Novotel London Greenwich

173-185 Greenwich High Rd., London, SE10 8JA, United Kingdom. +44 20 7660 0682

http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-3476-novotel-london-greenwich/index.shtml

This hotel is located in the heart of Greenwich village in London. It is just 10 minutes wheel from the Cutty Sark and the maritime museum as well as a host of quintessentially English pubs and shops. These notes refer to hotel facilities for wheelchair users only.  For other aspects of the hotel service see TripAdvisor

There is a flat entrance to the hotel with automatically rotating doors that can be slowed to allow a wheelchair to use them. An alternative “straight access” door is available and the staff will open it if necessary. There is level access throughout the lobby, bar and restaurant area, and accessible toilets off the lobby. Circulation in the public areas is excellent.

The wheelchair accessible room I booked has a single double bed, which was actually two singles pushed together. There is not enough space in the room for a second sofa bed so if you a travelling with family you will need a second room. Novotel offered us an adjoining room for half price. The room was on the fourth floor and very close to the lift (elevator). The room is a little tight but thankfully not over crammed with furniture. There is just enough space between the end of the bed and the desk for my chair to pass through with some width to spare (my chair is 680mm – 26.8” – wide). The work desk is a comfortable height. There is easy access to a socket and to the wired Internet (extra charge).

Closet is an open type with easily accessible bars for hanging clothes. The bed is low, about two inches (5cm) below the height of my wheelchair cushion. All room lights can be turned on or off from the bed.  The heater controls can be easily accessed on the wall. 

The bathroom is large with plenty of turn space and has a very wide door with an "accordion style" opening door.  Ample knee room under sink. Large mirror gives a decent view of your upper body but it is not tilted making it difficult to get a full length view.  Toilet is easily accessible for transfer and is higher than a standard toilet - about level with the wheelchair cushion. Grab rails well positioned. The towels are hung on a bar in the shower and are accessible from a wheelchair. 

There is a roll in shower with an independent free standing shower chair that can be moved to wherever suits.  There is a single handheld hose, mounted on a rail on the wall, and well positioned grab rails. The controls can be reached easily. I wasn't sure about the temperature cut-off - even at the hottest setting the water was not scalding so it seemed it be safe.

All in all, the room was fine from an access point of view and I would recommend this hotel for wheelchair users.

 

 

 

Washington Dulles Airport, VA, USA - Hotel (Hilton)

Hilton Washington Dulles Airport,  13869 Park Centre Road, Herndon, VA 20171, USA

This entry describes my experiences at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport, and is intended to assist wheelchair users or disabled travelers considering this hotel.
This hotel is just a few minutes from Dulles International Airport (IAD) and offers a wheelchair accessible shuttle bus. But only one of their shuttles is accessible so it has to be booked. On the night I stayed here, the accessible shuttle was "in the shop" and unavailable which is frustrating in the extreme. Perhaps having two accessible shuttles would be a good idea? the hotel staff were very apologetic, and booked a taxi for the morning which the hotel paid for. 

Flat entrance to the hotel with automatic doors. There is level access throughout the lobby, bar and restaurant area.

I stayed in a two double bed room with tub (kudos to Hilton website that allows you to select a room to this level of detail). Room was on ground floor, a bit of a haul to get there from the lobby over thick carpet and a short ramp.  The room is large and spacious, not over crammed with furniture.  There is enough room between the beds to fit a wheelchair comfortably, access to either bed is no problem. The work desk is a little low and I was unable to wheel under it. The desk lamp has two easily accessed electric sockets. No wired internet that I could find, but the wifi worked well. 

It took me a while to find the closet - unusually it is located in the bathroom.  Closet has a bar at a comfortable height for hanging shirts etc. There are three light switches between the beds that allow you to turn off certain room lights from the bed. Experiment to find what which ones!

The bed is at a reasonable height for transfer, not too high.  

Air conditioning unit has an easily accessed wall mounted temperature control (old style analog slider) but the on/off control is high on the wall and blocked by the armchair.

The bathroom is large with plenty of turn space. Ample knee room under sink. Large mirror gives a decent view.  Toilet is easily accessible for transfer. Grab rails well positioned. The towels are stored on a shelf above the bath tub that is totally inaccessible from a wheelchair. 

The tub is easy to access but the grab rails are badly positioned and too high to assist in a transfer they are fine for ambulant disabled.   This is a common problem in hotels. It seems that a rom with a tub is assumed to be for ambulant disabled, and a rool-in shower for wheelchairs.  But, of course, many wheelchair users prefer a tub as it is often safer than a shower seat. Once on the tub, the water controls are easy to reach.  However, the hand held shower rose is mounted on a rail but even at its lowest point is too high for a wheelie to reach.   There is no temperature cut-off so you need to be careful  when adjusting the temperature to avoid scalding de-sensitized areas of your body.

Overall, the room is a bit tired and in need of a refurb. It's acceptable, but the recently redone rooms in the Marriott are nicer.  But the Marriott only offers king size beds in the handicapped rooms which makes it useless if you are travelling with young kids.  I would use the Hilton again if the price was right, or I needed to have two beds in the room.

Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil - Hotel (Mercure Colinas)

Mercure Colinas - Av. Dr. Jorge Zarur, 81, torre 2, Jd. Apolo, São José dos Campos, Sao Paulo, Brazil

This hotel is set right next door to its sister hotel,  the IBIS, reviewed here. Mercure is a slightly more upmarket brand of Accor hotels. The hotel has one wheelchair accessible room.

Flat entrance to the hotel with automatic doors. There is level access throughout the lobby, bar and breakfast area of the Mercure.

Handicapped room is on the first floor (the lift/elevator is of small but adequate). The room is compact but well designed and there is space to maneuver. There is enough room between bed and wall and bed and built in furniture. The workdesk is at a comfortable height. The electric sockets and wired internet connection (there is also wifi) are located in the wall behind the desk and are very easy to reach. Closet has a bar at a comfortable height for hanging shirts etc. Light switches are by the bed and easy to reach from the bed. I like this feature, you can turn all the lights in the room, except the desk light, on or off from the bed.

The bed (queen size) is at a perfect height for transfers and is comfortable.

Air conditioning unit is operated by a remote control and works fine. TV remote control stored beside TV at comfortable height.

A sliding door leads to the bathroom which is large with plenty of turn space. Ample knee room under sink. Slanted mirrors make for easy viewing when seated. Toilet is easily accessible for a 90° transfer. Grab rails well positioned. The towels are stored on a shelf that is high and access to it is blocked by the toilet. This may put the towles out of reach for some wheelies.

The shower is an open, roll-in, design with a fold up, sturdy, shower seat mounted with plenty of access room for transfer. Shower controls are easy to reach. There is a combined hand held hose and wall mounted rose, with a control on the hand held unit to select which one you want. The wall mounted unit is positioned directly above the seat. The seat is small, and I found I always needed one hand on the grab rail to help me balance. However the grabrails are sensibly positioned.  There is no temperature cut-off so you need to be careful when adjusting the temperature to avoid scalding de-sensitized areas of your body.

The staff are very friendly and quick to help with carrying trays or moving furniture.  The restaurant is accessible and provides breakfast, lunch and dinner. The nearby Colinas shopping centre has shopping, food and an excellent chascurria, all with good wheelchair access. It is possible to walk to the shopping centre although you have to cross a few busy roads to get there (pedestrian crossings are plentiful).

All in all, a very comfortable, accessible option in SJC.  

Newport, RI, USA - Hotel (Marriott)

These notes refer to the Marriott, Newport Rhode Island. They are intended as guidance to wheelchair users or disabled travellers thinking of using this hotel. They do not address general service issues which are more than adequately covered in reviews on other sites such as this one.


There is level access from street level to a front lobby. Reception is up one floor, and there is a long ramp to the elevator from the front door. (It is actually easy to enter from the parking lot, as that door brings you directly to the elevators). Once at reception, there is level access to the restaurant, bar and shop. I was directed to a room on the same level as reception, down a long corridor with a carpet that had a pile that was difficult to roll-on.

My room (double, accessible, bath) had a bit too much furniture for the size but it was still possible to get around. The work desk was a good size, easy to access, and all plugs were at desk height and easily reached. Wired Internet (extra charge) did not work at first but a visit from a service person determined that the plug at the desk level was not working, and he plugged directly to the difficult to access wall point instead. Closet was a high and difficult to hang and remove clothes. Air conditioning controls were on the wall and could be reached from a chair. TV controls were by the TV and easy to reach. Room light switches were easy to reach, but not from the bed. The bed was a good height and easy to transfer in and out of.

The bathroom was a comfortable size. Plenty of knee room under the sink. Mirror was not tilted and was ok for viewing head and shoulders but not much else. Toilet was standard height (not raised) with well positioned grab-rails. My room had a bath. Grab rails were well positioned. Shower hose was fixed to the wall and directed at a very poor angle. I was unable to adjust it. Water controls were easy to reach while sitting in bath. Towels were left at an easy height to reach.

All in all, the room was an average ADA accessible room with some annoyances (e.g. the closet). Access into and out of the hotel, including the long trip to the room, would make me avoid this hotel on future visits. Service, staff and restaurant were excellent.

Hamburg, Germany - Hotel (IBIS Hamburg Alster)

These notes refer to the IBIS Hamburg Alster and are intended to assist other wheelchair users or handicapped travelers considering staying at this hotel. This review addresses only issues related to access. For general information and reviews about this hotel go to tripadvisor.

The hotel is situated close to the centre of Hamburg, a few meters from the Alster river. Access to the hotel is level from the street pavement through automatic doors. There is no curb cut in the pavement outside the hotel, so if you arrive by taxi you will need some assistance to mount the curb. Inside, the lobby, bar and restaurant are all on one level and access is easy. There is a handicapped toilet off the lobby.

The lift (elevator) is too narrow to turn in, but quite deep so there is plenty of room. My room was close to the elevator on the first floor (one above ground floor). The room itself was very small and compact and just about big enough to get around. There was really only access to one side of the bed. The workdesk was small but usable. The electric sockets could not be reached easily. Wifi Ethernet (extra charge) worked well. The window was open when I arrived, letting in a lot of noise from the train tracks behind. It is not possible to close and secure the window from a wheelchair.

