MERITON SUITES CHATSWOOD – ACCESSIBLE SYDNEY ACCOMMODATION

Meriton Suites Chatswood is the only five-star accommodation in the area. Ideally located within easy reach of Sydney’s major attractions, it’s also close to the NAPA Centre and Royal North Shore hospital if your trip to Sydney is for therapy or surgery.

Of the 337 suites, 15 are accessible modern one bedroom self contained apartments.

Walking into the accessible one bedroom apartment I was truly wowed. Not only is the floor plan spacious, but the apartment is bright and has views to the city. I could actually see Sydney Tower from the window.

In a clever use of space, Meriton Suites Chatswood has an enclosed verandah which doubles as a dining area. A sliding door with a step-free entry allows wheelchair access to the dining area and ensures the main lounge maintains good circulation space and is uncluttered.

Although there’s plenty of entertainment in the Chatswood precinct, if you choose a night in, the apartment has two televisions, Foxtel (pay TV) entertainment and a DVD/CD player.

A separate bedroom with ensuite bathroom is located next to the lounge room.

The city views from the bedroom are superb. You may imagine the apartment would be noisy  in such a central location but I was visiting during morning peak hour and it was quiet.

A rollaway bed can be provided (at additional cost) in the lounge room.

ACCESSIBLE BATHROOM

A spacious accessible bathroom is well equipped with a shower bench, hand-held height adjustable shower and lever taps. The toilet is fitted with a backrest and the basin is wheelchair accessible.

A thoughtful inclusion in the bathroom is the shelving allowing space to store a toiletries bag and supplies.

FACILITIES

KITCHENETTE

Chatswood offers a variety of cafes, restaurants and take away options but if you’d like to self-cater, Meriton Suites Chatswood provides a well equipped kitchen.

A full-size fridge, microwave, kettle, toaster and singe drawer dishwasher will allow you to save money and cater to any specific dietary requirements with ease. The kitchen bench is wheelchair accessible and appliances are at a lowered height.

LAUNDRY

Within the kitchen area there’s a laundry discreetly tucked away with washing machine, dryer and ironing facilities.

If staying at Meriton for an extended stay guests will appreciate the built-in wardrobe in the bedroom and the additional cupboard with shelving in the lounge room to help with storage.

POOL

An indoor pool and spa is located on level four and is free for guests to use. At one end of the pool there is a traditional ladder for pool entry and at the other there is a more graduated tile step entry. This is wider and not as steep.

Photo credit – Meriton Suites Chatswood

GYM

And if you’ve eaten too much at the restaurants or need to relieve stress, there’s a gym next to the pool, spa and sauna.
Photo credit – Meriton Suites Chatswood

PARKING

The parking station under the Meriton Suites Chatswood does have several accessible parking bays but it should be noted the height restriction on the car park is 2.2 metres. When I spoke to staff about the possibility of vans being above this limit they said it may be possible for those vehicles to be parked overnight in their loading bay (at the usual overnight parking rate). I suggest discussing this when booking.

There is 1 hour parking in the street behind Meriton Suites. With an accessible parking permit displayed you may be able to park in these spaces for free if they are available.

TIP

I recommend requesting a room above the fourth floor. The accessible apartment on the fourth floor is next door to the gym and pool area so I imagine it would be noisier than apartments on the higher levels of the complex.

Travel with Special Needs has secured package rates for NAPA families and HWWT readers which you can read about here. 

LOCATION

Mertion Suites Chatswood is located –

400m from Chatswood Railway Station

450m from Westfield Shopping Centre Chatswood.

7km from NAPA Centre Lane Cove

4.1km from Royal North Shore Hospital

11.3km from Sydney CBD

8.4km to Livvi’s Place Yamble Reserve (accessible playground)

28.5km from Westmead Childrens Hospital

NEARBY

Chatswood railway station is only a few minutes walk or wheel away. This is an accessible station which is on the same line as St Leonards station, where you would go if you are needing to access Royal North Shore Hospital. This line also provides access to the city stations of Wynard, Town Hall and Central.

A Westfield Shopping Centre is within an easy 10 minute walk or wheel and this is also the area where you’ll find a range of restaurants.

LIVVI’S PLACE, YAMBLE RESERVE 

Livvi’s Playground at Yamble Reserve is not far away and a lovely spot to take a picnic and be assured all facilities are accessible. With an accessible wheelchair carousel, a supportive seat on the flying fox and access throughout this is a fabulous place to enjoy a sunny day.

SYDNEY

Sydney offers a range of accessible attractions including ferry rides on the harbour, Sea Life Sydney and Sydney Tower to name just a few.

THE BEACHES

Only 21kms from Chatswood you’ll find Collaroy Beach. With an accessible playground and beach wheelchairs to borrow this is a fabulous day trip for the whole family.