Aloft Aberdeen TECA is a fantastic wheelchair accessible hotel in Aberdeen. We recently travelled to Aberdeen to see The 1975 at P&J Live so it was the perfect opportunity to enjoy a one night stay at this vibrant boutique hotel, which opened in August 2019. Read this review to find out what the wheelchair accessibility is like at Aloft Aberdeen TECA – the wheelchair accessible hotel close to P&J Live.
Our one night stay at Aloft Aberdeen TECA was gifted in return for an honest review. As always, my thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
Location
Owned by the Marriott group, Aloft Aberdeen TECA is located in the Bucksburn neighbourhood in Aberdeen. With Aberdeen Airport only 10 minutes drive and the multipurpose live events arena P&J Live a stone’s throw away, Aloft Aberdeen TECA is the ideal choice for both business and leisure travellers.
We travelled to the hotel by car, but don’t worry if you don’t as there are bus links to and from the hotel making it super convenient for going to a show at the P&J Live.
I’m so happy we got to stay at this hotel while we were in Aberdeen a.ka. ‘The Granite City’ to see The 1975 at the P&J Live. We travel a lot for gigs, but it’s not very often that we stay in a hotel that is located so close to the venue. This was one of the reasons we loved staying at Aloft Aberdeen TECA. It was convenient and stress-free.
Parking and Check-In
The hotel has on-site parking at a charge of £10 per day. We were impressed with the spacious disabled parking bays directly in front of the hotel’s main entrance. There was a short crossing from the car park to the hotel which led us through automatic doors to the front reception desk.
A special shout out to Aaron who checked us in and gave us a lovely warm welcome to the hotel. At first, I didn’t see that the reception desk had a lowered section, but Aaron quickly let me know. I rolled under the desk and checked in. I was spoken to at all times and not once did Aaron ignore me to speak to Allan.
After explaining everything to us, Aaron then went through my personal evacuation plan before asking me to sign the paperwork.
We were asked if we wanted to book a table for dinner and Aaron kindly went through the menu even pointing out that vegan options were also available. It felt nice to hear vegan options without having to ask.
Lobby and Social Area
While checking in we couldn’t help but look around and admire the quirkiness of the hotel. Described as having an eclectic design with open and vibrant social spaces is clear to see and we loved it. The decor and furnishing were completely our styles which was an instant 10 out of 10 from us.
Wheelchair Accessible Room
Our wheelchair accessible room was #133 on the first floor. We were thrilled as soon as we entered the room and saw how spacious it was. I do love a hotel room with lots of space to move around.
The unique set up of the room instantly jumped out at us. Concrete flooring as you enter the room with a roll under sink and large mirror lighting up the space between the bedroom and bathroom. It was unique and we loved it.
The king-size bed was incredibly comfortable. Maybe too comfortable as I struggled to get up in the morning. Personally, this is amazing because I often struggle with hotel beds as they create a lot of pain and pressure on my body. Not this bed though. The Aloft plush signature mattress was heavenly. The blackout blinds also aided in the great sleep.
The bed was 22 inches on a 10-inch platform with an indent underneath which could accommodate a portable hoist rolling under. If in doubt, please contact the hotel for clarification. The bed could be accessible on both sides, but there was plenty of room on the main side of the bed with easy access as well as an emergency pull cord.
Next to the bed were shelves on each side which were mounted to the large statement headboard. There were light switches and power sockets for charging devices, medical equipment and my wheelchair overnight.
We loved that the bed faced onto the floor-length window as we got to enjoy the beautiful morning sky.
Also facing onto the king-size bed was the 49” LCD TV, perfect for casting films, games and music from phones, laptops or other devices.
Next to the other large window was a desk overlooking the main entrance and car park. The desk was accessible to me and I was able to get ready and eat here without any problems. A fridge with complimentary water was stored underneath the desk. A kettle with tea and coffee was also available.
Our favourite part of the desk was the kind welcome of two organic drinks, fresh fruit and guitar-shaped chocolate. It was lovely, but that wasn’t all. The creative staff also wrote us a letter welcoming us to the hotel and detailing the facilities using song titles from The 1975. We absolutely loved it. Super cool and creative.
The room rate for the date we were staying was around £96. However, I have also seen rates of around £58 as well, which is more than reasonable.
Wheelchair accessible Bathroom
The wheelchair accessible bathroom had a wide sliding door with a full-length mirror on the front of it. The bathroom wasn’t massive, but it was a good size and allowed me to move around and turn my wheelchair without difficulty.
It was clean and modern with a toilet, roll-in shower and hand wash basin and the large roll under sink outwith the bathroom.
The toilet was positioned in the corner of the room. Fixed and pull-down grab bars were next to the toilet with the toilet roll holder and the hand wash basin within easy reach.
The roll-in shower had a wall-mounted folding shower seat. The shower area was small, but there was enough room for me to be transferred to and from the shower seat or to use a portable wheelchair shower chair of my own if required. The shower controls and wall-mounted shampoo and shower gel were all within reaching distance.
Dinner and Breakfast
Aloft Aberdeen TECA has vegan options on their menu and it’s not just salad. Yay! We were really pleased that the staff were forthcoming in letting us know about the vegan options available. It made a nice change.
For dinner, we ordered the burrito and Margherita pizza with some fries. It was all delicious. I would definitely recommend you try either as they are both so good.
All the staff seemed very knowledgeable about the vegan options, which was reassuring and welcoming. Even the lovely staff member in charge of breakfast in the morning immediately welcomed us and asked if we were vegan before showing me around everything. Much appreciated.
Breakfast was a selection of tasty healthy options. There was everything from cereals, toast, fruit, yoghurts (even vegan yoghurt), muffins, and croissants including vegan blueberry croissants (which were AMAZING). There were no hot foods but that didn’t bother us. We were more than happy with the options available.
Final Thoughts
Aloft Aberdeen TECA is a fantastic wheelchair accessible hotel in a great location for anyone attending a show at the P&J Live. You can literally roll out of the hotel into the arena and roll back within a few minutes. It’s simple and incredibly convenient. Our wheelchair accessible room was great and met our needs. We loved the style of the hotel and the staff are excellent. There isn’t anything negative I can say about our stay. We will definitely return again and I look forward to it.
Thank you to Aloft Aberdeen TECA for hosting our stay.
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2 Responses
All looks excellent! I’ve just skimmed the report and will read properly later.
Thanks Emma x
I have only stayed in one Aloft hotel, and I am so glad your experience was drastically different from mine! We stayed at Aloft in Charleston, South Carolina a few years ago. Our accessible room had no bathroom door, with the whole bathroom completely visible from the hotel hallway. No privacy, and when I asked why there was no door, they told me it was South Carolina law. (It isn’t.) They showed no regard for my need or right to privacy and made it worse by lying to me about it. It was a shame because the rest of the room and hotel did have a lot of great accessible features, but that experience was so bad that I don’t think I would ever stay in an Aloft property again…unless I were visiting Aberdeen! The chocolate guitars and especially the welcome letter they left you are so thoughtful! Above and beyond…amazing!