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Hotel Brooklyn Manchester Review: Wheelchair Accessible Hotel in the UK with Hoists

We have stayed in so many hotels in Manchester over the years that the city is beginning to feel like a second home. So when we heard the news that Hotel Brooklyn, a new accessible hotel in Manchester, was due to open, we just knew we had to check it out. I’m now excited to share my review of Hotel Brooklyn Manchester after staying in one of its wheelchair accessible hotel rooms with a hoist.

The entrance of Hotel Brooklyn Manchester
Courtesy of Hotel Brooklyn

Hotel Brooklyn Manchester – the UK’s Most Accessible Hotel

Hotel Brooklyn Manchester opened in early 2020, but despite being a newcomer and having to navigate several UK lockdowns, it has already won over twenty awards, including the 2021 Catey’s Accessibility Award. 

Leading the way and devoted to being accessible to all guests, Hotel Brooklyn has 18 adapted rooms that are not only accessible but incredibly stylish too. And it’s also the first hotel in Manchester with a ceiling track hoist.

The award-winning accessible design specialist, Motionspot are responsible for creating a beautiful blend of accessibility and style. 

With so few hotels in the UK having ceiling track hoists, Hotel Brooklyn is very unique in offering this vital feature for disabled travellers. 

More hotels must do better and offer rooms with hoists to cater to all travellers and I am hoping that other hotel groups take note of Hotel Brooklyn’s achievements. 

The 18 accessible guest rooms are split into nine wheelchair accessible and nine ambulant accessible bedrooms. Two of the wheelchair accessible rooms have ceiling track hoists.

Additionally, mobile hoists are available for use in the other wheelchair accessible rooms? If you require a mobile hoist, I would advise speaking to the hotel to arrange this. Please remember to bring your own sling.

Emma, a power wheelchair user sitting in her Hotel Brooklyn wheelchair accessible guest room holding a newspaper called Hotel Brooklyn Eage.

Where is Hotel Brooklyn Manchester located?

Hotel Brooklyn is located on Portland Street in the heart of Cottonopolis (Manchester), creating an ideal base for your visit to this lively city. There is plenty of things to do from visiting attractions, and shopping to entertainment and sporting events. 

Just a few examples are the Coronation street tour, Chinatown, Manchester Art Gallery, Arndale shopping centre, Northern Quarter, Old Trafford and the O2 Apollo.

Hotel Brooklyn Manchester Parking 

When staying at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester parking can be found at either Q PARK Piazza located at 75 St James Street or Chorlton Street Car Park NCP. Both offer discounts to guests of the Hotel Brooklyn.

Emma's sitting in her wheelchair accessible vehicle which is parked on the street next to Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester.
Emma in her wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) parked outside Hotel Brooklyn Manchester

However, if you are a Blue Badge holder like ourselves, on-street parking is free. We found parking on Abingdon Street, which is located to the right of the hotel. This was recommended by the helpful Hotel Brooklyn staff (Andreea) prior to our arrival.

There are at least six standard parking spaces available, but if none are available when you arrive, there are quite a few streets in the surrounding area of Hotel Brooklyn that also have Pay & Display parking bays, which are free for blue badge holders.

Wheelchair Accessible Hotel Room at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester

Our wheelchair accessible “Liberty” room on the 2nd floor of the hotel was number 205. My first impressions upon entering the room were how spacious and stylish it was. You would not necessarily think it was an adapted room because of its smart, universal design and layout. 

The wheelchair accessible Liberty room at Hotel Brooklyn with ceiling track hoist.
Wheelchair accessible room with ceiling track hoist at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester

This is one of two rooms at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester that have ceiling track hoists. The track itself is recessed into the ceiling and made to look like a chic lighting feature.

When it is not in use, the hoist motor can be stored away in the overhead cabinet of the wardrobe. Again, this demonstrates that style does not have to be compromised over accessibility. They can work hand in hand seamlessly and beautifully.  

A close up shot of the ceiling track hoist motor.
Ceiling track hoist at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester

The liberty rooms are 36 square metres and feature a lovely big king-size bed. It’s made up of two twin beds which can be easily split to make single beds if required.

