Overview

The Mercure Edinburgh is a new hotel proving some 110 bedrooms.

Transport & Parking

The hotel is situated on a busy side street. There is limited parking on the street. It’s a short distance to the nearest bus stops that serve many parts of the city. Local buses (Lothian) are all wheelchair accessible. Taxis can drop off at the front door. For the more adventurous you could even arrive by canal as the canal basin is two minutes walk away!

Access

Access in and around the building: Arriving at the hotel the large automatic doors opened as a wheeled up to them in my powerchair. There was level access from the street and the reception was the in front of me after I entered. The reception desk had a dropped section toward the end which made it easier for me. The lounge area is next the the reception and bar. There’s plenty of seating with enough space for me to wheel in and be comfortable. Two large lifts with door clearance of 110 cm and a depth of 186 cm go to all floors. The lifts were large enough for me to turn my powerchair through 360 degrees. Access in the accessible bedrooms and bathrooms: The Hotel had five accessible bedrooms and all of them have the option of interconnecting rooms. There was degree of “wow” factor when I opened the door. The first thing I saw was a big space and across the far side some seats and a coffee table. If that was what I saw first, then where was the bed? The room was generous with its space and there was ample room to move around and enjoy the space. The bed was large and it was easy to wheel to either side; not always possible in some accessible rooms. A door led off the room to an adjoining room – all the accessible rooms could be linked to a second room. Excitedly I wheeled into the wet room. It was one of the largest I have seen. It was 178cm by 300 cm. There was plenty of room to move around and would be large enough to accommodate a portable hoist. One of the accessible rooms has been equipped to allow greater flexibility as the equipment can be moved or removed according to the guest's requirements. Access in the dining area: The dining area is on the ground floor. There was ample space to get in and move around. The furniture was moveable and could move to accommodate me comfortably. Access to other facilities: The hotel also has a small gym on one of the lower floors. Not a gym user I did venture in to have a look.

Toilets

Next to the gym on the lower floor was an accessible loo. It followed the high standard of the facilities in the accessible bedrooms. A large doorway to get in and plenty of space to move around.

Staff

The staff we met were very disability aware, friendly and welcoming. They were quick to tell me about personal evacuation plans, what facilities they had and what was possible.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

A great hotel if you want good accessibility. Particularly if you have specific requirements of a wet room.

Photos