When AJ and I had our girl’s getaway in Adelaide I was determine that we return with a few hotel options to share with our community. Although we loved staying by the beach in Glenelg, we are aware the city is more convenient for many people. The Ibis Adelaide is in the heart of the city, just a short walk or wheel to Rundle Mall and has great wheelchair accessible rooms and facilities. Ibis Adelaide has an edge to it, it’s a modern hotel trying new ways of servicing their guests and it’s refreshing to see a different approach.
Emily from Ibis assisted by taking me on a tour of the hotel. I don’t usually talk about the person who takes me to inspect a hotel’s rooms and facilities but Emily was exceptional in her knowledge of accessibility and the different needs of people when they travel. It was a joy to meet someone who understands the benefits of having an accessible room with an interconnecting room, the advantage of a guest laundry and the need to have all facilities accessible. I wish every hotel had an Emily.
ACCESSIBLE ACCOMMODATION
The accessible rooms at Ibis Adelaide have been designed with an additional 5 metres of living space compared to the other rooms in the hotel. When we are talking about city hotel rooms, which tend to be on the compact side, extra space is beneficial.
Large floor to ceiling windows add light to the room and allow for good views over the city. Don’t worry, there’s block out blinds to ensure all that light doesn’t wake you too early in the morning.
One side of the bed has room for transferring from a wheelchair to the bed.
The accessible rooms have the option of an interconnecting room for families or friends travelling together.
ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM
The bathroom offers guests a flip-down shower bench seat, height adjustable shower head, grab rails throughout and a back rest on the toilet.
The bathroom sink is wheelchair accessible with a lever tap. All amenities are lowered at a good height for a wheelchair user. Light switches are regular size.
The open wardrobe has a safe, hair dryer and iron at a good height for a wheelchair user but the hanging space is at a regular height.
FACILITIES
The Ibis Adelaide has replaced in room mini bars with vending machines on each level. This allows the hotel to offer a wider variety of products and ensures freshness of product with a faster turn around of items. It also leaves the mini fridge in the room free for guests to use for their own food or drinks. We always try and squeeze BJ’s drinks into the mini bar around all the other bits and pieces in there. It’s never easy.
As a parent I love this idea as it removes temptation from the room. Kids don’t get why they can’t eat all the ‘free food’ in the mini bar until they are much older.
A guest laundry with washing machines and dryers is available for guest use. When we travel for longer periods of time we look for hotels which offer these facilities.
Wireless internet is available free if you book direct and join Le Club.
DINING
As I wasn’t staying in the hotel I didn’t experience any of the dining options. I was shown the breakfast buffet area and I was pleased to see all the facilities were at a good height for a wheelchair user to access. Breakfast buffet is served from 6:30 am to 10:30 am – Mon-Fri and from 6:30 am to 11:00 am Sat & Sun
Instead of room service Ibis Adelaide offers a Grab it ‘n’ Go menu which is available 24/7. No matter what time you arrive or depart there’s a meal option available. With the Grab it ‘n’ Go menu, once you have ordered, you collect your meal from the restaurant & bar on level one. The idea is to keep costs as low as possible while still offering convenience.
Aperitif Bar serves a wide range of local and imported beers, wine, and cocktails. The hip new menu features both hotel classics and international dishes making it a great place to relax after a day of sightseeing.
I really like the location and style of this hotel. If, however, you are travelling with lots of equipment, as I know many of our readers do, you may find you need a larger hotel room.
A big thanks to Emily for the guided tour and for introducing me to a fabulous Adelaide hotel.
You can read more about Ibis Adelaide by clicking here.
NEARBY
If you like shopping, Rundle Mall is a short stroll away and where you’ll find over 1000 retail stores.
Glenelg Beach is a 40 minute ride on the wheelchair accessible tram from Adelaide’s city centre. It’s a lovely level shopping, dining and entertainment precinct with a beach boardwalk and jetty which is wheelchair accessible.
Adelaide Zoo is wonderfully accessible with a large range of accessible animal encounters available to guests. You can read about our visit to Adelaide Zoo here.