There are at least seven inches of clearance underneath the bed to accommodate any equipment you require.

I loved the amount of turning space in this room as I was able to move around easily in my power wheelchair. There was even plenty of space on each side of the bed for wheelchair transfers, giving you the option to choose which side of the bed you prefer to sleep on. 

Emma, a wheelchair user sitting in the wheelchair accessible liberty room at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester.
Liberty room at Hotel Brooklyn with wheelchair access.
The large king size bed in the wheelchair accessible liberty room at Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester.

Movable bedside tables were sat on each side of the bed along with wall-mounted lamps and power sockets to charge my wheelchair overnight. 

The side of the bed closest to the bathroom has two brass emergency call buttons – one at bed height and one at floor level. Although this push-button call alarm system looks stylish, I’m not sure how practical it is compared to the standard red emergency cords that are designed to hang freely to the floor.

A close up shot of emergency call buttons next to the bed at Hotel Brooklyn.

If for example, there was an emergency and you needed assistance while in bed, you would have to stretch quite far to be able to reach the button, risking hurting yourself or falling out of bed in the process.

Pull cords are flexible meaning you can drape them over the bedside table so it’s closer to you should you need to use it. But with buttons mounted onto the bed headboard panelling, you have no flexibility in using them.  

Allan sitting up in bed wearing a blue t-shirt. He has his left arm stretched out reaching for the emergency call buttons next to the bed at Hotel Brooklyn.

The multifunctional wardrobe also housed a minibar refrigerator and safe, both positioned at a height that wheelchair users and guests who have difficulty bending down can reach easily.

As well as a worktop area for wheelchair users to roll under when making drinks from the tea and coffee selection. I loved that there were two cans of water in the fridge instead of plastic bottles.

Hotel Brooklyn wheelchair accessible room with hoist.

The room has a range of lighting options and ceiling-to-floor windows. The curtains are controlled by a panel located next to the bed, which was a nice feature. The curtains are thick and high quality, blocking daylight perfectly!

Table and chairs with snacks and desk in the liberty room at Hotel Brooklyn.
Hotel Brooklyn hooch bag of snack and welcome message.

A small table and two chairs were positioned by the window with a lovely welcome gift including snacks and drinks waiting for us. It was very much appreciated!

Large flatscreen TV in hotel room at Hotel Brooklyn.

The large wall-mounted TV sat above the desk which had a small selection of books for guests to enjoy, the room service menu, a touch sensor lamp and a telephone. (Fire alerts will be displayed on the TV and red lights will flash).

The old-school Rotary telephone matched the style of the hotel perfectly, but it was difficult to use especially having limited arm and hand ability. 

Rotary telephone on the desk at Hotel Brooklyn.
Emma looking in the mirror while Allan hold the telephone to her ear. The room service menu is laid on the desk in front of Emma.

Having never used this type of telephone before, we embarrassingly had to watch a YouTube video to understand how to operate it. Holding the phone and dialling the numbers was tricky for me.

Personally, I like a hotel guest room to have a phone that can be used on speakerphone so I don’t have to struggle to hold it up to my ear.

Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester

The wheelchair accessible bathroom in our Liberty room at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester was beautiful and bigger than I expected. There was so much space for me to manoeuvre in my wheelchair. It puts my small bathroom at home to shame. 

Emma, a power wheelchair user sitting in the accessible bathroom at Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester. The large bathroom was a roll-in shower.

Some accessible bathrooms can look clinical, but not at the Hotel Brooklyn Manchester. I love the style and design of the bathroom so much. Motionspot has worked its magic once again using beautiful matte black support rails, fixtures, and fixings. The floor and wall tiles have been chosen for their stylish look but also because they minimise glare and are slip-resistant. 

Hotel Brooklyn wheelchair accessible bathroom with roll-in shower and WheelAble Folding Shower Commode Chair.

My favourite part was the spacious modern roll-in shower area with glass screens, a rainfall showerhead, and black fixtures and fittings. The roll-in shower was accessible for me and has given us inspiration for our future home. This is our dream wheelchair accessible bathroom.

There is a wall-mounted shower seat, but a shower commode chair can be requested if, like me, you prefer to remain in a wheelchair for comfort and stability. This also allows more freedom and manoeuvrability while showering.

