Overview

A lovely natural country lane drive through 2000 acres of open garden views created by Capability Brown, and beautiful scenic views leads you towards the gracious Tudor house of Fawsley Hall Hotel and Spa, (photo 1). A pleasant gated driveway (photo 2) takes you towards the Hotel, (photo 3). The disabled parking bays are at the rear of the hotel, some distance away from hotels entrance and only two bays available (photo 4), so if it is raining you are going to get very wet. The entrance to hotel (photo 5) is very inviting, but there is a step to get up (photo 6) and although this is a reasonably low step, we could not manage it without my getting out of the chair, to allow my wife to pick it up over the step. Once inside the hotel, we were greeted at reception and escorted into the pleasant courtyard lounge area, and a very comfortable and relaxing area (photo 7) to enjoy our brandy and coffee afternoon tipple (photo 8). There is a nice little terrace courtyard to sit in, but rather a high step to get into it, (photo 9) so it was not suitable for a wheelchair, unless you can get out of your chair. The courtyard now leads towards the bar and restaurant, (photo 10) but a number of steps prevented us from using this entrance, so we made our way around on the level to pass the reception area, and down an easy little ramp into the Great Hall ( photo 11). This was quite an attractive room, nicely furnished, but for us it didn’t have the wow factor. (photo 12). Now, along a level passageway (photo 13) it lead us to the elegant Cedar restaurant, (Photo 14) and we noticed plenty of spaces we would be able to leave our wheelchair in to enjoy evening dinner. Then you may exit the restaurant via a passageway (photo 15) that leads to the staircase for the bedrooms (photo 16) However, this is a listed building, so no lifts are available throughout the hotel, but we believe there are two bedrooms on the ground floor, but we do not know if these are for disabled use. Not far from reception we found the disabled toilet (photo 17) and although on the level to reach this area, it was almost impossible to get the Wheelchair into the toilet, so it had to be left outside on corridor. The toilet itself was quite impractical for a disabled person (photo 18) unless you can walk a few steps. We are afraid that you will have to miss the delightful Bar (photo 19) as there are to many steps to get up and we feel you may already be tired now having faced other steps, I know it wore myself out. Finally exiting the hotel, you have to get down that step, to return round to the car park (photo 20) on a level path, passing garden areas. Our final thoughts. This gracious 5* Tudor house hotel is well worth visiting, if you have some mobility, but sadly, this is not a disabled friendly hotel, even though they have done their best, and we cannot recommend this hotel for the disabled.

Transport & Parking

The disabled car park is around the back of hotel, some distance away from the entrance and quite a push for the carer. There are only two disabled bays available, but you may find space quite near these bays. It’s all on the level until you reach entrance into hotel, and a small step awaits you.

Access

There is a step to get up to enter the hotel entrance, and although only a low step, we could not manage it without my getting up from wheelchair and my wife lifting it over the step. There was no sign for any help or for a ramp, and no staff appeared so as to help us. Once inside we could manage to see most of the main rooms which were on the level or with help of ramps in place, but most of hotel is not of use to disabled as to many steps. Being a listed building, there are no lifts, and although hotel has done its best, this is not a disabled wheelchair friendly hotel. However, for a casual pleasant afternoon visit, and if you can manage a few steps, the hotel is well worth a visit. However, at the moment there are COVID restrictions in place, and they are only accepting guest who are booked to stay overnight, we were only given reluctant permission for our visit because we are members of the hotels group, so best to wait until restrictions are lifted.

Toilets

We found a disabled toilet, on the level, but impractical for disabled person, and although spotlessly clean, it was rather difficult to use.

Staff

Polite, but not to friendly or helpful. This may be due to COVID restrictions at the moment, it seems they are only accepting guests who are staying overnight, and we only managed to be allowed permission, rather reluctantly, because we are members of the hotel group. Or, it may be , ( and hopefully not ) that as a disabled person, we were not really made to feel welcomed, as this is not a disabled friendly hotel, although they have done their best, and the staff may have felt we would not cope with the many steps. However, we did not really feel welcomed and it seemed they were pleased to see us go, and that’s sad, so let’s hope it was this COVID that concerned them.

Photos