Crowne Plaza Glasgow | Accessible Hotel Review

The Crowne Plaza Glasgow was a great hotel for us, especially since we were attending a show at the nearby OVO Hydro on the same night. I had been wanting to stay at this hotel for a while because of its reputation for having great wheelchair accessible rooms. I was excited to experience the accessibility of the Crowne Plaza Glasgow firsthand.

Update 2023: Please be aware the Crowne Plaza Glasgow no longer provides a ceiling track hoist in its accessible room.

Crowne Plaza Glasgow: Accessible Hotel Review

Location

If you’re looking for a hotel stay in Glasgow, you can’t go wrong with Crowne Plaza Glasgow. It’s right by the River Clyde and super convenient for both business and leisure travellers. You’ll be just a mile from the city centre and a quick 15-minute drive from Glasgow Airport. Plus, if you don’t have a car, you can always take the Exhibition Centre railway station, which is nearby.

Glasgow’s biggest music venues, including OVO Hydro and SEC Armadillo, are conveniently located near the hotel. Additionally, BBC Scotland and Glasgow Science Centre are just a short walk away.

Arrival & Hotel Parking

The hotel provides a car park with several bays for disabled guests. Access to the car park is through a barrier that requires a ticket. We chose to park our vehicle in one of the disabled bays that offered a clear view of the Crowne Plaza Glasgow Hotel. Despite the snow blizzard, we couldn’t resist stopping to snap a photo.

Once we were parked we made our way through the walkway that was adjoined to the hotel via the car park.

We were led straight to the hotel’s reception and lobby area through the enclosed walkway. This saves you from having to walk around the hotel grounds in the cold, which is great.

Check-in & Reception

Our reservation was on a hectic Saturday night with lots of guests attending events at the OVO Hydro and SEC Armadillo. But the reception staff, especially Tomasz, were fantastic and served us quickly and efficiently. Plus, Tomasz even went over my personal evacuation plan with me in case of an emergency, which I always appreciate because it’s important to know what to do in those situations.

The reception area, lobby, and restaurant all had an open-plan design and looked quite stylish. I didn’t notice any section at the reception desk that was lowered, so Allan handled the paperwork while checking us in. After just a few minutes, we made our way to our room on the 15th floor.

Next to the reception area was a gift shop selling Scottish souvenirs as well as drinks and snacks.

Wheelchair Accessible Room

Our room was 1514 on the 15^th floor. Although I personally enjoy the views and quiet that come with being higher up, I can appreciate that staying on lower floors is safer in case of an emergency.

Our room was located close to the lifts that were separated by double doors (this could be difficult to navigate as a wheelchair user). I was a little concerned that we’d be disturbed by the constant noise of doors closing, but thankfully it was very quiet. Being so near the lifts means there isn’t too far to walk either.

My first impression was very good. I was surprised by the room’s size as soon as we entered our accessible room.

The entrance to the room was wide which is ideal if you require extra space if you travel with a lot of luggage and equipment. Not only that but you’d still have plenty of space for moving around in a wheelchair too.

One of my biggest worries is hotel beds since I never know if they will be comfortable or not. I often experience uncomfortable and restless nights when I don’t have my own bed.

I’d be lost without my travel mat, so it’s one of the items I can’t leave home without. In places like MICs Sant Jordi in Barcelona, where the beds were heavenly I occasionally don’t need the mat, but it’s always a good idea to have it with me just in case.

The double bed in our Crowne Plaza accessible room was cosy but I needed my mat for extra comfort. It’s important that all beds in accessible rooms have clearance underneath for guests to use a portable hoist.

Although there was space underneath for this purpose there was also a ceiling track hoist above the bed. The track ran across the entire length of the room above the bed

Update 2023: The Crowne Plaza Glasgow Hotel no longer offers a ceiling track hoist in the accessible room.

It was really helpful to have space on either side of the bed for a wheelchair, and having bedside tables at arm’s reach was super convenient.

