Overview

We can’t be the only people who sometimes find a hotel room advertised as accessible isn’t always as accessible as we need it to be. To that end I always spend a ridiculous amount of time researching and calling hotels and in this case I arranged with the hotel to visit in advance of booking to check if it could work for a manual wheelchair user with pretty limited upper body strength - and a hearing impairment. On arrival it was clear that the steps at the front entrance of this historic building would necessitate a very steep ramp so I went around the corner to find an alternative entrance that would suit our wheelchair user (who usually travels with a companion). A glass door leads into a bar and restaurant area on what is technically the lower ground floor. From here one passes along a corridor and can then take a lift (there are also stairs) to the ground floor lobby area. Here you’ll find the front desk (lovely reception staff but no lowered desk for those who might not be able to see over a standard height counter at check in) and another larger and more opulent bar in the style of a gentleman’s club off to the side. The bar is elegant seems especially popular with male patrons during the day. Seating seemed to be mainly low sofas but staff were keen to stress that they would ensure that everyone is welcome and that they would help to find suitable seating if a guest in a wheelchair wanted to transfer. The lobby area in front of the main reception desk can be busy by day with a lot of people coming and going but the staff were all unfailingly helpful and welcoming. The sort of information I need to know before booking a room is not available on the hotel’s website so it was really helpful to be able to see one of the accessible rooms all of which are slightly different and have a mixture of double beds and at least one that can be twinned. Just inside the wide door to the bedroom there is more space than usual to manoeuvre and for a companion or carer. The Grand can supply a deafguard but does not have a hoist. It looked as though there might just be enough room to fit the foot of a portable hoist under the bed in the room I saw but it would be very tight. If planning to bring a hoist it is definitely worth checking with the hotel first and asking for exact measurements. The accessible bedroom is a good size - with space for both manual and power chairs to manoeuvre - although in the configuration I saw, there is only really enough room to transfer to one side of the bed (or beds as the hotel has several rooms that can be twinned). The main bedroom is carpeted - with a very jazzy monochrome design that blended a little too well with the long stool at the end of the bed which sports a similar pattern and which some people with a visual impairment might find tricky to navigate around. There is however good colour contrast between the flooring and the walls. There is an interconnecting door to an adjacent standard double room. As well as the bed, a small round table with two chairs - that staff said could be moved if guests so request - there is a large unit which comprises several shelves /storage options as well as a minifridge, a safety deposit box and the wardrobe which has been fitted with a pull down rail to hang clothes hangers on (see attached photo with description). Because of a lack of upper body strength and a strong desire to remain independent, we have a preference for a simple lowered rail in the wardrobe as it avoids the need to ask someone to have to pull the contraption down. The room enjoys a lot of natural daylight and there are reading lights by the bed. BATHROOM The windowless, wet room-style bathroom (shower only, no bath) is a generous size and has a shower that could be lowered to the level of someone sitting in a shower chair or on the seat provided without overly extending. The amenities are fixed to the wall. TOILET There are plenty of rails around the toilet and in the shower but not enough low hooks on the wall. If someone is travelling alone, it can be hard to hang towels, wash bags etc up if one cannot reach the hooks at standard height. There is a red cord in the bathroom. The accessible room I saw at The Grand would be more than adequate for our needs. I had the feeling that someone had gone to the trouble to think about what people might need. Given there is more than one room, it would have been great to know the hotel has a hoist in at least one of their accessible rooms. With the addition of a few more lowered hooks and a repositioning of the bed to enable two wheelchair users to transfer more easily from each side of the bed, it would score very highly indeed. PUBLIC ACCESSIBLE TOILETS. Downstairs on the lower ground floor restaurant and bar level there is an accessible toilet. It’s quite easy to miss it as the sign is next to the door rather than on the door itself. It isn’t huge and isn’t particularly well lit. No proper shelf or hook for those needing to attend to their colostomy. And you can only transfer onto the toilet from one side - after negotiating the obligatory unnecessary extra bin. But it is good to know it is there - along with a baby change table.

Transport & Parking

If travelling via public transport, it may be useful to know that the hotel is slightly nearer Snow Hill station than the main terminus at Birmingham New Street. With time & energy one might be able to propel oneself from the train but unless you have a lot of upper body strength, that might be pushing it a bit. Sadly there is no dedicated parking in the vicinity for guests with Blue Badges. A later call to the reception desk to ask for more details resulted in being put on hold while someone went away to check where the nearest ones are. At this level, all staff should really be able to answer basic questions about parking (and the cost) straight away.

Access

See above for details on the alternative entrance for manual wheelchair, power chair users and those with walking aids. There is plenty of occasional seating but much of it is low and squashy and could be easy to sink into and challenging to stand up from. In the restaurants there is a range of chairs some with and some without arms.

Toilets

While the accessible bedrooms at the hotel seem to have generously-sized accessible bathrooms, the one accessible toilet downstairs is easy to miss and if coming from the downstairs restaurant or bar, could be easy to miss as the symbol is not on the door.

Staff

All the staff I encountered were unfailingly polite and keen to help without being patronising or nervous. There seems to be a willingness to move furniture around, even removing it from the room to allow more space if need be.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

As with most UK hospitality venues, obvious covid precautions seem to be something consigned to the past however all public areas as well as the bedroom I saw were spotlessly clean. Staff were well presented, friendly and proactive. I would book an accessible room at The Grand for a special treat.

Photos