Hotel Brooklyn wheelchair accessible bathroom with roll-in shower and WheelAble Folding Shower Commode Chair.

There is no ceiling track hoist in the bathroom, so if you are a wheelchair user who is fully reliant on hoist transfers, I’d advise requesting the shower commode chair when booking your stay if you are able to use this style of shower chair for toileting and showering.  

A close up shot of the toilet area of the accessible bathroom at Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester.

The toilet was placed with plenty of room for right-hand transfers. There were both fixed and pull-down matte black support bars on each side of the toilet, and a toilet paper holder was within easy reach.

Emma is sitting in her power wheelchair at the bathroom sink in Hotel Brooklyn.

Hotel bathroom sinks are always an issue for me as more often than not, I can’t roll under or get close enough. But Hotel Brooklyn has a great roll-under sink with an extended countertop that was ideal for laying out my toiletries when doing my hair and makeup in the full-sized mirror.

A close up of the bathroom sink tap handles at Hotel Brooklyn.

Although the lever taps are designed to be easy to operate, I did struggle to use them and needed assistance as they were too short and stiff to use. I felt the tap was a little high and it was difficult for me to stretch across to reach it. I’d find it helpful if the lever was longer and more sensitive to touch for guests with limited hand/arm strength. 

Wheelchair accessible bathroom in the liberty room at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester.

Runyon’s Bar & Restaurant at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester

One of the best parts of staying at a hotel is the food, and Runyon’s Bar & Restaurant in Hotel Brooklyn Manchester didn’t disappoint. Situated on the ground floor of the hotel, Runyon’s offers a “much-loved British classics with a sprinkling of Big Apple swagger” menu. 

Emma sitting at a table in Runyon’s Bar & Restaurant in Hotel Brooklyn

What we loved was the dedicated vegan menu offering a nice selection of starters, mains, and desserts. And of course, we took full advantage over the course of our two-night stay.

On our first night, we dined at the restaurant where we received excellent service. For starters, we shared the cauliflower wings with buffalo sauce and quinoa meat tacos. Both are great, but my favourite was the buffalo cauliflower wings. 

Runyon's Restaurant Hotel Brooklyn
Courtesy of Hotel Brooklyn Manchester

Next up were the main courses and unfortunately, the sweet potato curry wasn’t available so I choose the charred spiced cauliflower steak with butternut squash, leeks and shallot vinaigrette. Allan had the falafel burger which he thoroughly enjoyed, so much so, that he had it on the second night as well.  

For dessert, I had a warm chocolate brownie with salted caramel ice cream, which was delicious. Allan had the New York cheesecake with salted caramel ice cream and caramel sauce. This was the best vegan cheesecake Allan has ever had. He hasn’t stopped talking about it. It was so good. 10 out of 10! You have to try it!

Swipe below for mouthwatering food photos!

  • Vegan cauliflower buffalo wings at Runyon's restaurant Hotel Brooklyn Manchester
  • Falafel burger from Runyon's restaurant at Hotel Brooklyn
  • Charred spiced cauliflower steak with butternut squash, leeks and shallot vinaigrette
  • Vegan warm chocolate brownie with salted caramel ice cream at Runyon's restaurant Manchester
  • Vegan New York cheesecake at Runyon's restaurant Manchester

Like the rest of the hotel, Runyon’s Bar & Restaurant is stylish and beautifully decorated. We even loved the little details, like the lighting and neon toilet signs. The restaurant wasn’t busy when we dined, so it had a relaxing atmosphere, and the music was at a low volume, which we liked. 

Male and female neon toilet signs

Unfortunately, I did find it a little difficult getting under and close enough to the table due to the central table leg. Its wide base stopped my wheels from getting close enough so I had to sit slightly at an angle while eating. 

Vegan burger, pizza and fries from Runyon's restaurant at Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester.

On our second night at Hotel Brooklyn, we decided to continue our relaxing night and order room service. As I mentioned before, Allan loved the falafel burger so ordered it again while I went for the vegan bacon pizza. It was so good. I’d definitely order that again!

Breakfast at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester

Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day so we made sure to check out the breakfast options during our stay at Hotel Brooklyn.

