When former athlete Leanne Goodwin stayed at Quest Geelong Central last year, she delivered the exact kind of verdict our brand strives for every day: “It felt like I was staying with friends rather than a hotel. It was my home away from home," says Leanne. 

For Leanne, a perfect stay relies on the standard of accessibility. A resident of Waurn Ponds in Victoria, Leanne believes truly accessible accommodation is about understanding that disabilities and accessibility needs are highly unique. "Quest was magnificent because their approach was more than words on a website,” says Leanne.

Leanne’s experience reflects an ongoing commitment from Quest to improve accessibility across all properties, says Anthea Dimitrakopoulos, General Manager of Brand and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) at The Ascott Limited, Australia. "It doesn’t matter who you are, you should never have to worry about whether your accommodation will meet your needs.”

To this end, Quest has become the first major accommodation operator in Australia to gain independent accessibility accreditation for multiple properties. Properties have been qualified by the national leader in accessible tourism, Accessible Accommodation; this process includes training for staff, property consultations and accreditation.

"Quest's approach to accessibility is evolving beyond the standard style of an accessible room," says Kerry Williams, Founder of Accessible Accommodation. "Quest business owners are eagerly integrating new features to provide thoughtful and accessible travel experiences, while their new hotels are setting new standards for style and amenities available in accessible rooms." 

With 4.4 million Australians living with a disability or long-term health condition, and this segment accounting for 11 percent of the country’s total tourism revenue, the importance of accessible travel experiences is clear. It’s the fastest growing travel sector in Australia, worth a staggering $3.3 billion, and Quest is leading the way when it comes to redefining what it means to be a truly inclusive accommodation provider. 

By integrating Accessible Accommodation’s industry-leading rating system, Quest is ensuring travellers with diverse accessibility needs can confidently plan their getaways, secure in the knowledge that their home away from home will cater to their every requirement. 

To date, an impressive 80 Quest properties have been accredited under Accessible Accommodation's innovative three-tiered rating system with more to follow by year’s end. 

How it works

There are three tiers of accessibility included in the accreditation program.

Tier 1 is focused on walking frame and cane users, for whom some accessible amenities will come in handy.

Tier 2 is geared towards independent wheelchair users who can self-transfer to bed, shower, and toilet.

Tier 3 is for assisted wheelchair users who require assistance to lift themselves and a support person or equipment to transfer.

As well as ensuring every guest can stay comfortably in a room suited to their accessibility needs, we have streamlined the booking process. Guests with accessible needs can now book accessible rooms via the Quest website by using the booking filter 'I need accessible room options' within our booking tool. 

This personalised, guest-centric mindset is exactly what Kris Marinakis, business owner of Quest Burwood East, has been striving to achieve – with impressive results. The property is the first in the network to achieve Tier 3 accreditation.

“As well as improving our own fit outs, training has been an important part in understanding the needs of accessible accommodation,” he says. “I am extremely proud that our accommodation is accessible to everyone, because it is really about making every stay great and effortless.”

“Care and compassion are the cornerstones of supporting people with disabilities,” says Kerry Williams. “Quest understands how to create real human connections that help people feel seen, heard, and appreciated, and in the accessible community, they remember the person comes first, not their disability. The Quest team truly get it.”