwasher, the range or cooktop, the oven and the refrigerator. The clearance applies only where there is a cooktop or conventional range: at least 40 inches (1015 mm) between opposing counters, appliances or walls in a pass-through kitchen, which has two entries; 60 inches (1525 mm) in a U-shaped one | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.5, 804.2 and its exception, 804.2.1, 804.2.2 and 804.4 to 804.6 |
| Turning space | inside the guest room: a circle at least 60 inches (1525 mm) across, or a T-shaped space within a 60-inch square | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.6 and 304.3 |
| Closets and storage | where storage is provided, at least one of each type within the reach ranges: 15 to 48 inches (380–1220 mm) above the floor for an unobstructed forward or side reach | 2010 ADA Standards, 225.2, 811.3, 308.2.1 and 308.3.1 |
The bathroom fixtures may be split between more than one toilet or bathing area, as long as going from one fixture to another does not mean walking through other parts of the guest room (2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.4). What each fixture measures is in the guides to the ADA toilet, the ADA sink, the grab bars and the ADA bathroom as a whole.
One rule reaches every guest room, accessible or not. The entrance door and the doors inside the room that a person walks through, bathroom doors included, have a clear width of at least 32 inches (815 mm), measured with the door open 90 degrees (2010 ADA Standards, 224.1.2 and 404.2.3). Shower and sauna doors in rooms without mobility features are the exception (2010 ADA Standards, 224.1.2, exception). The standard explains why: because of the social interaction that often happens in lodging, the doors to and within all guest rooms need an accessible width, including rooms that are not required to be accessible (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 224.1.2). The rest of the door rules are in ADA door width.
The roll-in shower in an ADA hotel room
A required roll-in shower in a hotel room follows these rules. The first two apply to roll-in showers in any building; the last two, the folding seat and the hand-held spray, are stricter in hotels than in most other buildings:
- Two allowed sizes: a standard roll-in shower is at least 30 inches (760 mm) wide by 60 inches (1525 mm) deep inside, with an entry at least 60 inches wide on its face; an alternate roll-in shower is 36 inches (915 mm) wide and at least 60 inches deep, with an entry at least 36 inches wide at one end of the long side (2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.4, 608.2.2 and 608.2.3).
- Threshold: 1/2 inch (13 mm) high at most in a roll-in shower (2010 ADA Standards, 608.7).
- A folding seat is required in the roll-in showers required in hotel rooms with mobility features (2010 ADA Standards, 608.4), with its top 17 to 19 inches (430–485 mm) above the bathroom floor (2010 ADA Standards, 610.3).
- A hand-held shower is required. Most other buildings may use a fixed shower head no higher than 48 inches (1220 mm) instead, but hotel guest rooms may not: they need a spray unit with a hose at least 59 inches (1500 mm) long that also works as a fixed head (2010 ADA Standards, 608.6 and its exception).
The grab bars, the controls and the clearance in front of the shower are in ADA shower requirements.
What a room with communication features must have
| Element | Requirement | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Alarms | where the building has an emergency warning system, the room has alarms that comply with section 702, which sends guest room alarms to NFPA 72 | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.3.1, 215.4 and 702.1 |
| Phone calls and the door | visible notification devices that alert the people in the room to an incoming phone call and to a door knock or bell | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.3.2 |
| Kept apart from the alarm | the notification devices are not connected to the visible alarm appliances | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.3.2 |
| Telephone volume | a volume control compatible with the phone system, with a receive gain adjustable up to at least 20 dB, at least one intermediate step of 12 dB or more if the control is incremental, and an automatic reset | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.3.2 and 704.3 |
| Outlet for a TTY | an electrical outlet within 48 inches (1220 mm) of the telephone | 2010 ADA Standards, 806.3.2 and 309 |
An advisory note adds recommendations, not requirements, for compatibility with the adaptive equipment that people with hearing impairments use: phone jacks that work with both digital and analog lines, a headphone jack that cuts off the speaker, and a standard subminiature jack in the phone for a headset or an external amplifier (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 806.3).
Booking the room
Having the rooms is half of it; the other half is being able to book one. For reservations made by any means, a hotel must let you book accessible rooms during the same hours and in the same way as other guests, describe the accessible features of the hotel and its rooms in enough detail for you to judge on your own whether a room meets your needs, and block and hold the specific accessible room you reserved (28 CFR 36.302, paragraph (e)(1)). These rules apply to reservations made on or after March 15, 2012 (28 CFR 36.302, paragraph (e)(3)).
Where individual guest rooms are not owned or substantially controlled by the company that owns, leases or operates the building, the holding, blocking and guarantee rules do not apply (28 CFR 36.302, paragraph (e)(2)). What to ask before you book, and what the hotel has to tell you, is in wheelchair accessible hotels; the flight and the rest of the trip, in accessible travel.
How to check a hotel room when you arrive
A tape measure and a phone call to the front desk cover most of sections 224 and 806:
- The doors. Open each door to 90 degrees and measure from the face of the door to the stop: at least 32 inches, in any room (2010 ADA Standards, 224.1.2 and 404.2.3).