We were really pleased to see ‘Vegan Breakfast’ on the menu which set us up nicely for the day. It came with tofu scrambled egg, sausage, mushroom, hash brown, baked beans, grilled tomato and toast. It was lovely!

Room service tray with two plates of food consisitng of tofu scrambled egg, sausage, mushroom, hash brown, baked beans, grilled tomato and toast. Two glasses of water and two glasses of orange juice.

Hotel Brooklyn Manchester Accessibility

It’s not just the guest rooms that have been thoughtfully considered with accessibility in mind. The communal spaces in Hotel Brooklyn also provide accessibility for disabled guests from a lowered reception desk to the design of the furniture and toilets.

Please read Hotel Brooklyn’s Accessibility Statement for more information.

Final thoughts on Hotel Brooklyn Manchester

Hotel Brooklyn Manchester is a fabulous, wheelchair accessible hotel. It’s also proud to be the UK’s first hotel with fully accessible “Liberty” suites featuring ceiling track hoists for disabled guests. Hotel Brooklyn is a leader on the accessibility and inclusion front, and I hope more hotels follow their new Industry Gold Standard for Accessibility.

Its adapted guest rooms aim to be welcoming and accessible to everyone. The food and staff are also incredible with staff trained to support guests who are disabled, living with hearing or sight loss, or mental health conditions.

Hotel Brooklyn Manchester is stunning with home-from-home comforts and accessibility that I enjoy and expect when travelling as a wheelchair user. We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend it to all who feel their needs would be met.

If you’d like to see more of our stay at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester plus a tour of our wheelchair accessible room with hoist then please do check out my video…

Disclaimer: Our stay at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester was complimentary in return for an honest review. As always, all views and opinions in this post are my own and are 100% honest.

You might also enjoy

Crowne Plaza Manchester – Oxford Road | Accessible Hotel Review

Premier Inn Manchester Bury | Wheelchair Accessible Hotel in Manchester

Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre | Wheelchair Access Review

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Emma, a wheelchair user sitting in the wheelchair accessible liberty room at Hotel Brooklyn Manchester.

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Meet Emma

Meet Emma

Hello I’m Emma. My mission is to show you the possibilities of accessible travel through my travel guides, tips and reviews. I also share personal stories, live event reviews and more.

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18 Responses

  1. I can’t wait to stay there in a couple of weeks time! Wish more hotels would take accessibility seriously and provide hoist and commode support

    1. Fantastic! I’m so excited for you, Steph. Please let me know how you get on after your stay. Are you staying in a room with a hoist? Have a brilliant time!

  2. What a fabulously detailed review!
    Hotel Brooklyn has thought of so much! Yep, I hope other hotels follow suit.
    I agree totally re phone and taps. I also noted that there was a pedal bin in the bathroom – which sadly I can’t use. The emergency ‘buttons’ are a little bizarre! However, which ever method of emergency alarm is used, a question I raise at reception now is to ask re response of reception staff if the alarm is raised. I had an awful experience, unfortunately, of no response whatsoever at 3am whilst lying on a cold bathroom floor.

    Overall, a fantastic accessible design – most aspects have been truly thought about.
    Love Manchester and am now motivated to give it another try!
    Thank you, Emma.
    Laura B

  3. I’m so disappointed they didn’t put the hoist in the bathroom too as that hoist is useless to me. I emailed them just to say not everyone can use commode chairs and would they consider purchasing a mobile hoist and they were so rude. Really put me off!

    1. Aww I’m so sorry it won’t be suitable for you – it is a shame the hoist doesn’t go through the bathroom from the bedroom. Have you stayed at other hotels with hoists?

      1. I have, I’ve stayed in the Holiday Inn Birmingham and Crowne Plaza Glasgow which both have hoists. Definitely not as glam looking as this hotel but accessibility was great (and a lot cheaper as no need to rent a hoist like I usually do).

        If you go back to Manchester, would highly recommend Whitworth Locke for something a bit different. First time I’ve found hotel beds super comfortable!

