Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

Thanksgiving Day, Darrell and I made our third pilgrimage to Las Vegas for the BlogWorld and New Media Expo. The slot machines, bright lights and ads everywhere as soon as stepping off the plane is no longer overwhelming and makes our Vancouver International Airport seem boring and calming in comparison.

This year we decided to stay at the Las Vegas Hilton, where Elvis had performed 837 consecutive sold out concerts, to be closer to the Convention Center for the three days of BlogWorld. (This photo was taken at 6am the morning we left, which explains why it is so dark.)

We were looking forward to experiencing the poshness of the Hilton. We had visited the Hilton in previous years and were impressed by its overall accessibility. However, we were immediately disappointed by our accessible room. Two double beds, an oversized chair and ottoman, plus our two wheelchairs made for a rather cramped room.

The bathroom was more spacious, with plenty of room to maneuver our wheelchairs. Curiously, the grab bars were used as towels racks. Even though a bath bench was provided, the legs were not adjustable, making it impossible to place over the side of the tub and, hence, rendering it useless for bathing. When asking at the front desk, housekeeping did not have any other benches with adjustable legs.

The worst annoyance was the bed’s height. The bed was higher than Darrell’s wheelchair wheelchair arm. How many accessible beds are that friggin’ high? Darrell had to transfer up to bed, on a rather soft mattress. As for me at only 5”3’, climbing into bed took on a whole new meaning! According to the front desk, all of the beds are this height.

But, having said all of that, this was the first hotel room Darrell and I have experienced with an automatic door opener!

Bathing was dubious, getting into bed an effort, but, at least, we could leave the room with ease!

Even though we enjoyed the rest of the Hilton’s amenities and enjoyed being so close to the Convention Center, we will likely be returning to the more accessible Imperial Palace or another Vegas hotel next year.

Part 1: Hilton Room Disappoints on Accessibility

Part 2: Dreams Do Come True – With a Little Help from Friends

Part 3: Making the Impossible Possible – Not Always Perfect or Pretty