Carton House, Maynooth, Co. Kildare Ireland.  

tel. +353 (0) 1 5052000

 

http://www.cartonhouse.com/

These notes refer mainly to the wheelchair accessible aspects of this hotel. For comments on the hotel service and facilities see tripadvisor.

Carton House is a hotel, golf course and spa located in a fine example of a typical home of the old Irish landlord class. It is located about 30minutes from Dublin Airport and maybe 45 minutes from Dublin city center. Despite being built long before anyone thought of wheelchair access, the modernization of the hotel has produced a fine hotel with excellent access throughout. Wandering the grounds might present some challenges, but since I did not have time to explore I cannot really comment on that.

Entrance to the hotel lobby is through a modern entrance at the side of the original old house. Access is level through automatic doors. The lobby level, bar and restaurant are all on one level and easily accessible although the distances between them are great. The flooring is mostly hard cover with occasional sections of carpet – easy to traverse in any case. There is a dedicated large accessible toilet near reception.

My room was on the first floor of a modern extension to the old house and had a king bed. The lifts (elevators) are quite a way from the reception, but are large, and my room was very close to the lift.

The room itself was large (very large by Irish hotel standards) and easy to navigate. There is a large, comfortable workdesk and enough room between the desk and bed for my chair (680mm) to pass through with plenty to spare. Power sockets were easy to reach at desk height, as was the desk lamp. The bed was slightly below wheelchair cushion height so transferring was very easy. The bedside lights and room lights had switches by the bed. The air conditioning controls were easy to reach. The TV controls were left by the TV within easy reach. 

The closet had no door and was easy to reach and hang clothes on. All storage was accessible.

The bathroom was spacious with easy access to the toilet for a 90 degree or a parallel transfer. A folding handrail from the wall was well positioned. Sink was easy to use with plenty of knee room underneath. There was a roll in shower, with a small sturdy foldable shower seat on the wall. I found balancing on the shower seat a little precarious, but the handrails helped. The shower rose is fixed and protrudes from the wall above the seat giving plenty of coverage although it means there is no way of avoiding the couple of seconds of cold water that runs when you start the shower! The controls were easy to reach. Even at the hottest setting the water temperature was not dangerous although I did not notice any marking to suggest that it was temperature limited. All towels were left within easy reach.

 

I was attending a business event which utilized meeting rooms in the old house. All the rooms we used were on the ground floor, but I did notice on elevator running up the center of the old stairwell. All rooms we sued were fully accessible and there was an accessible (albeit poorly signposted) toilet nearby. The floors are the original floors and can present occasional hazards to a wheeler with broken stone slabs and so on. But I would not have them any other way – the character of the old house is great and the meeting rooms had a lovely old world, sophisticated feel to them.

The room really had nothing to fault it. Given that, and the excellent service and ambience of the hotel I would strongly recommend it for any wheelie seeking a country “feel” in a location not far from Dublin and Dublin airport. .

 

The Novotel Toulouse Centre Compans Caffarelli is convenient to the conference centre in Toulouse, and about a 20min wheel from Place Wilson in the centre. The hotel is set in pleasant surroundings with a nice urban park just behind it. These notes are intended to assist wheelchair users or handicapped travellers considering it as a place to stay while in Toulouse. I stayed here four years ago (see review here) and found it good, but I can no longer recommend it. The main change is to the bedroom.

The room was difficult to navigate. When I stayed here before, the gap between the end of the bed and the workdesk was a little tight, but I could reach all areas of the room with no great difficulty. However, now the gap between the bed and workdesk was much tighter – I estimate 600mm or less (24”) – and I was unable to pass through. This meant that half the room was inaccessible to me, including the workdesk, the power sockets, a chair and table, and the TV and TV remote control.  Apart from that the points made in the original review are still valid.  

Because of the difficulties navigating the room and getting in and out of the bath I would not recommend this hotel for wheelchair users travelling alone. Ambulant disabled, or wheelchair users with walkie companions would get by okay.

 

Novotel Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil

Avenida Dr. Nelson D'Ávila, 2200 Vila das Acácias, São José dos Campos - SP 12245-031

Phone:+55 (12) 4009-7826

http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-0472-novotel-sao-jose-dos-campos/index.shtml

These notes refer only to the wheelchair accessible aspects of this hotel. For other reviews see TripAdvisor.

There is a flat entrance to the hotel with automatic doors. There is level access throughout the lobby, bar and restaurant area, and accessible toilets off the lobby. Circulation in the public areas is excellent. Hardwood floors make wheeling very easy.

My room was a standard double bed wheelchair accessible room. The room was large enough – just! There was a very tight space between the bed and the edge of the minbar unit. Initially I couldn’t fit through, but by pushing the bed over be about 15cm (6”) I could get through comfortably. (My chair is 680mm – 28” – wide). The work desk is very narrow and has to be to accommodate a wheelchair between the desk and the end of the bed. Once past the bed there is adequate turning space. There is a sofa bed in the room also, but if it was pulled out and made up the room would be barely usable for a wheelchair. The bed is at a very comfortable height for transfers. There is no bedside locker or shelf which was a bit awkward.

The workdesk was at a good height, and although narrow it could accommodate my laptop comfortably. Power sockets were easy to reach. Light switches were at a comfortable height, and all room lights could be turned on or off while lying in the bed. The A/C was controlled by a remote control device which was left in easy reach beside the TV remote.

The closet had no door and had a clothes hang rail that could be pulled down to wheelchair height. While some storage was too high to reach there was adequate drawer and storage space down low.

The bathroom is large with plenty of turn space and has a very wide door sliding door.  There was ample knee room under sink. A large mirror gives a decent view of yourself and is tilted downward.  The toilet is easily accessible for a 90^o transfer. It is a standard toilet with a plastic fitting to raise it to a height suitable for ambulant disabled. Personally I find those very uncomfortable and difficult to work with, but your mileage may vary. Grab rails are well positioned and the towels are hung on the grab rails within easy reach.

The shower is one of the room’s better points. It is a roll-in shower with a sturdy fold down shower seat mounted to the wall suitable for a 90 degree left hand transfer. There is a hand held hose mounted on the wall in a fixed position, and a second rose in the middle of the ceiling which soaks you nicely when seated on the seat. Water controls were within easy reach. The water never got dangerously hot.

Although the room is a bit on the small side, I found the hotel from an access point of view and I would recommend this hotel for wheelchair users.

 

 

 

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.