        1. Thank you for sharing Lauren. I’ve also stayed in Crowne Plaza Glasgow. Oh thank you for recommending Whitworth Locke – I will definitely check it out. It looks beautiful 🙂

  4. In the reviews there is no mention of ceiling hoist in bathroom, do you supply a free standing hoist for toilet transfer

    1. Hi Kevin. In the review, I do mention that there is no ceiling track hoist in the bathroom. I also mention that I advise requesting the shower commode chair when booking your stay if you are able to use this style of shower chair for toileting and showering.

  5. Thank you. Not on CHuC’s website, https://www.chuc.org.uk/ I was unaware of this hotel.
    Just back from holiday from Scotland. Stayed at Holiday Inn Cardiff which has overhead hoist. Watch out with this one as lift is small for power chair. Had to push and pull chair in/out lift. Its no where near as glam either. FYI Southport Premier Inn was excellent for manual hoist. Was in room 5, hotel had elephant feet fitted to bed prior to arrival, all on ground floor, reasonable size, nice staff, can get yourself ‘room service’ from Brewyers Fayre which is just through door at reception. Southport a nice surprise, lovely seaside town, wheelchair accessible pier. Stayed at Staybridge Suites liverpool on way down, as per Emma revue, very good. It has underground parking beneath the hotel. Loved could get the manual hoist out car and all the bags up in lift straight to room avoiding reception, etc. We were in same room as review, nice to see ferris wheel but next time will ask for first floor disabled access room. I understand they have a couple of disabled rooms. I find it hard to sleep on a high floor knowing it would be impossible for me to get my partner down the stairs unaded in case of a fire. P.S. appreciate its a freebe for reviews but can you also advise how much the hotels etc. would be approx. for us punters. Cheers.

  6. Hi Emma, as a full time wheelchair user who has done some professional access work, I’d like to congratulate and thank you for your excellent access report on the Brooklyn hotel.

    1. Hi Jon, thank you so much for your lovely comment. I really appreciate the feedback – it means a lot. 🙂 Are you thinking of staying at Hotel Brooklyn?

  7. Hi Emma, this is a fantastic blog! As a 22-year-old wheelchair user who is just starting out in the world and has a developing interest in travel this blog gives me hope for the future! Quick question, for the past 6 years roughly for whatever reason I have been unable to sleep flat or with the light off because my body goes into spasm’s when looking up at the ceiling. I think that when in this flat position within an open space my brain must think I falling possibly due to the wrong signals getting sent to it as part of my condition. I am aware that this is completely irrational as I know that absolutely nothing is going to happen to me but it has meant that myself and my family have had to carefully select where we go and I cannot go to hotels without profiling beds. I am just wondering if you recommend any destinations in this country or abroad that you have stayed at which offer that facility. I can deal with sleeping with the light off as I am not afraid of the dark but for whatever reason it reduces the height of the space around me. Strange I know! Thanks for your time!

    1. Hi Joe. Thank you so much for your comment – I’m delighted you have stumbled across my blog and found it helpful. In terms of hotels with profiling beds, I wish there were more, but unfortunately, there aren’t many which is terrible. I also benefit from a profiling bed and miss that feature when I’m travelling. However, I stayed at Corendon hotel in Amsterdam which had an adjustable bed, you can read my review here – https://www.simplyemma.co.uk/corendon-vitality-hotel-amsterdam-wheelchair-accessible-hotel/.

      Its not a hotel, but I also stayed in a glamping pod with an adjustable bed. My review of the glamping pod is here – https://www.simplyemma.co.uk/troutbeck-head-review-wheelchair-accessible-glamping-pod-lake-district/

      MICs Sant Jordi is a fantastic accessible apartment in Barcelona with adjustable beds – https://www.simplyemma.co.uk/mics-sant-jordi-accessible-apartment-barcelona/

      That’s just a few, but I’ll let you know of any more I can think of any more 🙂

  8. Hello Emma
    Thank you for the reviews most helpful my wife julie has ms and needs ceiling hoist for toilet and bed it’s her 60th in may can you recommend a hotel not too far from Newcastle for mid week break Mon tue and Wed, Wed being her birthday.

    1. Hi Kevin. Excellent, I’m so glad you enjoyed this review and booking a stay here. Please let me know how you get on 🙂 Happy 60th to Julie. Have the best time.

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