Finding Inclusive NDIS Holiday Accommodation Across Australia

Whether you’re planning a coastal escape or a city adventure, choosing the right place to stay can make or break your trip. This is especially true when you have specific accessibility needs. Don’t worry; there are plenty of accessible hotels, resorts, and cabins out there, but you’ll want to be thorough in checking that a property meets your requirements. In this section, we’ll give you a practical checklist for finding inclusive NDIS holiday accommodation in Australia, plus tips on funding and booking so you can proceed with confidence.

First, Understand the Funding Boundaries

Before diving into the checklist, it’s important to know what the NDIS will and won’t pay for when it comes to accommodation:

• NDIS covers supports, not vacation perks. The NDIA will fund reasonable and necessary supports related to your disability, but it won’t pay for standard holiday expenses like the nightly room rate at a hotel or an Airbnb rental fee that anyone else would pay. In other words, if you decide to stay at a fancy beach resort, the cost of the room itself (and your pina colada by the pool) comes out of your own pocket. What the NDIS might fund is the extra cost of supports you need at that hotel. For example, if you need a support worker to assist you every morning and evening, those hours can be claimed, or if you need to hire a hoist for the room, that could be claimed.

• Short Term Accommodation (STA) is not “free holiday money.” STA (often used interchangeably with “respite care”) is an NDIS support that can cover the cost of accommodation, food, and activities in a short-term, live-in setting, but it must be for a disability-related reason such as giving your carers a break or working on life skills in a different environment. You can’t use STA funding to simply subsidize a regular holiday that has nothing to do with your support needs. So if you plan to use STA for a trip, it needs to be framed around goals like increasing independence or providing necessary respite. Even then, STA is limited (usually up to 28 days a year) and often has a per-night price cap. Always check with your plan manager or support coordinator if you think your trip could fall under STA. They’ll help make sure it fits the criteria.

Budget for the holiday like anyone would, but leverage your NDIS funding for the disability-specific aspects. The rest of this guide assumes you’ve got that part sorted – now, onto finding a truly accessible place to stay!

Accessibility Checklist: What to Ask (and Verify) Before Booking

When contacting hotels or holiday rentals, don’t just ask “Is it accessible?” – get detailed. Ideally, ask for confirmation in writing (email) so you have something to fall back on if reality doesn’t match. Here’s a checklist broken down by category:

Mobility & Layout

• Step-free access: Can you get from the parking area or drop-off point into the property without any stairs or steps? This includes the entrance to the lobby and to your specific room. If there are ramps, ask about their steepness. If there’s an elevator, will it be working during your stay (seems silly, but in some remote locations, if a lift is under maintenance there might be no alternative)?

• Door widths: For wheelchair users, you generally want doorways to be at least 80–85 cm (around 850mm) clear width. Ask for the width of the main door to the room and bathroom door. Also, are there any narrow corridors or tight corners?

• Manoeuvring space: Is there enough floor space in the room to move around with your mobility aid? For instance, space on both sides of the bed for transfers or for a carer to assist, and clear area to turn a wheelchair (a 1.5m turning circle is the gold standard). If the room is studio-style, will moving furniture be necessary to clear space? (Some places will do this for you if asked in advance.)

• Bed height and clearance: Two things here – the height of the bed from the floor (important if you do standing or slide transfers; too low or too high can be an issue) and whether there’s clearance under the bed for a hoist (if you use a portable hoist, typically you need ~15 cm under-bed space). Hotels might measure this for you. Also, if you need bed rails or an adjustable bed, mention that; some places have them or can hire them.

• Floor surfaces: Slippery marble floors vs. carpet can make a difference. If you use a walker or crutches, overly slick surfaces can be fall hazards. Also check if there are any sunken living room areas or weird single steps inside the unit.

• Balcony access: If the room has a balcony or patio, is the threshold flat or ramped? Many places have a little lip that can be a barrier for wheelchairs or walkers.

Bathroom

• Roll-in shower: The ideal is a fully flat “roll-in” or walk-in shower with no lip at all. Does the bathroom have this, or is it a bathtub/shower combo? If it’s a roll-in, ask if there’s a built-in shower seat or bench or if they can provide a portable shower chair. If it’s a bath only, you may need to request a bath board or avoid that property.

• Grab rails: There should be grab bars by the toilet and in the shower. Confirm their presence and weight capacity if possible.

• Handheld shower head: This helps if someone is assisting you or if you need to use the shower sitting down. Most accessible rooms have them, but it’s good to check.

• Space by toilet: Is there space for a wheelchair or carer to be next to the toilet for transfers? Typically, an accessible bathroom will have the toilet out in the open with space on one side (or both) rather than wedged between walls or fixtures.

• Sink access: Is the sink vanity open underneath so you can roll under it? And at what height is the sink and mirror? If you’re seated, you want to ensure you can reach the faucet and see yourself.

