Best Practice: Staff Training & Awareness
How can a hotel embed accessibility not only in its physical infrastructure but also in everyday interactions with guests? The Vienna Marriott Hotel shows how staff training based on Sensing Journeys creates a genuine shift in perspective and why this approach delivers more lasting results than any handbook.
Quick Wins
Measures That Can Be Implemented Right Away
Identify hidden expertise within the team Knowledge of sign language, experience with assistance dogs, or a particular talent for empathetic communication are skills that are often already present within the team. A targeted question during onboarding or in a team meeting is enough to make them visible and put them to use.
Name a dedicated contact person for accessibility A named person responsible for accessibility creates clear accountability – for the team and for guests with disabilities who are looking for a specific point of contact.
Document accessibility features internally A straightforward list with specific details on door widths, manoeuvring spaces, available aids, and the characteristics of individual areas helps all staff provide informed and confident answers.
Build a culture that is open to feedback Guests with disabilities provide valuable feedback when given the opportunity. A brief follow-up question at check-out or an optional field in the feedback form is enough to support continuous learning.
Initiate a Sensing Journey independently A first shift in perspective can be organised without an external training programme: walk through the property together with a person with a disability and observe specifically where barriers arise.
Understand accessibility as a process No business is fully accessible from the outset, and none needs to be. What matters is the attitude: Where do things stand today? What is the next feasible step? Even small, incremental improvements make a difference – for guests and for the team.
About the Property
The Vienna Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of Vienna's city centre, directly opposite the Stadtpark. The five-star city hotel offers 328 rooms and suites, several restaurants and bars, an indoor pool, and approximately 1,160 m² of event space. The property is a longstanding partner of the Austrian Paralympic Committee (ÖPC) and the Austrian Disabled Sports Association (ÖBSV).
Accessibility as Part of the Business Strategy
For the Vienna Marriott Hotel, inclusion is not a standalone project but a lived commitment. This commitment was recognised with the J.W. Marriott, Jr. Diversity Excellence Award 2015 as the best hotel for diversity and inclusion among approximately 8,000 Marriott properties worldwide at the time (approximately 10,000 properties as of June 2026).
The next step followed in 2025 with a training format that was new to the team: the Sensing Journey. The direct trigger was the "Vienna for All" accessibility awareness training program promoted by the Vienna Tourist Board. The training concept, built around so-called Sensing Journeys, introduced a new, practice-oriented form of learning to the team.
Sensing Journey
The Training Concept | Knowledge meets Practice
The workshops combined theoretical foundations on types of disability, everyday impact, and the legal framework with an interactive core format: the Sensing Journeys. Staff walked through the property together with people with disabilities and received direct feedback on the guest experience.
What no theory session can achieve, this format delivers: genuine encounter, immediate insight, and a lasting shift in perspective.
The content covered the entire guest journey:
Check-in and reception
Guest service in the restaurant
Room facilities and specific requirements
Key areas of attention for housekeeping staff
Learnings | What worked well
The training sessions confirmed that openness to feedback and a willingness to develop are essential. The specific insights include:
Areas where the property is not yet fully accessible could be clearly identified.
Not all adjustments can be implemented immediately – in some cases, group-wide guidelines limit the scope for rapid change.
Where improvements were possible, they were put into practice. This strengthens team motivation and builds pride in the property's development.
Impact | Equal Treatment as a Lived Commitment
Feedback from the workshop facilitators was positive, with the guest experience at the Vienna Marriott explicitly praised. The property operates with an attitude the team can stand behind with confidence: all guests are treated equally – and guests experience it that way.
If staff do not yet have experience in this area, Sensing Journeys are a clear recommendation. They enable a direct and lasting shift in perspective
Sensing Journeys are particularly well suited as a starting point because they:
require no extensive preparation
deliver immediate, authentic feedback
create lasting awareness within the team
make hidden expertise within the team visible
Next Steps at the Property
The Vienna Marriott Hotel is implementing the insights from the training step by step, with a clear understanding that accessibility is an ongoing process. The current focus lies on digital accessibility. In addition, structural and equipment-related measures are being reviewed and, where possible, put into practice.
The goal is to remain a reliable partner for guests with disabilities and to contribute, together with the industry and the destination of Vienna, to an inclusive visitor economy.