Overview

Travelled up from South West Scotland for mini stay for husbands 50th Birthday - Fort William is his favourite place. Website stated that car park was small, for customers only with a barrier and intercom, has disabled spaces. Also stated there was disabled access into the hotel, and disabled access bedrooms. We booked 3 double rooms for 3 nights including 1 disabled room for a full time manual wheelchair user. The hotel is in a great place, close to the loch and adjoining the town centre. It is relative cleanish, and the staff are few, but are friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed our stay, but unfortunately disabled access into and out of the hotel was a real issue, and quite dangerous. Firstly the car parks barrier was permanently open, meaning that it was a free for all for shoppers in the town and even camper vans. During our stay the disabled parking bays were never available, and used by cars without disabled badges. The nearest public car parks are quite a walk away - especially if you have suitcases, a wheelchair, a crutch user and two small dogs. After parking in the car park, as the able bodied person in our group, I popped into the hotel to check in (minus all our gear). I was told that our disabled room had accidentally been allocated to nondisabled people, so we would have to wait in the lobby whilst they were asked to move and the room was stripped and cleaned. Not ideal after a 5 hour drive. We were also told the rear disabled access to the hotel was blocked internally by piles of bedding, so we would have to go around the hotel externally. There were 2 routes from the car park externally. The first route down a VERY steep alleyway (unsuitable for manual wheelchair users with or without someone pushing) into the cobbled pedestrianised area, past some shops and the up a moderate incline. Shallow step into the enterance and then into a lift up to the hotel lobby. The second route was out of the road leading into the car park, there was a kerb up to an extremely narrow footpath around the hotel, or onto the road beside the hotel, the up the kerb to get to the hotel entrance. The kerbs are not lowered. The pathway and road are a fairly steep hill down to the hotel entrance. On getting near to the entrance there are steps down, a VERY narrow pathway has been worn into the grass next to the steps, its downhill, steep, around a post and not wide enough or really suitable for a wheelchair. It was a struggle - and even more so with with bags, dogs etc. We did write to Travelodge regarding the difficulties we had encountered. Unfortunately they were very defensive. They have now altered the wording on their website for this particular hotel. It's a great hotel, in a great place, but it is not disabled friendly. It is very difficult entering the hotel, exiting in an emergency would be treacherous to impossible.

Transport & Parking

Access

Toilets

Staff

Photos