Overview

Went here to try the afternoon tea after discovering the hotel is accessible. It is accessible but the accessible toilet is tight and there are some narrow doors. The tea was lovely but the cafe was noisy (but it was a Saturday in August).

Transport & Parking

The hotel is on North Bridge, which is undergoing maintenance at the moment, so parking is severely limited, if not none existent. I travelled by bus to Waterloo Place, at the end of Princes St, and used my wheelchair from there. The pavements are fine but the drop kerbs on Waterloo place are pretty brutal. There are buses that go up & down North Bridge as well, so there are plenty of public transport options.

Access

Disabled access is via a permanent ramp to the right of the main entrance, as you look at the hotel. It's not signposted, as far as I could see. There are automatic double doors at the top of the ramp in to the hotel reception area and the grand cafe is located off to the left. There are two sets of double doors in the way, but only one of these had both doors open. A single door was too narrow for me to get through, so I had to ask for assistance.

Toilets

The accessible toilet is between the Grand Cafe and the hotel reception. I had to navigate the half open double doors again. Access to the toilet was tight. First off there is a doorless doorway. My wheelchair is a mini model and even then, there were only a couple of inches between me and the doorframe. After that, there is the actual toilet door, which is wider but also heavy and opens outward and required me to reverse through the narrow doorway whilst also pulling the heavy toilet door open. Not at all easy and although I did just manage it, I asked for help the second time. Even that is not without its issues as the only way to go in to the toilet while someone holds the door open is to go under their arm, so they need to be tall! The toilet itself was very clean and new with good grab bars but it is tight. I was just able to turn my wheelchair but even getting in on a mobility scooter might be tricky. You wouldn't be able to turn and I don't think you'd be able to reach the taps across the basin, which is so large I could only just reach the soap. The paper towels were also virtually inaccessible as they are on a high window ledge above the enormous basin.

Staff

All the staff were friendly and helpful when asked but not proactive in spotting obstacles or difficulties for a wheelchair user.

Photos