Overview

I spent two nights (and a morning) at Ibis Styles. I loved the decor and the unusual elements found around the hotel. The accessible rooms feature a large wetroom-style toilet with a shower seat and two showerheads. Sadly, the Ibis website doesn’t emphasise this feature. There’s a reference to accessible rooms, but no clear instructions on how to book one. I specified this requirement during my booking, assuming they’d contact me if they couldn’t honour it.

Transport & Parking

I took the train to Manchester Piccadilly from Glasgow Central. Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station is located 0.4 miles from Ibis Styles. There are plenty of buses that run along Portland Street, and the Manchester Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink is 367.5 metres from the entrance. There is no on-street parking at this location, though there are private car parks throughout the city.

Access

The entrance has two heavy glass doors with metal cowboy boots as handles, which I needed help opening. A guest of the hotel opened the doors for me, but there is a call button on the wall to the right if needed. I also had to ask staff to open the doors each time I left. I was able to navigate the building in my manual wheelchair and access the lifts, although they are small. I expect a powerchair user and a carer would fit, but there’s no room to turn inside the lifts. I didn’t notice braille buttons or a hearing loop. There’s no lowered section at the check-in desk, which is little more than a high table. The lobby has seating, including a comically large deck chair and a huge pair of sunglasses—told you it was quirky! A card key is needed to access the lifts and rooms. My room was 211, located at the bottom of the hall on the right. The door is a little heavy, opens inwards, and locks automatically when it closes. Though the room is small, I was able to move around using my wheelchair. The room has a comfortable double bed, TV, wardrobe with hangers and an iron, a funky desk, a kettle, and a large mirror. I believe there was a hairdryer, but I didn’t take note as I don’t have hair! The decor is unusual, with weather-themed designs and a carpet that resembles a meadow. I’ll cover the bathroom in the next section, but I was pleasantly surprised by how spacious it is. Attached to the hotel is the Jamboree Foodfest & Bar. If you order room service, that’s where your food will come from. There’s plenty of room to move around in the bar area, with lots of soft seating.

Toilets

The bathroom is huge! The shower area is on the back wall and features both high and mid-level showerheads. A shower seat is mounted to the wall, and there are grab rails around the shower, along with a red emergency cord hanging to the floor. The toilet is on the right wall and is entirely white but contrasts against the wall. It has a soft backrest, grab rails on either side and an emergency cord on the left when seated, which also hangs to the floor. There is space for a right-side transfer. The sink is close to the toilet and features a lever-style tap with grab rails on both sides. There’s a second accessible toilet on your right as you pass the front desk. This toilet requires a RADAR key to enter, and the door opens outwards. It’s functional, with a small sink, a lever-style tap, and grab rails on both sides. The toilet seat is at standard height with grab rails on either side. The red cord hangs to the left when seated, though it’s shorter than it should be. There’s also a baby changing station in the room.

Staff

The staff were lovely, eager to help and quick to assist when I needed help to exit the building.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

I really enjoyed my stay, though I will say the walls are thin. I heard my neighbour coughing, but I’m a heavy sleeper, so it didn’t bother me too much. I’d like to see an induction loop and greater use of alternative signage and braille throughout. Having the doors be automatic or button-controlled would be nice.

Photos