Palmdale, California - Hotel (Holiday Inn) - revisit

These wheelchair access and travel notes refer to the Holiday Inn in Palmdale, CA, a mid-range, fairly decent hotel which was previously reviewed here. On this occasion I was given a very different and slightly better room (ground floor - 107) which merits a new review. read the previous post though to get a feel for what options you may have.

This room was medium sized, not large. The furniture layout made it easy to move around although the bed was a little close to the far wall. Not a problem as there was plenty of room at one side for getting in and out.

The workdesk was small. This was better than the previous room where the large workdesk actually cut circulation space at the end of the bed. The desk was still usable though and comfortable to sit at. The electric sockets were in the wall below the desk and difficult to reach from a chair. There was no desk lamp. In room wifi was great. TV controls were left in easy reach. Coffeemaker was on work desk and easy to reach also.

Air-conditioning unit was in the corner, set low and the controls were easy to reach.

The single queen bed was very high and transfers in and out were difficult. Bedside light easy to reach from the bed, but the room lights could not be turned off from in bed (so remember to turn them off before getting out of your chair!). Closet was open (no door) and a comfortable height.

Bathroom was large with plenty of turning space. Toilet was of the raised ADA compliant type. The grab-rails were a little too high and far away for comfort. The sink was not in the bathroom but in the bedroom area. Some may find this a little unusual. The under sink space was tight and almost touched my knees. I know for sure I would not have fit under the sink had I been using my spare chair which is slightly higher than my normal chair. Also the sink was set back making it a little awkward for washing. This room had a roll-in shower with a large wooden permanent shower seat. The seat positioning relative to the grab bars made transfers a little difficult. There were two shower roses - one fixed to the wall and one hand-held. Both were easy to reach from the shower seat. The handheld was on a wall bar and at a good height. Towel rack was at a comfortable height and easily accessible.

All in all, this room would be perfect for an ambulant disabled and better then the previous room for a wheelie travelling without a companion.

Staff at this hotel are exceptionally friendly and do make an effort to make you feel welcome.