The Strathallan Rochester - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel

“Accessible Suite Reviewed from the Point of View of Someone Who Uses a Wheelchair”

The Strathallan bills itself as a “premier hotel and spa”. It simply isn’t, although it’s a nice enough mid range hotel with a very efficient and friendly staff. It is clean and quiet. Food here can be something of a problem. There is a good steak house on the premises, which I have reviewed sepa… more

The Strathallan bills itself as a “premier hotel and spa”. It simply isn’t, although it’s a nice enough mid range hotel with a very efficient and friendly staff. It is clean and quiet. Food here can be something of a problem. There is a good steak house on the premises, which I have reviewed separately (Char). Otherwise, there is a rooftop bar that does not serve food. Breakfast is served in Char. For those of us with impaired mobility, there is really no such thing as an “accessible” hotel room. Sure, a room may be ADA compliant, but that doesn’t mean we can enjoy a comfortable night there. My husband and I recently spent three nights in one of this hotel’s “accessible” suites and the rest of my review is written from the point of view of someone who has difficulties with “transfers”, that is, with rising from a seat and getting in and out of bed. There are no steps at the front or back entrance, but there are very few handicapped parking spaces. The suite was near the elevator, which is a help. I could enter the room using my key card. That is, I could reach the lock while seated in my wheelchair. However, I needed to struggle with the door and the only security peep hole could only be used by a standing adult. The HVAC controls were beyond my reach and the system was difficult to manage. There was a kitchenette in one corner of the sitting room with a microwave, coffee maker, and full size fridge, but no dishes or silverware. Both rooms of the suite and the bathroom were large enough for me to move about them in my chair, but it was a tight squeeze between the bed and a wall and, thus, access to the bathroom. The sitting room was largely adequate. The desk was high enough so that one could use it while seated in a wheelchair. The switch to one of the reading lamps was too high for me to reach. Because I use a wheelchair, I didn’t have to worry about seating. The bed was another matter, as I expected. Because of the usual thick hotel mattress, the top of the bed came up to my hip level (I am 5 feet, six inches tall), so I could not use the bed. I was able to sleep on the sofa in the living room, but I needed my husband’s help to rise from it in the morning. There was a closet in the living room with a low bar that I could use to hang my clothes. Apart from the HVAC, the suite was well maintained. The rods controlling the curtains were reachable. Each room had access to a small balcony. The bathroom was adequate. The sink was high enough so that one could use it while in a wheelchair, but I could not reach the taps. I brought my own toilet booster seat, so that took care of the toilet height, but there were grab bars only to the left and behind the toilet, making it difficult for me to rise from the seat. The shower was large and walk in/roll in, with a seat. I didn’t use the shower, though, because I feared that I would not be able to rise from the seat.

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