Overview

I stayed for one night at the Paddington Basin Premier Inn as I was attending an event in the city on the following day, and I was pleasantly surprised by the surrounding Basin area. This 19-storey hotel is one of the taller Premier Inns in London - the tallest being Canary Wharf (Westferry), which is 28 storeys tall, but how does it fare in terms of accessibility? Please note that I did not have an accessible room booked for this stay.

Transport & Parking

Parking options aren’t great in the area. There’s a JustPark facility on Harbet Road about 160 metres away, but it’s quite costly. I arrived via Paddington Station, which is around 320 metres from the hotel, and made the trip using my wheelchair. If you're coming and going from the same station, walking, wheeling or grabbing a taxi is likely the better option. The nearest bus stop I could find is on Hermitage Street, roughly 160 metres away. It serves the 16, 18 and N18 bus routes.

Access

A short distance from the trendy Paddington Basin, you'll find the entrance to the hotel, which can be accessed via a short descending ramp or a few steps leading down to the door. The steps have tactile markings at the top and bottom and handrails for extra support. There is a single automatic sliding door with a doorway wide enough to accommodate most large mobility devices. On entering the reception area, there is a second automatic door. There are three self-service terminals to the right as you enter, though all three appeared to be out of order when I visited. I checked in at the desk and found the staff very helpful. I requested a receipt before wheeling off and they chased after me to make sure I had it. To get to the rooms, you go past reception, turn right and go through a set of heavy manual doors to access the lifts. You'll need to tap your key card to access the lift, then press the floor button. There was no Braille or hearing loops that I could see. After leaving the lift, there’s another corridor before you get to the room. The door was quite heavy and awkward to manage. As you go in, there’s a mirror and hand dryer immediately on your left and the bathroom is on your right. The bed is straight ahead as you enter, with a desk at the foot on the left. There isn’t enough space to get a wheelchair through that side but oddly there’s loads of room on the other side of the bed. The location is great, very central and close to Paddington Station, which is exactly why I chose it. There was also this really cool area nearby with large screens on a building where people were watching videos together. It gave the place a nice atmosphere. It was 31°C during my stay and the air con in the room was blasting cold. That’s great for some but I’m not the best with the cold. If they just shifted the desk to the back wall near the window, there’d be much better access for those who need the space. There’s also a Bar + Block restaurant attached to the hotel. I didn’t visit it but it’s there if you want it. Overall, it’s not a bad place to stay. It’s definitely on the pricey side but I expect that’s down to it being summer and with events on in the city.

Toilets

There’s an accessible toilet in the bar area, but I didn’t have time to check it out during my stay. I stuck to the toilet in my room, which met my needs, even though it didn’t have any accessibility features. The bathroom door opens outwards, and a standard wheelchair would fit through, though there are no grab rails. There’s space between the shower and the toilet seat that could work as a right-side transfer space. The toilet has no grab rails, so just something to keep in mind. The shower has a raised tray, so you’ll need to step up and into the cubicle. There are two showerheads – a fixed waterfall shower and a lower hand-held hose. The sink has a lever-style tap. It’s reachable from a seated height, but it does take a bit of stretching.

Staff

The staff were very helpful, eager to make sure I knew how to get to the lifts and that I was comfortable during my stay.

Photos