Wheelchair Access At The Celtic Manor Resort
Recently I gifted myself a luxurious getaway to the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport. It was my first time in Wales and I was intent on spending my entire time relaxing and enjoying the lovely view the 5-star resort has to offer.
So, my sister and I purchased train tickets to depart from Manchester Piccadilly Station and booked a room for two.
Afterwards, we made sure to call the hotel to ensure our room would be wheelchair-accessible and we were assured it would be. We packed up our finest things into suitcases and made our way to Newport. I’ve already made a comprehensive review of my stay at the resort, however, when it comes to disabled access at the Celtic Manor Resort, I think there are a few things worth noting.
Here is what there is to know about disabled access at the Celtic Manor Resort:
Wheelchair Accessible Transportation To The Celtic Manor Resort.
I use a powerchair which cannot be folded so it was very important for me to find out if accessible Ubers or black cabs ran from the station to the resort.
Whilst getting a wheelchair-accessible Uber turned out to not be an option at all, we were able to get one of the accessible black cabs lined up outside Newport Station.
There were at least six cabs lined up around that time in the afternoon ready to pick up travellers. We did however first have to take a 5-minute walk to a nearby convenience store to retrieve cash as a cab driver insisted they did not take card payments. If you use a non-foldable wheelchair, I’d advise googling available taxi companies in advance. During our time there we learned Dragon Taxi was a common one used in that area of Newport.
The distance between Newport Station and The Celtic Manor Resort is about a 15-minute drive by car without traffic.
Room And Bathroom Disabled Access At Celtic Manor Resort.
The biggest shortcomings when it comes to disabled access were most noticeable when it comes to the accessible features in our room – or rather lack thereof.
I don’t require much adaptation when I travel because if needed I can take a few steps with the help of a walking stick or use the walls around me for extra support, however, it was shocking how little was provided.
The only thing we requested when booking our room was to have access to a walking-in shower. Our gorgeous marble bathroom did have a bathtub and a shower, which was great. However, right in front of the shower was a step which would make it difficult for many wheelchair users to comfortably use. There were no rails by the toilet either and only one in the bathtub.
Lucky for me, I prefer warm baths over showers anyway, so it personally wasn’t too much of an issue and didn’t interfere with how much I enjoyed my stay. I just expected a lot more from a 5-star luxury hotel though.
On the other hand, our room was rather spacious. This meant I didn’t have to worry about struggling to find space for my wheelchair. I would note I found the bed to be just a little too high, but that’s something I often find in hotels given I’ve never been considered a tall gal. Take that as you will!
Getting Around The Resort Facilities.
The Celtic Manor Resort is very big so disabled access on the resort grounds is quite vital. There are about six restaurants, a mall, golf courses, spas and swimming pools. I got to enjoy many of these activities and had no problem with any of them.
Getting around the resort facilities was easy because they provide a wheelchair-accessible bus that takes guests from one place to the other on the premises. The service was pretty fast and reliable. All the communal areas I visited had good disabled access.
There are lifts on every floor of the hotel which worked perfectly during our stay. Not sure if there were more guests than usual, but the lifts got insanely busy during checkout. We watched them stop several times with so many bodies and suitcases sandwiched together. I’d recommend leaving the room a little earlier if you’re in a hurry to catch a ride!
When it was time to travel home, we did run into a bit of an issue. Earlier that morning, we had asked the hotel to help us reserve an accessible black cab which they did. However, when the cab arrived it turned out an inaccessible vehicle was sent instead. It was the staff who helped us immensely by coming up with a solution in less than 5 minutes. At no extra cost, they provided us with an alternative ride to the station so we wouldn’t miss our train. They admitted they normally don’t do that. Needless to say, I was very grateful to them and impressed by how they helped us salvage an otherwise disastrous situation.
If you’re considering staying at The Celtic Manor Hotel, I hope you feel armed with the necessary information you need to plan your stay. Remember that things change all the time, so I would recommend calling before booking a room to find out if there have been improvements to disabled access at The Celtic Manor Resort.
Although there are things I’d change, I enjoyed my stay and would go back again in the future.
Your restless romantic roamer