San Diego, California - Hotel (Holiday Inn Rancho)

The Holiday Inn Rancho is located in Rancho Bernardo in the suburbs of San Diego. These notes are intended to assist wheelchair users considering using the hotel.

The property is in two parts. Access to the second block is up a long ramp and difficult to climb in a manual chair with luggage. I was sent there initially but the room I was assigned was not accessible. On returning to reception I was assigned an "accessible" room in the main block.

The room was a reasonable size for its two queen size beds. Workdesk was of a good size and height with one easily reached socket in the desk lamp. Wifi in the room.

The beds were of differing heights so I chose the one slightly lower than the wheelchair for ease of transfer (the other bed was slightly higher). Bedroom closet was usable but the rack was a little high. A/C controls were reachable but very high. The TV control was left on a high shelf and was barely reachable. The ice bucket and glasses were out of reach.

While the bedroom was fine, the bathroom was bordering on unusable. It was very small with no turning circle. The sink unit had a grab bar at the front which made it impossible to use the sink easily. The toilet had no room to place a chair beside it, forcing a tricky 180 degree transfer to use it. There was a grab rail mounted directly behind the toilet, above the cistern, which was utterly useless for anyone. The bath had one badly positioned grab bar. The shower was a hand held hose mounted too high on a rail.

Although not related to access, the room had a general unpleasant smell which made me nervous about cleanliness.

Not recommended, this hotel made it to my "3 worst hotels" list!

Dublin, Ireland - Pub (Paddy Cullens, Ballsbridge)

Paddy Cullens pub in Ballsbridge, Dublin, is a small, cost, very traditional style pub. There is level access from the street to the bar area. The bar area itself and the snug are wheelchair accessible. There is a back area that is up two steps.

There is a handicapped accessible toilet at the rear of the bar (between the bar and the associated lounge - Mary Macs). Although this is a large restroom with toilet, sink and grab-bars, the door opens inwards which makes it almost impossible to get a wheelchair in, and then close the door. It can be done but it may require assistance from a walkie. A pity, because otherwise this bar could be a great place to experience a real dublin bar.

London, England - Heathrow Airport

Heathrow airport is a famously unpleasant airport to transfer through. However, it is unavoidable for many.

From a wheelchair point of view the biggest problem is the distances between terminals and the crowds. The airport itself is reasonably well supplied with handicapped restrooms, ramps, elevators (lifts) and the other paraphernalia required for us wheelies to get around comfortably. In addition, the airport staff engaged in transferring wheelchair passengers are, as a rule, well trained and professional. There is just not enough of them and I have been left waiting over 45 minutes to be taken from an aircraft, or to be placed on a shuttle bus to the transfer passenger area. Here are some hints to make your life easier if you need to transfer or arrive and leave through Heathrow.

• Give yourself plenty of time. At least 2 hours for a transfer connection. Less and you will almost certainly miss your flight.
• Do your homework. Know which terminal you arrive at and which you leave from. Terminals 1 and 2 are reasonably close and you can wheel from one to the other (it's still along wheel). Terminal 3 is further and you may need a transfer bus - but see my note below.
• Terminal 4 is out on its own and you will always need a transfer bus or train.
• Terminal 5 (I have not been through it yet) is also on it's own and you will need a transfer bus or train. It's brand new so one hopes it is well thought out for wheelchair passengers but I have no personal experience of it.
• - If transferring from terminal 1 or 2 to 3 (or vice versa) I have found that it is often better to exit from airside, walk to the other terminal through the underground tunnels and go through security again! This means you are in control of your own destiny as opposed to sitting waiting for an air-side transfer bus with no idea when or if it will arrive. The staff are really over-worked and with the best will in the world, they are unable to efficiently transfer you from one place to another.
• There is an underground rail link between the terminals (free). Be very careful when using this, as it is very easy to take the wrong train and end up heading in for London! Baggage trolleys are not allowed on the trains, the the barriers to prevent this also prevent wheelchairs from going through. You need to find a staff member to open them for you. Near each barrier you will find an assistance booth with a button to press to talk to someone. It's a hassle but I have never been left more than a few minutes waiting to get through (frustrating though, when you can see your train pulling away from the platform as you wait!)
• The Hoppa hotel shuttle operates from all terminals except terminal 4.

