How accessibility barriers accumulate across the guest journey: a dual-perspective inquiry

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine how hotel accessibility barriers accumulate across customer journey touchpoints, creating exclusion for people with disabilities (PWDs). Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 PWDs and 10 hotel managers in Singapore. PWDs’ accounts were analyzed phenomenologically; managers’ accounts were analyzed through applied thematic analysis. Customer journey mapping was informed by the social relational model, embodiment theory and the capability approach. Findings Barriers accumulated across journey stages. Inadequate pre-arrival information carried forward into the entrance, room, bathroom and staff-mediated barriers during the stay. PWDs prioritized functional transparency, bathroom usability and proactive service recognition. Managers framed accessibility in terms of retrofit constraints, perceived low demand and ableist assumptions, resulting in implementation gaps despite goodwill. Research limitations/implications The study is based on qualitative interviews conducted in Singapore and does not capture all types of disability or stakeholder perspectives. Future research could examine these mechanisms across hotel segments, national contexts and longitudinal accessibility interventions. Originality/value This research explains failures in hotel accessibility by integrating embodied guest experiences with managerial decision-making. It extends accessible hospitality research by showing how barriers cascade across journey stages and by distinguishing the provision of accessible features from capability enablement in use.