Morgan’s Wonderland theme park on Monday announced it plans on building a new “ultra-accessible” Morgan’s Hotel, a concept “new to the hotel industry.”
The announcement comes months after collecting ideas from town hall meetings and guests at Morgan’s Wonderland, who shared ideas for what an inclusive hotel should look like in order to accommodate guests of all abilities.
The new hotel will have wider hallways and doorways to accommodate all wheelchairs, easy access to elevators and staff trained in disability etiquette, as well as hearing aid and sensory sensitive colors and lighting throughout.
Construction on Morgan’s Hotel will break ground at the end of the year, half a mile from Morgan’s Wonderland on San Antonio’s Northeast side.
The Ultra-Accessible design also includes sound-absorbing floors for a sensory friendly atmosphere, pink noise for people with sensory sensitivities, and family restrooms with adult changing stations and showers, according to Morgan’s Wonderland.
“It’s just those little tweaks that are necessary, which no one’s really said, ‘time out, let’s look at these,’” said Gordon Hartman, founder of Morgan’s Wonderland. “This is really going to make a change in respect to the whole industry itself as to how they go about future design on hotels.”
The Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt are in negotiations with the theme park and competing to add their name to the hotel. Hartman said the San Antonio location will be a model for future ultra-accommodating hotels for people with special needs.
“For them to say, ‘It’s time for us to move in this direction’ … is something very special to us,” he said.
The hotel was inspired by families with special needs who travel, but is being built for anyone who wants to stay at a hotel with accommodations for their specific needs.
“This will be a very affordable hotel,” he added.
Hartman has said he estimates the cost to build the hotel would be in the “high-teen” millions and that it would be supported by the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation.
The hotel is expected to open in 2026.