Sheraton Baltimore Washington Airport - BWI

1100 Old Elkridge Landing Road

Linthicum Heights

MD 21090

USA

http://www.sheratonbwiairport.com/

This review focuses on the wheelchair accessible aspects of this hotel. Refer to tripadvisor for information about other aspects of the hotel. In summary, the room I had was unwelcoming for a wheelchair user. Not recommended.  

There is ample free handicapped parking spots, and access to the lobby is completely level through automatic sliding doors. The restaurant and bar are all on the lobby area and easily accessible. 

My room was on the 3rd floor and had two queen beds and a roll-in shower.  It was some distance from the elevator, and a tough push over deep pile carpet.  There was adequate space to get around the room to the window and, just barely, between the two beds.  The TV remote was left in easy reach and the wall mounted A/C controls were easy to operate comfortably from a chair. 

The closet was easy to access but the hang rails were too high to reach from a wheelchair making it impossible to hang shirts.  The work desk was pretty small but usable. The window shades were difficult to close from a wheelchair because the line was behind the work desk and out of reach.  The bed was not as high as some - about  two inches above my wheelchair cushion level - but still made transferring difficult. The room lights were not controllable from the bed, so remember to turn them off before you get in. 

The bathroom was  large. The toilet was easy to access for anything from a 0 to 180 degree transfers but the grab rails were mounted too high to be of any use and the toilet itself had a cheap and wobbly toilet seat that offered little purchase for transferring.  Dangerous. There was plenty of room under the sink for knees. The shower had no wall mounted seat but guest services can provide you with a free standing shower seat on request. There was a hand held shower hose mounted on a rail and a fixed wall mounted shower hose.  The towels were left on a few shelves mounted high on the wall behind the toilet. Had I not been travelling with a walkie it would have been impossible to get them after my shower. The hand towels were reachable from a wheelchair but not the bath towels.  

The room was in need of a face lift and with the various small frustrations such as the useless closet and the badly designed bathroom it did not come up to the standards of modern handicapped accessible rooms. I will not be staying there again - not recommended. 

Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi

1-11-1 Maronouchi

Pacific Century Place

Chiyoda

Tokyo 100-6277

Japan

Website

This review focuses on the wheelchair access aspects of this hotel. For other aspects see tripadvisor.  In summary, the room was not totally barrier free, but was large enough to accommodate my two small children, my wife and myself. It therefore offers a very rare option in Tokyo for a wheelchair user traveling with a family. 

I ended up in the Four Seasons because I found it very difficult to find any hotel in Tokyo that offered a wheelchair accessible room that could accommodate two adults and two children (6yo and 7yo). There were plenty of accessible rooms (max occupancy 2) and some family rooms (not accessible) but very few with both. After much emailing I settled on the Four Seasons because they offered to put a roll out bed into their large premium bedroom. The service and engagement I received from the staff at the FS during this search phase was excellent and certainly influenced my decision. 

The hotel is hidden in the bottom seven floors of a skyscraper in tokyos central business district. There is level access from the street to a small reception area wiht hard flooring.  The restaurant and bar are on the seventh floor and fully accessible via elevator (lift). 

Our room was on the third floor and a short distance from the elevator over deep pile carpeting. The room was spacious with plenty of space around the bed (although of course the roll out bed made it difficult to access part of the room by wheelchair). The work desk was very large and the power socked were outed on the front and very easy to access. The TV remote was left within easy reach. The minibar and accoutrements were all easy to access as was the closet. All room light could be controlled from switches by the bed as could the electronic window blinds. The bed was at a very comfortable height for transfers - about 24" or 600mm. 

The bathroom was very spacious. There was a shower and toilet, each enclosed in their own smoked glass cubicle. Out side of these was a bathtub and sink. The door to the shower cubicle was too narrow for a wheelchair to fit through - not even the front castors so I did not use that (despite the hotel provided free standing shower seat). The door to the toilet was 82 cm wide and there was enough room to execute a 180 degree transfer to the toilet. There were grab rails on either side of the toilet for support and assistance. The bathtub was easy to access but was very deep (about 27" or 675mm) and getting out could be a challenge if you don't have good upper body strength. The hotel will supply a bath bath chair if required. The bath had a hand held shower rose as well as taps (faucets). The sink had ample under space for knees. 

Despite some nice decor and excellent personnel the hotel has a kind of impersonal feel to it. The staff were superb and our children were welcomed wiht personalized guide books and gifts. The room worked for me and I would recommend this hotel if traveling with family. For a wheelie on their own or traveling as a couple I would recommend checking out some of the other barrier free hotel rooms. 

Shangri-La Bangkok

89 Soi Wat Suan Plu

New Road

Bangrak

Bangkok 10500

Thailand

Website

This review, like all of my reviews, will focus mostly on the wheelchair access aspects of this hotel. For other reviews check out tripadvisor. However, I should say that the level of service and attention to detail that I experienced at this hotel was second to none. In summary, the hotel presents some challenges for a wheelchair user, but the service and accommodation level means that I am in the odd position of not recommending it for wheelchair users but I will definitely consider it for my next stay when in Bangkok! 

