Here's how to promote your accessibility offering on a National level...

More and more hotels are doing what they can to make their offering as accessible as possible to those guests who need it, with many hoteliers spending considerable amounts to ensure they’re genuinely accessible – as opposed to simply box ticking or paying lip service.

When hotels have invested in guest accessibility and gone above the norm, it’s really worth publicising that fact to help show others how it’s done.

Accessibility is a topic that’s very important to one of our hotel clients, Bespoke Hotels, with the group president, Robin Sheppard acting very much as a champion for the cause.

As part of our work with Robin and the wider Bespoke brand, we recently helped PR the Blue Badge Access Awards, which celebrate accessibility in hospitality.

With a wide variety of hotels, restaurants and other venues shortlisted across a range of categories, there was keen press interest in the event – with several journalists attending the award’s evening in person. This included a representative from The Times as well as key hospitality trade press.

Following the event we achieved some great media coverage, with The Times publishing the story online (under an embargoed exclusive – which saw them get it in advance of others), while trade titles, such as The Caterer, Boutique Hotelier, Meetings & Incentive Travel and CLH, also published the story once The Times’ embargo had lifted.

With the BBAA awards looking to highlight the need for accessibility, as well as underlining how it can help hoteliers in turn, the coverage was seen by the organisers as shining a much-needed light on what they’re trying to achieve.

There’s a big focus on accessibility at the moment and a lot of interest in it, so if you’re keen to promote your own offering – we have both the contacts and the nous to get you talked about in the national press.