Sheraton Mesa Hotel at Wrigleyville West has completed the process to become a Certified Autism Center™ (CAC), a designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) that demonstrates the property’s commitment to ensuring guests with autism and sensory sensitivities have the best possible experience. Sheraton Mesa Hotel joins a growing number of hotels in Arizona and across the nation that are obtaining certification. This movement toward inclusion in Mesa, AZ, and the surrounding area was inspired by the work of Visit Mesa and that City’s goal to become the most autism inclusive destination in the world.
“There is a customer base of 32 million travelers with special needs that is under serviced and we believe it is not from a lack of caring in our community, rather it was from the lack of knowledge on how to best serve those families. That is why this initiative that Visit Mesa in partnership with IBCCES is so important,” said Charles Barron, general manager of Sheraton Mesa Hotel at Wrigleyville West. “We can finally gain the knowledge from the leader in their field on how to best care for all our guests. Caring for our guest is really at the heart of what we do in our hotel and our community and that is why this is the perfect partnership for us.”
Parents with children on the autism spectrum are often faced with hurdles when choosing a vacation destination. This is largely due to sensory needs, dietary restrictions and safety concerns, causing more parents to seek locations that have completed research-based training and certification through well-established credentialing organizations. As a leader in training and certification for healthcare and education professionals for 20 years, IBCCES recognized the need for certified travel and recreation options and created programs specifically for professionals in those industries.
“The team at Sheraton Mesa joined this initiative very early on and have been great partners and advocates for this program in the Mesa community. We are thrilled that individuals with sensory needs have a new hotel option in Mesa and can engage with many other organizations and attractions during their stay who have earned the CAC designation,” said Myron Pincomb, IBCCES Board Chairman.
Sheraton Mesa Hotel at Wrigleyville West is in the revitalized Northwest corridor of Mesa, Arizona, and is well-situated for guests of varied interests. The hotel is a baseball toss away from Sloan Park, spring training home of the Chicago Cubs. Also close by are Riverview Park (which offers sensory guides created by IBCCES as part of the Mesa Parks and Recreation autism certification process) and Mesa Riverview, a regional open-air destination with dining, shopping and entertainment options.
IBCCES also created AutismTravel.com, a free online resource for parents that lists certified destinations and connects families to other resources and each other. Each destination listed on the site has met Certified Autism Center (CAC) requirements.
About Sheraton Mesa Hotel at Wrigleyville West
Sheraton Mesa Hotel offers an upscale, family-friendly hotel with on-site dining, resort-style pool, and flexible event venue. Sheraton Mesa Hotel at Wrigleyville West places guests near a variety of local attractions like spring training baseball games at Sloan Park, outdoor shopping and dining experiences at Mesa Riverview or Tempe Marketplace.
