Overview

I chose to stay at the Ibis as I know many of their locations have accessible rooms and subsequently accessible bathrooms. This is the third Ibis hotel I've been to in the past year, with the others being in Aberdeen and Manchester, and it has many of the same failings. Yet, as always, the staff are great.

Transport & Parking

Just outside on Castle Street, there's a bus stop where the 10a, 10b, 10h, 10j, 10k, 10m, 10p, 10x, 532, 532a, U1, and U2 services operate. There is also an NCP car park, Belfast The Tannery, across the road, which has 34 accessible parking spaces. Belfast Grand Central Station, which is both a bus and railway station, is half a mile away.

Access

There is an automatic sliding door at the entrance, which appears to be active only during the day. I returned after 9 PM one evening and had to tap my key card to activate the door. The reception desk and bar/restaurant area are through a second automatic sliding door. This one doesn't require a key card. There is no lowered section at the reception desk, but it's a small desk so it doesn't create a barrier. The bar/restaurant has no shortage of seating options, both chairs and high stools, though I should mention that the buffet breakfast is distributed across a high table, which I find a consistent issue. The door to the lift area is heavy and requires you to use your key card. This was a notable challenge for me, as it meant touching the card reader with one hand, opening the door with the other, and having to both hold the door and push my wheelchair through. Let's just say there was a lot of noise. There are two lifts in the corridor, neither of which has Braille buttons, though the numbers are raised on the panel inside. On leaving the lift, there is another door to the corridor where the rooms are located, and of course a door to the bedroom, which, as expected, requires a key card. This door poses the same issue of manipulating the door, a wheelchair and a key card. The door to the room opens inward, which is great. Until you try to get back out! The accessible room I booked was spacious, able to accommodate most mobility devices and had plenty of room to turn. The room had a double bed with sockets and a USB charging point on both sides of the bed, as well as light controls. The bed is close to the wall on the right side, which prevents a left-side transfer. A desk and open wardrobe with hangers are available for use, and the TV is above the desk. The room has an accessible bathroom, which I'll detail in the next section.

Toilets

As there are accessible toilets both in the accessible rooms and at the restaurant/bar, I'll detail both here. The accessible bathroom has an outward-opening door and wetroom-style flooring. The toilet seat is immediately as you enter and features contrasting silver grab rails, a flush on the wall behind, and a red cord on the right, which was freely hanging to the floor. The sink has a shallow basin with grab rails on either side and a mirror just above. It also features a lever-style tap. The shower has a wall-mounted seat, with several grab rails and a wall-mounted shower. Frustratingly, the shower head is up high, which means some may need to ask staff to lower it. Free shower gel and shampoo are provided, as is a shaving socket. The room is a fair size, and the door is wide enough for a powerchair user to access. The accessible toilet in the restaurant area has an outward-opening door that does not require a RADAR key. There's enough space in the accessible toilet for a wheelchair or powerchair user and two additional people. The toilet seat has space for a left-side transfer only and has grab rails on either side. The red cord was wrapped around the rail, which loses this venue some points. Though it now wears a shiny new Euan’s Guide red cord card! The sink has a lever-style tap, which raises up, a small basin, and grab rails on both sides. Neither of the accessible toilets has a colostomy shelf.

Staff

The staff were helpful, especially Daniel, who had a quick chat with me about my trip and helped me load my equipment into my taxi. Give that man a raise!

Photos