Accessible Las Vegas Flights and Holidays

Las Vegas is a city that exists for tourists. Accordingly, you can expect the highest levels of service, and excellent facilities. It is estimated that out of the 36 million people who visited Las Vegas in 2009, 2.8 million had a disability of some form. With satisfying guests being the main aim in this holiday city, there is a long tradition of providing everything to allow visitors an excellent stay. Las Vegas casinos have always had first-rate facilities to enhance accessibility for all, even before the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) brought in wide-ranging rules.

10 million passengers a year take flights to Las Vegas arriving at McCarran International Airport, North America's 10th busiest, and the world's 16th busiest airport. With so many passengers, the airport is efficient at serving its customers and is well-equipped to meet the needs of passengers with restricted mobility. On arriving, a taxi and limousine service is available 24 hours a day, and every fifteen minutes there's an airport shuttle to the Strip and downtown hotels.

All casinos and hotels in Las Vegas are required to be fully compliant with ADA rules, as are restaurants and stores. Hotels are readily accessible, offering all the latest amenities to the disabled, and hotel staff are highly experienced in assisting visitors with accessibility needs. You can expect an excellent level of service – it's worth remembering that tipping is the custom. Many Strip hotels have people movers (moving walkways) – if you position yourself to the right, those in a hurry can pass on the left.

Supermarkets in the city have electric carts that can be loaned if needed and disabled parking is abundant. Moving around town is easy with elevated walkways across the major road intersections, all accessed by elevators. In addition, the monorail is an accessible and easy way of getting between different locations. Most showrooms in Las Vegas have preferred seating areas for those who require extra space, and casinos have gaming tables designed specifically for wheelchair access.

Room layouts and special services vary among hotels. It's best to discuss any special requests or needs with the hotel concierge on arrival. Many hotel pools have lifts available to assist wheelchair-bound guests – you can check this with the hotel reservations agent when making a booking. Hotel concierges are an excellent source of information – they will be able to recommend companies that offer transportation for visitors in wheelchairs, or wheelchair or scooter rentals.

There is a wide range of choice of hotels in Las Vegas, some with better disability access than others. Mandalay Bay's standard rooms offer plenty of room for wheelchairs, and MGM Grand has smooth floor transitions with little texturing that might restrict mobility. Monte Carlo has a simple and flat layout, with plenty of space to move around with plentiful bright light. Following renovations, Caesars Palace has much improved accessibility with more space, a more open layout, and a brightened casino floor and hotel access areas.

Further down the Strip, Treasure Island and the Mirage are spacious with well-considered elevator access to elevation changes and other areas within the property. Wynn also has very easy access with plenty of space, easy transitions in flooring, and light and bright colours for easy navigation.

When compared to other large holiday cities, Las Vegas rates very highly in the accessibility and customer service stakes. Hotels are friendly and spacious, with large hotel rooms, and facilities in all public spaces are required to be compliant with ADA requirements. To guarantee you get the best out of your trip, when making your reservations make sure to inform the agent of your particular needs so prior arrangements can be made to ensure your comfort.