Quest Apartment Hotels is on a mission to make its hotels more accessible for people with disability, through a strategic partnership with Accessible Accommodation.
As the first major accommodation operator to engage with the national accessibility body, Quest is tapping into the fastest growing travel sector in the country, with people with disability equating to AU$3.3 billion (17%) of Australia’s total tourism revenue, according to research published by Accessible Accommodation and Spinal Cord Injury Australia (SCIA).
Quest’s General Manager of Brand and ESG, Anthea Dimitrakopoulos, said overwhelming demand for accessible accommodation prompted Quest to take action to better serve this community.
“In late 2022 over 80% of our properties consistently had their accessible rooms fully booked year-round, which presented a challenge but also an opportunity for Quest,” she said.
“To continue providing a home away from home experience for all our guests and to scale up our accessible offering, Quest needed to improve our accessibility standards by working with experts and people with lived experience.
“This partnership is a perfect example of how Quest continues to be an inclusive brand that puts in the work required to authentically live our purpose of making guest stays effortless.”
Accessible Accommodation Founder Kerry Williams has authored a Quest accessibility playbook and has travelled around the country holding a series of workshops including the Tourism Accommodation Inclusion Training Program for all 1,900 Quest team members.
“Quest’s approach to accessibility is evolving beyond the standard style of accessible room,” Williams said.
“With my consultancy service, I am assisting Quest in creating seamlessly accessible and beautifully appointed serviced apartments.
“Business owners are eagerly integrating new features to provide delightful and accessible travel experiences, while their new hotels are setting new standards for style and amenities available in accessible rooms.”
Three Quest properties will expand their accessible rooms offering this year to cater to high demand.
Dimitrakopoulos says Quest’s social impact stems from the individual actions of Quest business owners.
“Every cause they donate towards, every accessible room they invest in, and every conversation they start within their own networks around major social issues we shine a light on, like homelessness and gender equality, represent individual moments that matter to us,” she said.
Quest’s alliance with Accessible Accommodation is one of a number of purpose-led partnerships that the business is embarking on this year.
Coinciding with its 35th anniversary, celebrated on November 1, 2023, Quest’s 35 moments of doing better campaign if focused on incorporating ESG into everyday operations.
“Over 35 years, our people have created so many moments that matter which amplify our impact as a brand across all the local communities Quest are proud to continue supporting,” said Dimitrakopoulos.
“Social license is deeply embedded within Quest. The measure of our success will always be our proven ability to strike the right balance between profitability and purpose.”