New Jersey Hotel caters to families with Kids with Autism

New Jersey hotel caters to families with autistic kids
by Melanie Nayer (RSS feed) on Feb 9th 2010 at 10:30AM

One New Jersey hotel is hoping to help families with autistic kids take another look at vacations. The Clinton Inn Hotel in Tenafly has opened its Alpine Suite, specifically designed for autistic kids.

Tony Morreale, the hotel's manager, and parent of an autistic child, came up with the idea after having trouble finding hotel rooms that were safe for children with varying degrees of autism. The Alpine Suite in the Clinton Inn Hotel is complete with furniture with rounded corners, décor that cannot be moved and an alarm on the door to alert grownups if a child tries to leave. Other added touches include plastic glasses instead of glassware, a flat-panel television set affixed to the wall, and safety latches on all the cabinets and drawers throughout the suite.

According to reports from a New Jersey government task force, 1 in 94 children in New Jersey has a form of autism; 1 in approximately 110 children across the nation falls somewhere on the autism spectrum. The Clinton Inn is hoping to help travelers with autistic family members sleep a little easier on vacation knowing their kids are safe in the hotel room.

The Clinton Inn Hotel is located minutes from New York City, so families looking for a New York escape can easily make the trek into Manhattan.