We ended up staying there as I was looking for a mid to upper range hotel that could accommodate two adults and two small children in a wheelchair accessible room. This turned out to be more difficult than expected in Bangkok.  Eventually, after many e-mails with different places the best value seemed to be offered by a twin deluxe balcony room in the Krungthrep wing of the Shangri-La. The rate included various extras like free wi-fi, free breakfast, afternoon tea and pre-dinner drinks and personalized check-in. Getting there by public transport involved several transfers and since we had two young children and lots of bags and would be quit jet-lagged I booked an airport pick-up from the hotel. The vehicle used for such a large group is a Mercedes  Vito. This is challanging to get in to if you cannot stand or walk (like me!) but we managed with the help of a hefty wedgie from my wife.  Access into the hotel is level and check-in could not have been easier. The breakfast/lounge area is down two shallow steps. The hotel has a ramp that it supplies when you need to access this area. The staff are very quick to leap to assistance - almost too quick! You can hardly pause to look around before someone asks you if you need help. That's not a complaint - it's a bit surprising at first but I could get used to it. 

The room was located very close to the lifts (elevator).  There is a mixture of stone and deep pile hard-to-roll-on carpet on the floor.  The room is just large enough to accommodate two twin beds and a rollaway and leave room for a wheelchair to move around. There is a balcony with a lip.  It is difficult, but possible,  for a chair to get in and out of the balcony. The work desk is easy to access and at a comfortable height. The sockets are all easy to reach. The TV remote was left in easy reach. Switches by the bed control all the lights and the blinds. The beds are a comfortable height for transferring without difficulty.  The safe, mini-bar and tea/coffee maker were all easy to reach although some of the glasses and so on we're too high. 

The closets were easy to access although the hang rail was very high - barely reachable from a wheelchair. Some of the other items (e.g. iron and laundry bags) were too high to reach. 

The bathroom was large with a wide door. The toilet was positioned to enable a 0 to 180 degree left handed transfer. There was a grab rail on the wall but not positioned ideally. The toilet is low, about 500mm (20").  I like this much more than the extra height toilets common in adapted rooms, but I know it does not suit everyone. There was no knee room under the sinks, but they did project a little so were usable. The room had a bathtub with high sides. Grab rails were well positioned to provide assistance in transferring and the hotel will provide a transfer seat for the bath if requested. There is a hand-held shower rose as well as a tap in the bath. 

All in all the room felt like a normal room adapted for handicapped use and is perfect for ambulant disabled although it could present come challenges to a wheelchair user. I was totally comfortable there. 

Getting around the property presents its challenges. The Krungthrep wing is separate from the main hotel area and there is no barrier free access between the two. To get from one to the other you need to find a member of staff, and they will lead you through some sub-terranean service tunnels to the other building. This is not as bad as it might sound and the only comment I can make is that the bits of the hotel that regular guests don't normally see are spotlessly clean and everyone seems to be moving with determination and efficiency!  

There is no access to either of the two hotel pools. You can leave the hotel and explo the surrounding streets (full of the contrast and wonder that is Bangkok) but there is a very steep hill to negotiate to get back to the hotel entrance. 

All in all, I have mixed feelings about the Shangri-La, Bangkok as an option for wheelchair accessible accommodation. It presents challenges and is not ideal on many levels but I was totally charmed by the ambience and service and spent many peaceful hours looking out ove the river and enjoying myself. Normally I either recommend or don't recommend an establishment. My head says not commended, my heart will bring me back.  

Novotel on Collins

270 Collins Street

Melbourne

VIC

Australia 3000

http://www.novotelmelbourne.com.au/

These notes are intended to provide guidance for wheelchair users considering this hotel. If you are looking for comments on the hotel experience see tripadvisor. The conclusion: a well located hotel with excellent wheelchair facilities, recommended. 

The hotel is located about midway on Collins street so is right in the bustling center of Melbourne. We were able to explore the city on foot (or wheel) from here. The hotel is surrounded by shopping malls and many tiny alleys with interesting cafes for breakfast lunch or dinner. Many cafes are not accessible, but have outside tables. 

There is a ramp from the street to the ground level concierge station.  A lift (elevator) from here goes up one floor to the reception area. On this level there is a bar and restaurant, all of which are fully accessible.  There is an accessible toilet off the bar area but it is a bit cramped and may not work for all chairs. Another toilet past reception and the lifts, near the meeting rooms, offers a better option. 

The wheelchair accessible room I booked was a Queen bed with a pull out sofa bed. I initially intended to use this for the kids but since a third adult joined our group we ended up taking two rooms - the accessible and an adjoining superior room (non-accessible).  The room was very large, one of the largest I have stayed in, and there would have been plenty of circulation space even if we had used the pull out sofa.  As it was, moving around the room was no problem. 

The room was located fairly close to the lift (elevator) down a carpeted corridor. The work desk was very large and easy to use with electric sockets easily accessible above the desk.  The mini bar and accoutrements were accessible and the TV remote control was in easy reach. The a/c controls were easily reached. The closet was easy to get to and the hang rail was a normal walkie height. A light switch by the bed controlled this main room lights, but not the desk light and floor mounted lamp so you had to remember to turn those off before getting into bed.  (A master switch by the door turned everything off - a pity there wasn't one by the bed). The bed was about 20" (50cm) high and easy to transfer in and out of. 

The bathroom was very large with plenty of circulation space. There was a shower with a large, wall mounted, fold down seat and a completely separate bathtub.  The shower rose was a hand-held unit mounted on a vertical rail. It was possible to reach the top of the rail while sitting on the seat. The controls were easy to reach and there were well positioned handrails. The bath had no shower rose attachment and was a standard height. 

The toilet had plenty of space around it and was suitable for a right-handed 0 to 180 degree transfer. There were well positioned grab rails. The sink had good knee space and was easy to manage. The mirror was tilted and provided excellent visibility. 

All in all I found the hotel very well suited for wheelchair and handicapped accommodation and would use it again. The staff was very friendly and helpful.  Recommended.