Heathrow, England - Hotel (Holiday Inn Arial)

There are (at least) two Holiday Inn hotels adjacent to Heathrow Airport. This review refers to the Holiday Inn Arial and is intended to address only aspects of the hotel related to wheelchair accessibility and services for disabled travellers.

The hotel is very close to Heathrow and is serviced by the Hoppa shuttle bus system (if the previsou link does not work try the National Express website). All of these buses are wheelchair accessible and I have found the drivers to be extremely helpful and accommodating. A one way ride to the hotel from the airport costs about 4 pounds. Note that the shuttle runs only from terminals 1, 2 and 3, with a different numbered shuttle running from terminal 5. Terminal 4 is not serviced by the Hoppa buses - despite signs to the contrary in certain parts of the airport. If arriving in Terminal 4 you will need to transfer to one of the other terminals - which is an adventure in itself. See my notes elsewhere.

Access to the hotel itself is level, with level access to reception, the restaurant and the bar. The hotel provides hot food 24-hours, although the main restaurant closes at about 22:00. Elevators (lifts) are small but adequate.

The room I was given was large and sparsely furnished which made it near perfect for a wheelchair to get around. The work desk was large and easy to use. Sockets were easy to reach, although I had to choose to unplug either a desklamp or the TV to make room for my laptop. There is Wifi (extra charge). A/C controls were at an easily accessible height, but the TV remote controls were left in an unreachable location. I did not bother calling for someone to get them for me as I didn't need the TV. Clothes closet was easy to get to and clothes hung at a comfortable height for a wheelchair.

The bed was a little lower than the chair seat and easy to get in and out of. No ceiling hooks for a lift. All the lights in the room could be controlled by bedside switches.

The bathroom was very large. In my case I had a bath. There was a large platform at the end of the bath which could be handy for some as a transfer assist to getting in. Plenty of well positioned grab bars. The shower was hand-held with a slider bar mounting. Toilet was at wheelchair seat level with well positioned grab bars. The sink was at a perfect wheelchair height with plenty of knee space underneath.

All in all, because of the space and low, modern furnishings as well as the thoughtfully positioned light switches, this hotel jumped into my top three favorite hotels for wheelchair access.

Washington DC - Hotel (Capitol Hilton)

The Hilton Capitol Hotel is a full service, pricey, hotel located just a couple of blocks from the Whitehouse in Washington D.C. Indeed, you have a pretty clear view of the Whitehouse from the street in front of the hotel giving you a great sense of being in the nation's capitol! These notes refer to wheelchair accessibility in this hotel.

The hotel offers (very expensive) valet parking only. There is a narrow kerb cut in one location in front of the hotel. Access from the pavement to the lobby is level. The lobby is large and level. The bar and restaurant are up two steps. There is a ramp.

Elevators are large. The room was a comfortable size and slightly over furnished. The web site states that the accessible rooms have a pull-out sofa. This is not true.

The work desk was a comfortable height, and sockets easily reached. Room lights could not be controlled from the bed. The bed was quite high but getting into it was not too difficult.

Bathroom was a comfortable size. Toilet was at wheelchair cushion height. Sink was acceptable, with plenty of knee room underneath. The bath had some badly positioned grab bars (better for ambulant disabled than a wheelchair user). The shower hose was of the hand-held type with the option of placing it on a rail or on a fixed mounting that was too high for a wheelie to reach. (Of course, the cleaning staff placed it on the high fixed mounting!)

A/C controls were at a reasonable height and TV controls in easy reach.

I felt the hotel was over-priced for the quality of accomodations but I guess you pay for location, location, location!