I entered the parking lot of the hotel just before noon on March 17th, 2004. I had asked the reservation clerk if I could check in at noon, and had been assured that I could. The room was ready. The parking lot was nearly empty, with only six cars. There were four well-marked and spacious handicapped parking spaces. They were located right outside the front entrance on the left side. There was a ramp from the parking space to the sidewalk, and then no other steps to the hotel lobby. The entry to the building was easy for a handicapped person.
As I went in, a female employee behind the front desk extended an immediate greeting. She was not wearing a nametag or a logo. I provided my name and she confirmed the reservation. She requested the credit card and driver's license. She also confirmed that an ADA room was reserved. The employee was friendly, smiling and efficient. She did not seem to notice that I used a cane. I felt like a valued guest. She gave me a key card in an envelope with the room number written on the envelope and wished a good stay. An extra blanket was requested and she politely said, "of course." However, the blanket was never received.
The hotel corridors were wide and not crowded. The lobby was large enough for several people to gather, or for a wheelchair to maneuver. The employees were friendly and treat disabled guests no differently than anyone else.
The ADA room was located at the far end of the hall she indicated to go down. There were five others rooms I had to pass to get to mine. It was difficult for me to walk that far with my cane. The ADA room was also at the far end of the hall from the front desk, vending and ice machine and breakfast area.
The ADA room was well equipped. The A/C had controls on top for easy access. It was housed under a high window seat that allowed for easy rising from a sitting position. Also under the window seat were two handy drawers. To one side of the bed, there was plenty of room to park a wheelchair without crowding. Over the bed was a full wall-to-wall mirror with indirect lighting over it. The light fixture also had a smoke alarm mounted on the front. A wall-mounted nightstand was present on both sides of the bed, which had an open ledge instead of drawers. This was very convenient. The built-in desk also did not have difficult drawers. There was a low-height large mirror across the room from the bed. It was the correct height for someone in a wheelchair to use it conveniently. It was also large enough for a standing person. The draperies had two wands, one on the left and right. They were easy to use. Two peepholes were provided on the guestroom door, however the safety latch was broken.
The bathroom was spacious and roomy enough for a wheelchair to maneuver easily. There was room on the side of the toilet and bathtub for easy access. The toilet was the perfect height for an ADA room and had a sturdy grab bar on the left wall. The bathtub had four sturdy grab bars and a hand-held showerhead. The mirror over the vanity was low enough for a wheelchair-bound guest, yet was high enough for a standing person. The pipes under the sink were wrapped and a wheelchair could fit under the vanity. The tissue holder, however, was located far back on the wall, just in front of the mirror. A person would have a difficult time accessing the tissues from a wheelchair.