Plus, having power outlets on both sides of the bed made it easy to charge up my medical equipment, electric wheelchair, phone, and laptop. And just in case, there was also an emergency pull cord right there next to the bed.

The room décor was stylish and contemporary – just what we like. Our home is very mid-century modern so we liked that the desk in our accessible room was also mid-century. It looked great, but unfortunately, it was too low so I wasn’t able to roll underneath.

My wheelchair has a very low seat, but my knees still weren’t able to go under the desk. This was a bit disappointing as I usually do my hair and make-up, eat and drink at the desk.

However, there was a small round table in the room which was much higher and allowed better access for my wheelchair. I just had to swing my footplates out to the side to get as close as I could. I was able to work on my laptop and eat at this table.

Our room featured a flatscreen TV with SKY channels which was positioned on top of the large unit with tea/coffee-making facilities underneath. There was a little sign explaining that if help was required to use the kettle to phone reception and someone would be able to help.

Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom

The bathroom is an important factor for myself and many other disabled people to consider when choosing a hotel. If you can’t access the toilet or shower, then what’s the point?

Luckily we didn’t have any problems with the accessible bathroom in our Crowne Plaza room. The bathroom was really lovely and I couldn’t help but notice how sparkly clean it was.

I especially loved the large bathroom sink as I was able to fully roll underneath. Yay! I also loved the round light-up vanity mirror next to the sink as it was perfect for getting ready and it was at a great height.

Continuing with the theme of things in the bathroom being at a good height was the toilet. I felt balanced and secure with the grab bars and emergency pull cord.

The one drawback, which wasn’t really all that bad, was that the toilet and washbasin were situated very close together, which can be difficult for people who need to be physically lifted. Otherwise, I don’t think it would be an issue.

The roll-in shower had all the features required for an accessible shower, including a wall-mounted shower seat, grab bars, shower unit and hand controls as well as an emergency cord all within reach.

Like the bedroom, the bathroom also had a ceiling track hoist. The track ran from above the toilet to the side of the shower. I think it would be much more practical for the track to go into the shower rather than outside of it.

This means that people who rely on being hoisted will not be able to shower because the hoist will not take them into the shower and onto the wall-mounted shower seat. A commode shower chair would help solve this problem though.

Update 2023: The Crowne Plaza Glasgow Hotel no longer offers a ceiling track hoist in the accessible rooms.

Breakfast

Since breakfast was included in our reservation, we opted to order room service and enjoy a relaxing morning instead of going down for breakfast. Perfect! Fresh fruit, bread, potato scones, beans, and vegan sausages were all available to us. The vegan sausages are AMAZING! You should really give them a try.

Final Thoughts on Crowne Plaza Glasgow

Our experience at the Crowne Plaza Glasgow was great. Everything, including the sleek, modern design of the hotel room, the accessibility amenities, and the fantastic location. With only two accessible rooms, I would recommend booking in advance if possible.

However, since my stay here, I have been disappointed to learn that they have removed the ceiling track hoist from their accessible room. I’ve called the hotel and spoken with the staff who have told me this decision was made due to the two accessible rooms being on the 14th and 15th floor and concerns about evacuation in an emergency.

Therefore the rooms are now sold as rooms with wetrooms. I also asked if there are plans to provide accessible rooms on lower floors and reinstall the hoists, but sadly there are no plans. This is extremely disappointing and shows that Crowne Plaza Glasgow is taking steps backwards in terms of accessibility.

Where Next: You Might Also Enjoy

SEC Armadillo Glasgow Wheelchair Access Review

OVO Hydro | Wheelchair Access Review

Hampton by Hilton Glasgow Central | Wheelchair Access Review

Clober Farm – Wheelchair Accessible Holiday Cottage with Ceiling Hoist in Scotland

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I was welcomed as a guest of Crowne Plaza Glasgow for the purpose of this review but as always all opinions are my own.

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