Overview

Unfortunately the accessibility features that are available for staying at The Crowne Plaza isn't the same as it used to be and means I probably won't be able to stay for a while.

Transport & Parking

There are plenty of accessible parking spaces within the car park of The Crowne Plaza at the back entrance however, it is a long walk from the car park to the reception through a corridor. It's £7 each night to park here, don't forget to say to reception when you check in or you could get a parking ticket. I've always parked in the car park but, I would say there is space at the main entrance where you could get dropped off and unload your luggage. This is also where the taxi rank is. It is an 8 minute walk from the hotel to the Exhibition Centre railway station where you can get a train to Glasgow Central Station, or it is a 14 minute drive from the hotel to Glasgow Central Station if you want to get a taxi. I’m not sure about bus connections to the hotel, I didn’t see any bus stops or bus stations nearby.

Access

So the 'accessible' rooms are the main features that have changed at The Crowne Plaza. A week before our visit we got told that the room with the ceiling hoist was no longer available due to fire safety however, when we arrived the new accessible rooms weren't suitable for our needs and we got moved back in the accessible rooms with the ceiling hoists. After this visit though I don't think any visitors with mobility issues will be able to use this room as they deem it unsafe if there is a fire because the rooms are on the top 2 floors. I don't understand though why they didn't think of building them on a lower level before as you would persume it would be an issue with evacuation. Also best to point out they’re not letting you book an accessible room online, you have to phone them. In the new ‘accessible’ room there is definitely not as much space than the previous ones, especially with the fact that people may have to use a mobile hoist instead of the ceiling hoist. I’m sure if there wasn’t enough room staff would remove the arm chair and table from the room. Although I should point out that I didn’t actually see the room myself in person, just through a video that I’ve attached to this review. The doorway looks wide enough for a wheelchair to get through but, it’s hard to tell if there is enough room under the bed for a hoist leg to get under. There is also no adjoining room for a carer.

Toilets

I didn't use any of the public toilets in the hotel so I cannot comment on them. I didn’t see the bathrooms in the new ‘accessible’ rooms in person but, it was included in the video I saw. Like me if you are unable to get into a bath then the bathroom in the new ‘accessible’ room is not accessible for you. Both of the ‘accessible’ rooms that we saw at The Crowne Plaza had baths in them. The rest of the bathroom looks fairly accessible with a grab rail beside the toilet, 2 red cords hanging freely and space under the sink to get underneath. Although I do think it would be quite tight if you had to use a hoist in the bathroom, especially if you had to turn through the doorway from the bedroom area.

Staff

Everytime I have stayed at The Crowne Plaza all staff have been extremely friendly and helpful. When we spoke to 2 of the managers about the issues we had during our stay, they seemed to take what we said on board, we'll just see if things change for the better.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

I'm looking forward to them hopefully getting a ceiling hoist in their new accessible rooms as I did enjoy staying at The Crowne Plaza.

Video