Disabled Friendly Facility between Feasibility and Legality

Abstract

Most hotels in Lebanon, built before 2011, do not provide access to disabled persons in light of 220/2000 law. This is due to: 1/ a misconception that a Disabled Friendly Facility (DFF) would be on behalf of hotel guests’ satisfaction and consequently, would reduce hotel’s popularity and revenue; 2/ a fear that the unforeseen demand for DFFs will be offset by expenses and, in best-case scenarios, would not generate enough profits to pay back initial investments. In brief, hotel-business investors are not sure about the convenience of a DFF and about the number of DFFs to provide in light of 7194/2011law. The objective of this paper is, on the first hand, to demonstrate the financial feasibility and the economic convenience of a DFF and, on the other hand, to test its impact on the satisfaction of hotel guests. In other terms, on the popularity of the hotel.