• Emergency call button: Some accessible bathrooms (especially in newer hotels or disability-specific accommodations) have emergency cords or buttons in case of falls. Not common in all places, but if you’re traveling alone it’s worth asking.

Equipment & Supports

• On-site equipment hire: Check if the hotel itself has any equipment available – some keep shower chairs, commodes, or even hoists on hand for guests. If not, ask if they have a relationship with a local medical equipment hire company. Comfy Travel can arrange equipment hire for you and have it delivered to the hotel before you arrive. We often do this for things like electric hoists or specialized beds.

• Fridge for medications: Do you have meds that require refrigeration? Make sure your room has a fridge (most hotel rooms do, but some might only have a minibar fridge – confirm it’s usable). If you use things like insulin, this is key.

• Sharps disposal: If you have injections or similar, ask if they can provide a sharps container or if housekeeping can safely dispose of needles. If not, be prepared to bring your own travel sharps container.

• Seizure monitors or specialty devices: If you use a seizure alert monitor, for example, check the bed type and room electrical setup. Or if you use a CPAP machine or other device at night, ensure there’s an accessible power outlet near the bed. (We can request an extension cord if needed.)

• Assistance animals: If you have a service dog, verify that the property is pet-friendly or at least will allow your assistance animal (by law they should, but practical arrangements like a ground-floor room for toileting ease might need to be discussed).

Safety & Location

• Emergency egress: In case of fire or evacuation, how will you get out, especially if you’re on an upper floor and elevators can’t be used? Some hotels have evacuation chairs or policies to assist guests with disabilities. It’s worth asking, even if just to hear that they have a plan. If the answer is uncertain, you might prefer a ground floor room.

• Neighborhood and surroundings: What’s around the hotel? Are there accessible sidewalks to, say, a nearby cafe or park? If part of your plan is to explore independently, you’ll want to know if the area is wheelchair-friendly (curb cuts, pedestrian crossings with audio signals, etc.).

• Proximity to medical facilities: Hopefully not needed, but good to know – how far is the nearest hospital or medical center? If you have a condition where emergency care might be needed, this could be a consideration in choosing a location.

• Lighting and sound: For those with low vision or hearing impairments, ask about things like illuminated hallways, tactile indicators (some newer hotels have Braille on room numbers or lift buttons), and availability of visual alert devices (like a vibrating alarm or light for fire alarms if you’re deaf or hard of hearing). We can often request a vibrating pillow alarm for fire safety if the hotel has one.

Service Considerations (if you’re using support staff at the accommodation)

• Support worker arrangements: If your support worker is staying overnight, does the accommodation have a separate adjoining room or a two-bedroom setup? Think about privacy and practicality. Some participants prefer a connected room with their support staff, while others might have live-in support as part of STA and everyone shares a cabin, for example.

• Routine flexibility: Communicate your daily routine to the accommodation if it’s unusual. For instance, if you need to use the hotel pool lift every morning at 6am for therapy exercises, ensure that’s allowed or that the pool is open. Or if your support needs mean you might have a support worker coming and going at odd hours, let the hotel know so there’s no confusion with extra persons on site.

• Meals and dietary needs: If the accommodation provides breakfast or has a restaurant, can they cater to dietary needs (gluten-free, pureed foods for dysphagia, etc.)? If not, you might need a kitchenette to self-prepare meals. Also check if there’s room service (useful if you can’t easily get to the restaurant) and if they can leave meals at your door if you prefer minimal contact.

• Plan for downtime: A holiday shouldn’t be go-go-go all the time. Ensure the accommodation is a place you can be comfortable spending several hours if you have fatigue or just need downtime. This might mean making sure there’s a comfy chair, maybe a balcony with a view, good Wi-Fi and TV for entertainment, etc. We often schedule “rest afternoons” in our itineraries – the accommodation should be a pleasant space to relax, not just a bed.

Verify Access to Public Transport & Local Attractions

If part of your goal for the trip is to practice using public transport or to visit local attractions independently, you’ll want to do a bit of homework on the area’s accessibility. For example:

• In New South Wales, Transport for NSW provides an excellent resource for accessible travel. Their website has an Accessible Travel section that helps you plan trips on trains, buses, ferries, light rail, etc., factoring in wheelchair access and other needs. If you’re visiting Sydney or anywhere with public transit, check the station guides (they’ll tell you if there’s lift access, accessible toilets at stations, etc.). We can help with this planning, but it’s also empowering to look it up yourself.

• In Victoria, the PTV (Public Transport Victoria) site and Visit Victoria tourism info will indicate which trams are low-floor, which regional coaches have lifts, and so on. Melbourne’s tram network, for instance, is partially accessible – knowing which routes are serviced by low-floor trams can make a huge difference in your experience.