The bed was a double, and at a comfortable height for transfers. All lights in the room could be controlled from a switch by the bed. The TV controls were left on the bed, and the A/C controls were at a comfortable height. The closet was perfectly positioned for access and use, although it had no door.

The bathroom was large enough to maneuver in – just! Sink was a good size with plenty of knee room underneath. The toilet was beside the sink making transfers on and off a little difficult. A well positioned fold-up handrail provided good support while on the toilet. The shower was a roll-in type with a small plastic fold-up seat attached to the wall. A fold-down grab rail provided stability in the shower. The handrail and shower controls could be reached easily from the shower seat. The shower hose was a hand-held mounted on a rail at a good height. The towels in the bathroom were a little high, but two extra towels were left in the bedroom in an easily accessible location.

IBIS rooms tend to be basic, no-frills type accommodation and some I have stayed in were smaller than this. I would recommend this hotel to wheelchair users, and would stay there again if visiting Hamburg.

Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland - Hotel (Mount Errigal Hotel)

This entry describes my experiences at the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny and is intended to assist wheelchair users or disabled travelers considering this hotel. I do not address general features of the hotel - you can find plenty of those reviews here.

Entry to the hotel is via a very steep ramp from the car park. This is more than 1:12, maybe 1:10, and a hefty push to get up it. Once up, entry to the lobby is via automatic doors. Access to the reception desk is up two sets of steps, each set has a ramp to one side for us wheelies. These ramps feel like regulation 1:12 or perhaps slightly less and are manageable. The bar and restaurant area is off to the left. This also has several levels and each one can be accessed through doors from the reception. There is no ramp between levels within the bar/restaurant area itself - you need to go into the reception area to use the ramps to move between levels. The hotel seems to have many levels and all seem to be accessible, but the frequent ramps can be exhausting especially with luggage although staff will help you if you ask.

My room was a handicapped accessible family room. The reason we stayed at the Mount Errigal was because it was the only hotel that has a room available that was both wheelchair accessible and could sleep two adults and two children. The room was large and easy to get around. The two double beds were both accessible with adequate room between them to get the chair between. The workdesk was comfortable and easy to use. Electric sockets were easy to reach in the wall behind at desk height.  The closet made no concession to wheelies and was awkward to use. It contained a fold-out ironing board that I've never come across before, and I was able to use it to iron a couple of shirts with ease (or as much ease as ironing can be!). Bedside light switches were well positioned, but main room lights could not be controlled from the bed. There is no air-conditioning (not really needed in Ireland!) but a heater could be turned on or off easily. The TV controls were easy to reach.

The bathroom was very spacious with plenty of turning space. It had a bath, and was more suited to an ambulant disabled rather than a wheelie. The main thing lacking was appropriately placed grab bars. However, it was usable. The shower hose was handheld, and the rail was fixed to the wall and very high. The sink was tiny - this is a common feature in Irish handicapped rooms and is due to some daft regulation laid down by the authorities. Clearly the people who write the regulations are not actual users. This sink was slightly larger than the usual but still barely bog enough to wash hands or equipment. The toilet was easy to get to with well positioned grab rails. Towels were left at a low level and easy to reach.

To get to my room from reception involved going through a heavy set of doors, a short steep ramp (very steep) to a small lift (elevator). Up to the next floor, up two more ramps (regulation - not too steep) and around two corners over deep carpet. Good for exercise but certainly not conducive to running down to reception to ask a question!

The hotel staff were warm and friendly and the atmosphere was family oriented and relaxed - more genuine than the US chain hotels I'm used to, if quirkier. I would stay there again, although if I was travelling without the kids I would probably check out one of the more modern hotels in Letterkenny.

JFK airport, New York - AirTrain (SkyTrain)

I defy anyone in a wheelchair to get from Terminal 6 in JFK to any other terminal using the AirTrain (sometime called the SkyTrain), without asking for assistance. There are absolutely no signs indicating where to go. You arrive off your plane and head towards the exits. There are signs for baggage claim (don't want that, my bags are checked through), taxis (don't want those, I'm just changing terminals), ground transport (nope, not renting a car or getting a bus) and parking (no - no car here). But for the AirTrain or other terminals? Not a hint. The map is no good either, it is just a map of terminal 6.

If you do ask someone who looks official, they will point you to a door discreetly located past some restaurants, down a narrow corridor and suddenly you are through a double door (locked - but there is a TSA official who will open it for you) into the ticketing area on the land side of security. There you turn right and spot the very tiny sign pointing to elevators to the AirTrain.

Apart from the difficulty in finding it, the AirTrain is very accessible and easy to use. Easy to roll on, plenty of space on-board. The only challenge is trying to figure out which platform to use to get to the terminal you want. The secret is to listen carefully to the announcements as the train enters the station. Be careful. Boarding the wrong train will lose you a lot of time. Once who have boarded, look at the map on board and pay attention to the announcements to reassure yourself you are going the right way.

Sure beats the old JFK where I was once manually carried on some shoulders to get from one terminal to the other, while another person carried my chair!!