CHLA Lodging News July/August 2021

10 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com Storage & Misc Items Aside from clothes, many items may not be within reach range such as loose irons, extra blankets, pillows, towels, and other amenities on upper shelves, so another option should be implemented. Consider how and where hair dryers are stored. I have seen these placed in a bag hanging from a robe hook on the bathroom door. These may not be within reach range, and it is also quite difficult to access the dryer, since two hands are generally needed to get the dryer out of the bag. If a phone is placed on a nightstand, it may only be able to be accessed while in bed unless the nightstand has knee/toe clearance below. In this case, consideration should be provided for a second phone on the desk as well. And viewport height, if provided, is not specified for a required height, but I would suggest 40" to 43". Tubs If the guest room has a tub with a separate seat, thought should be given on where to store the seat when not in use. This is not a ‘seat-on-call’ but should actually be stored in the room itself. Although many hotels say it only takes five minutes to bring a seat, many times I have seen it take much longer. Another thought, if storing the seat in the room is not desirable, is to ask at check-in or when reserving the room if a tub seat is required and have it placed in the room ahead of time. The seat is not to be attached to the back wall or the short head end wall—it is to be removable and moveable. Kitchenettes & Countertops Some guest rooms have small refrigerators which should have the pull hardware within reach range and I would suggest at least one shelf including part of the freezer section. If a bar sink is provided, the faucet controls should be within a side reach range. The counter and sink are to be 34" maximum above the floor. If a microwave is provided, all of its controls should also be within reach range and the controls should not have a dial which requires twisting. One of each type of storage should be within reach range as well. If there is a cooking element, then this may be considered a kitchen and 50 percent of the shelf space would then need to be within reach range. Controls Controls for the thermostat or a ceiling fan need to be placed within reach range. Many times these are located where there is no clear floor space and one cannot even approach the controls due to furniture blocking the path to them. If window coverings are adjustable, these too need to be accessible. So, the pull control needs to be within reach range and an accessible path of travel should be provided in both the open and closed position. A thin rod that is typically used, is not accessible since it requires tight grasping and pinching. Sometimes having remote controls with a switch works better.