Alt Hotel

Last summer I needed a change of scenery when I was laid up in bed with a really bad back. I decided I would rather spend a night laying in a hotel bed looking out at the harbour, so I headed to Alt Hotel to check it out. I had already heard good things about their accessibility, and the pics I saw online of the lobby and rooms looked so dreamy. I was not disappointed! It was beautiful and cozy, and I had such a relaxing night not very far from home.

For anyone interested in going for a (mostly) accessible staycation at the Alt hotel, here is a list of accessibility features you will find there:

– There is an underground parking garage so you don’t have to deal with trying to find an accessible space on Water Street. There is an elevator from the parking garage to the rest of the hotel, but please note that there is a heavy door that you need to open to get to the elevator.
– The main entrance has automatic doors, but the entrance to the patio area does not.
– There is a beautiful courtyard overlooking the harbour with lots of picnic tables, but no accessible picnic tables as of yet.
– The Terre cafe and restaurant are wheelchair accessible.
– There are push buttons that open and close the accessible hotel room doors.
– The accessible rooms have amazing accessible washrooms with a sink you can roll under, a mirror at wheelchair height, lots of space to maneuver a wheelchair, grab bars around the toilet, and a gorgeous wheel-in shower that has fancy lights that you can change the colour of on a control panel.
– There are two control panels in the room that you can operate by putting your key card in. There is one in the main hallway as soon as you enter the room, and another beside the bed so that you don’t have to get up to change settings. On these panels you can control the lights, temperature, and blinds, and you can also hit a “do not disturb” button or a “please make up room” button.
– Each accessible room comes with a queen sized bed and a single bed in the corner. Both beds were at a good height for me to transfer to and from my wheelchair, but I know this can be different for everyone.
– The closet had a rod to hang clothing at wheelchair height.
– The rooms are beautiful but they are compact, so there wasn’t a whole lot of extra space to move around in my wheelchair. This could prove difficult for someone with a larger power chair. We had to move a couple things around (like a bench) to make it easier to turn the corner from the hall into the rest of the room.
– The staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating.

This hotel really worked for my accessibility needs and I will definitely be back for another staycation in the near future!