Overview

We stayed at Walkergate Premier Inn, Durham, on an overnight stop during a journey. It has all the facilities one could wish for disabled people, and the position is quite convenient though not exactly in the city centre.

Transport & Parking

The hotel hasn't got its own parking but just across the road there's Walkergate multistorey car park, with several dedicated disabled bays, and if you are a hotel guest you get a 10% discount. The car park has a good-sized lift which can easily accomodate a large wheelchair or a small scooter, and it takes you up to Millennium Square. This is just across Silver Street and just a few yards from the city centre, where you can get the Cathedral Bus.

Access

The Premier Inn has a ramped access with easy slope and automatic doors; inside the carpeting is not too thick. The spaces at the entrance, reception and dining room are roomy enough to move easily. There are chairs to rest on in the bar area, next to the reception. The only difficult bit is the access to the lift area, which has heavy doors, but the lift themselves are large enough for a regular-sized wheelchair. The room is really large, with carpeting but not too thick to move around; the bed isn't too high so as to allow a disabled person to transfer easily, with plenty of space around for the wheelchair. Handy bedside tables with lights. The room is well equipped with wheelchair-height hangers for clothes, hairdrier and light switches and sockets, a desk having tea/cofee making facilities. The wetroom was really huge, with smooth paving, lowered sink, plenty of grab rails everywhere and a large wheel-in shower.

Toilets

There is a regular-sized disabled toilet near the entrance.

Staff

The staff were genuinely charming and helpful, both the receptionists and waiters / waitresses serving at the bar and breakfast / dining room.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

The overall cleanliness was above average, and the position make it a very convenient place where to stay for a visit to splendid Durham. Across the road from the Hotel there's an accessible bridge over the river Wear and from there you can enjoy a very long smooth promenade along the river (slightly uphill towards the city centre) from which you can admire the city skyline with the Cathedral and Castle towering over it. Really worthwhile.

Photos