- The bed. A clear strip at least 30 inches wide and 48 inches long along the side of the bed, on both sides, or one between two beds (2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.3 and 305.3).
- The turning space. A 60-inch circle, or a T within a 60-inch square, somewhere in the room (2010 ADA Standards, 806.2.6 and 304.3).
- The shower. If you booked a roll-in shower: a folding seat, a hand-held spray on a hose at least 59 inches long, and a threshold no higher than 1/2 inch (2010 ADA Standards, 608.4, 608.6 and 608.7).
- The phone and the door. In a room with communication features, a light or other visible signal when the phone rings and when someone knocks (2010 ADA Standards, 806.3.2).
- The closet. At least one of each type of storage, such as the clothes rod, the shelves and the hooks, within 48 inches of the floor (2010 ADA Standards, 225.2, advisory 225.2, 811.3 and 308.2.1).
If the hotel looks built before 2012 and something does not match, it may have followed the 1991 Standards (2010 ADA Standards, 28 CFR 36.406(a)). For what the ADA asks of an existing business, see ADA compliance.
Hotels in Braillito Maps
Knowing the rules is useful for one practical thing: knowing, before you book, whether a hotel will work for you. Braillito Maps is a community map that answers ten questions about each place: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment.
Several of them are the questions a hotel raises. The step-free entrance and the wide doorway say whether you can get in at all; the accessible restroom is the bathroom; accessible parking is the car; braille signage says whether signs can also be read by touch; guide dogs welcome is for guests who travel with one; and a quiet environment helps blind guests, for whom noise covers the sounds they use to find their way. Each answer is yes, no or no data, and the score of a place is the number of yes answers out of ten, always shown with its number, never by color alone.
The checklist has no question for visible alarms or for the phone and door signals of a room with communication features, so those are worth asking the hotel about directly. And if what a place says is wrong, it can be reported. Meet Braillito Maps.
Frequently asked questions
How many ADA rooms does a hotel need?
It depends on the total number of guest rooms: 1 accessible room for 1 to 25 rooms, 2 for 26 to 50, 4 for 51 to 75, 5 for 76 to 100, up to 13 for 401 to 500, and 3 % of the total from 501 to 1000 (2010 ADA Standards, table 224.2).
How many roll-in showers does an ADA hotel need?
None up to 50 rooms; 1 from 51 to 100 rooms, 2 from 101 to 200, 3 from 201 to 300, 4 from 301 to 500, and 1 % of the total from 501 to 1000 (2010 ADA Standards, table 224.2).
How many hearing accessible rooms does a hotel need?
Rooms with communication features, such as visible alarms and visible signals for the phone and the door, go from 2 in a hotel of 2 to 25 rooms to 22 in one of 401 to 500, and 5 % of the total from 501 to 1000 (2010 ADA Standards, table 224.4 and 806.3).
What does an ADA hotel room have to include?
Accessible living and dining areas and balconies, a clear floor space on both sides of a bed, an accessible bathroom, an accessible kitchen if there is one, and a turning space inside the room (2010 ADA Standards, 806.2).
Does an ADA hotel room need a roll-in shower?
Only the rooms that table 224.2 counts as rooms with roll-in showers. The other accessible rooms need at least one bathtub or shower that complies (2010 ADA Standards, 224.2 and 806.2.4).
Do all hotel room doors have to be 32 inches wide?
Yes. The doors people walk through into and within every guest room, accessible or not, have a clear width of at least 32 inches (815 mm); only shower and sauna doors in rooms without mobility features are exempt (2010 ADA Standards, 224.1.2 and 404.2.3).
More accessibility guides
- Wheelchair accessible hotels: how to choose and book a room that works: roll-in shower or tub, the bed, turning space, what to ask and your rights under the ADA.
- Accessible travel: your rights on flights in the US and the EU, accessible hotel rooms, and what to ask before you book.
- ADA shower requirements: transfer and roll-in shower sizes, the seat, grab bars, controls, the hand-held shower and the threshold.
- ADA bathroom requirements: toilet height and position, grab bar height, sink height, stall sizes and turning space.
- ADA door width: 32 inches of clear width, maneuvering space, thresholds, hardware and opening force.
- ADA grab bars: grab bar height, length, diameter and wall spacing, and where the bars go at the toilet, in the shower and at the bathtub.
- ADA compliance: a checklist for small businesses, with the 2010 Standards section behind each item.
- All accessibility guides
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these official texts, which we read in October 2026.
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. U.S. Department of Justice, published September 15, 2010; required for new work since March 15, 2012.
- 28 CFR 36.302(e), Reservations made by places of lodging. U.S. Department of Justice, in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, applies to reservations made on or after March 15, 2012; current text read October 2026.
Braillito Maps
Find places with ramps, accessible toilets or tactile paving near you in Braillito Maps
In Braillito Maps, every place answers ten questions: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment. It is built by the people who need it, and every place gets a score out of ten.
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