Carrie-Ann Lightley
Sep 23, 20193 min
Updated: Jul 10, 2020
Searching for holiday accommodation with a wheelchair accessible bathroom? I take a look at four places to stay in the UK with accessible, functional yet beautiful bathrooms, from a luxury spa to a seaside bungalow.
Disclaimer: Premier Care commissioned me to give my thoughts on the topic of wheelchair accessible bathrooms. This list is entirely based on my personal experiences of staying at these properties, and is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to accessibility.
As a wheelchair user, there are two key things I need to know when researching accessible holiday accommodation – can I get through the door, and does it have a wheelchair accessible bathroom? Obviously any accessibility over and above these two points is still important; information like how high the beds are, if there’s accessible parking, and what the options are for eating and drinking is crucial. But generally if I know I can get in, and I can use the bathroom, it’s on my shortlist.
I know that finding hotels and self-catering cottages with accessible bathrooms can be a challenge, so I’ve put together this list with four of my favourites. There’s a luxurious spa hotel, a tranquil countryside cottage, a welcoming pub with rooms and a beautiful seaside bungalow.
The Amble Inn is the Inn Collection Group’s newest property – a contemporary seaside pub with rooms, opened in January 2019. The Inn is accessible, family friendly – with a children’s play area – and dogs are welcome in designated areas and rooms. There’s free on-site parking, including designated blue badge bays.
Cosy yet contemporary, the Amble Inn’s accessible rooms look and feel gorgeous. The accessible bathrooms are really spacious and tastefully decorated, with wet room showers which include sturdy fold-down shower seats, plenty of grab bars and a sink with clearance underneath.
A few minutes from Cromer town centre, tucked away in a peaceful corner of a quiet cul de sac is The Anchorage. Parking is easy with space for two vehicles on the sloping driveway, and a ramp from there into the cottage.
As well as being accessible, the bathroom at The Anchorage is functional and above all beautiful; everything an accessible bathroom should be. Non-slip tiles, wet room shower with shower chair, wall-mounted sink and all the grab bars you could need – with the option of additional bars if required.
Set in 90 acres of rural, tranquil Fife farmland 20 minutes from St Andrews, The Rings offers flexible self-catering cottages with a total of 8 bedrooms, sleeping up to 16 people.
I stayed in the Onyx bedroom. It’s en-suite accessible bathroom is my favourite kind – providing the choice between a wet room shower and bath tub. Movable grab bars are used, giving flexible accessibility for individual needs.
Various shower chairs are available to borrow, as well as a range of other equipment including profile beds, toilet frames, hoist motors, mobile hoists and more.
A luxurious, privately owned hotel, Rudding Park has 90 bedrooms, a spa, two restaurants and a kitchen garden, private cinema, two golf courses and conference and events space. Rudding Park is one of the most beautiful Harrogate hotels, set in 300 acres of landscaped gardens and woodland.
Rudding Park’s accessible bathroom – in room 271 - has a sliding door, which saves space and avoids any awkward reaching to close the door behind you. The wet room shower has a folding seat, grab bars and an overhead shower as well as an additional wall mounted handheld lower level shower. The sink is a good height to wheel under, and the toilet has plenty of grab bars and an emergency pull cord.
Read more about Rudding Park Hotel & Spa
Knowing that you can use the bathroom safely and comfortably is one of the most important parts of life, and of accessible holidays, for any disabled person. If you’ve found this list helpful and would like to know more about wheelchair accessible holidays with accessible bathrooms feel free to get in touch.