Disabled Travellers visit to a very nice and comfortable Birmingham hotel
4
4
Date of visit: November 2022
I am a disabled person and a carer or friend of a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: moving around
Overall Rating
Good
This hotel is now part of the Accor group which has grown world wide since 1983, first created in 1967 in France, and has around 559 hotels in 65 countries in 2021. Novotel caters for business and leisure visitors, with most hotels centred around major international cities, including our visit here to Birmingham Uk. Let’s take you through the hotel now. The Novotel stands on Birminghams Broad Street, close to the centenary square, and handy for the Rep theatre, Symphony hall, and many good restaurants in Brindley Place, and handy for Canal Streets main canal run. Car parking is expensive, but the Metro tram is handy, which can be picked up at New Street station with just a three stop short ride to the hotels entrance. It is quite an attractive looking hotel as you approach (photo 1) but beware of the wind as this area seems to attract very heavy gusts at times, but at least you have a very handy ramp to get you up to the entrance (photo 2) and you will not have to use the revolving doors as a side door is available to use. It is warm and inviting as you approach reception desks (photo 3) although if you use this hotel for coffee or light lunch visits, then the bar lounge will call you on (photo 4) which, although being rather colourful, has cosy areas and chairs waiting for you (photo 5). The bar (photo 6) has an extensive selection of popular drinks with a friendly helpful service provided, and seating is ready when you want to order lunch (photo 7). A buffet was been served on our visit, which was receiving very good comments (photo 8) served on a self service basis (photo 9). Mind you, a cup of tea or coffee is our first call (photo 10) which you can enjoy at the bar lounge of take a seat in the restaurant when ready to eat (photo 11) Toilets are handy, just along a well lit corridor (photo 12) with push and pull doors, not really useful if you are on your own (photo 13) so left wheelchair outside in passage. The toilet was ok, very clean, well maintained, with pull cord and grab handles, but small inside. If you wish to stay overnight, disabled rooms are available, which are airy, spacious, nicely decorated, with good size beds awaiting (photo 14) Walk in showers are available, and reasonably sized. All in all, we enjoyed our visit here, a pleasant clean hotel, lively as it’s used for many business events, but a relaxing visit is on offer for you here.
Disabled Access In and Around
Average
Arriving from car park is reasonably level, if you dodge the cobbled areas, and very easy as you step off the Metro tram, with only a few yards push required to get your wheelchair into the hotel itself. There’s a ramp available to get into hotel.
Parking & Transport
Bad
Parking in Birmingham is very expensive as all privately run car parks, and there is parking available near to hotel, with a good five minute walk away, not good if raining though. As this area of Canal Street is very popular for restaurants, clubs, and concert hall, you will usually use this as a full days base, or for overnight stays, thus a need of car parking, so expensive for that use, but it has hourly rates for shorter parking. The Birmingham Metro tram has a station only yards away from the hotel, handy if you arrive into New Street station,
Accessible Toilets
Poor
There is a public disabled toilet for you, but you need a radar key to enter it. It is then plain and simply decorated, clean and tidy, with a pull cord and grab handles. You will need to get out of chair to use it though.
Staff
Average
Very helpful, with good service provided.