• Queensland, as mentioned earlier, has a statewide push on accessibility. They even launched an Accessible Tourism hub online. If you’re traveling to say, Brisbane or the Gold Coast, you can find lists of accessible experiences (like wheelchair-friendly trails or attractions with Auslan-interpreted tours). For beach areas, the Accessible Beaches directory (a nationwide resource) can tell you if a particular beach has beach wheelchairs or access mats available.

• Many city councils publish mobility maps of tourist areas. For example, the Sydney CBD mobility map or Melbourne’s accessible city guide. These maps highlight things like accessible toilets, gradients of streets, etc. They’re super handy and often free PDFs online.

• Don’t forget to think about weather and terrain: A location might be accessible in concept, but if it’s a very hilly town (hello, some parts of Brisbane or hilly suburbs of Sydney), pushing a manual wheelchair could be exhausting. We factor this into planning (maybe renting a power assist for a manual wheelchair, or ensuring van transport up steep hills). Looking at Google Street View can give clues too – we often do a “virtual walk” of the area beforehand.

In short, knowledge is power. The more we and you know about the destination’s accessibility, the smoother your trip will go. And part of the NDIS journey is building your capacity to navigate the community, so consider this research as part of the fun! Australia is becoming more and more accessible each year, and there are tons of online resources to tap into.

How Comfy Travel Helps You Find the Right Stay

Searching for accessible accommodation can be overwhelming, so let us do the heavy lifting:

• Property vetting: We don’t just rely on the “wheelchair accessible” filter on a booking site (we all know that can be hit-or-miss!). Our team personally vets properties – we call and ask our giant list of questions, request photos of the bathroom/bedroom if we haven’t used that property before, and sometimes even do site visits. We maintain a database of trusted accessible accommodations across Australia. So, if you tell us you want to go to, say, Coffs Harbour, we likely already know a few places with great accessible units. If not, we’ll find them and verify details before presenting them to you.

• No-commitment previews: Once we have a recommended accommodation or two, we’ll show you the details (including pictures, floor plans, accessibility features) before you commit to anything. This way you can visualize the space. We encourage questions! If something’s not clear, we’ll go back and ask the hotel. It’s your holiday – you should feel comfortable with every aspect, especially where you’ll be sleeping and showering.

• Itemized quotes and budgeting: We’ll provide a quote that separates what can be claimed on NDIS and what you pay personally for the accommodation. For example, if it’s an STA scenario, the accommodation cost might be claimable up to a certain amount (we’ll outline that). If it’s a standard trip, we’ll list the accommodation under personal costs. This transparency helps you budget. If the cost seems too high, we can look for alternative lodging or adjust the length of stay to fit your budget.

• Door-to-door planning: Remember, the accommodation isn’t just an island on its own – we consider how you’ll get there and get around while there. So if an amazing accessible cottage is a bit outside town, we’ll ensure you have accessible transport to still enjoy local attractions. Or if your hotel is downtown, we’ll check where the nearest accessible parking or drop-off point is. We basically integrate the accommodation into the whole travel plan so there are no gaps (like “Oops, there’s a step at the only restaurant nearby” – we aim to avoid surprises like that).

• 24/7 support during travel: If for any reason the accommodation isn’t as advertised (it’s rare, but it happens – e.g., you arrive and the lift is out of order, or the bed is different), we are on-call to fix it. That might mean we bring in a temporary ramp, or even move you to a different hotel if something is egregiously not as promised. Having an agency backing you up means you won’t be stuck fighting a hotel manager at 9pm because the shower chair you requested isn’t there – we’ll handle those conversations and solutions.

Our mission is to manage the “paperwork to pillow” process, as we like to say. From the moment planning starts to the moment your head hits the pillow on day one of the holiday, we strive to make it smooth and tailored to you. Comfy Travel is NDIS-registered, operates Australia-wide, and has experience coordinating accessible travel logistics. Think of us as your accessibility detectives and travel concierge in one!

Ready to Shortlist Some Great Stays?

If you’re itching to start planning, we’re here to help. The first step is to let us know your specific requirements (mobility, sensory, cognitive – all needs) and any particular preferences (like “I really want an ocean view” or “Must have a bathtub for therapy soaks”). With that, we’ll compile a list of options for accessible accommodation that fit the bill.

Not sure how the costs break down? We’ll walk you through which parts of the trip your NDIS can cover and which are out-of-pocket – and why. This clarity comes from understanding Personal vs NDIS costs, and we make sure you’re comfortable with the plan before booking anything.

Finally, when you’re ready to move forward, check out our guide on how to book an NDIS holiday. It’s a straightforward process and we handle the heavy lifting, but it’s nice to know the timeline and steps. Our friendly team is just a phone call or email away, eager to turn your accommodation worries into accommodation wins, so you can focus on the fun parts of your holiday. Here’s to finding your perfect home-away-from-home, with all the comforts and supports you need!

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