Hotel refurbishment raises the bar for accessible hotel rooms.

In a recent commercial project brief, the Motionspot design team were asked to re-design the old and outdated ‘DDA hotel bedrooms’ of the White Horse Hotel, Dorking.

The stunning £4m renovation of the hotel was the perfect opportunity for Bespoke Hotels, owners of the historic coaching inn, to address the common perception that disabled hotel bedrooms are difficult to sell and are not universally appealing to all. The resulting Motionspot design saw new stylish and luxurious accessible rooms being created which are packed full of attractive features for all guests.

General Manager of the White Horse Becky Gunn said: ‘Since the renovation of our hotel, bookings of our accessible bedrooms are higher than ever and guests who don’t require the accessible facilities are actively choosing the rooms due to their increased size, luxurious finish and universal design features.  We are delighted with the feedback that we have received from all guests, both new and returning.’

One of the stunning bedroom and bathroom designs featuring a number of accessible design features.

Keeping its charm and elegance was paramount to the refurbishment of the 13th Century hotel, together with including high-tech features required to ensure guests have a superior level of comfort during their stay. Motionspot set about designing the accessible hotel rooms to this exacting brief and created stunning bedroom and bathroom designs that feature a number of accessible design features.

The bedrooms were fitted out with thoughtful solutions that allow for guests travelling alone or with careers to feel immediately at home. Universal design features within the room include zip-link beds which can be separated to two single beds if required. Wide space around the beds create the right circulation and allow for the inclusion of a mobile hoist if needed and wardrobes have dual rails at varying levels to enable easy reach for anyone in a wheelchair.  Everything has been thought through, from the thickness of the carpet that enable wheels to move freely, to widths of the doors and height of the desk.

Motionspot designed the White Horse bathrooms to incorporate accessible heritage style sanitary ware, together with a contemporary wet room shower area.

Ensuring access was met without compromising on style was a top priority. The luxuriously large shower area is complimented with bi-folding screens that can be completely folded back to increase circulation space and removable shower seat and grab rails to offer complete flexibility for any guest’s needs without compromising the aesthetics of the room.

For the White Horse or any hotel requiring a compliant ‘Doc M toilet’ in the communal areas, it can be a challenge to steer away from the bland fixtures and fittings that are so medical in their appearance. Motionspot worked with the hotel to create a highly specified ground floor disabled toilet featuring bespoke oak grab bars and patterned tiles in keeping with the style and finish of the beautifully refurbished hotel.

Unique 'Doc M toilet' created for the White Horse Hotel

Motionspot Founder & CEO, Ed Warner said ‘We are delighted with the rooms at the White Horse Dorking and they are proof that accessible hotel accommodation does not have to be second best. If the design and product mix is right, these rooms can become profit drivers for hotel operators, helping to unlock the spend of the purple pound and creating environments that are appealing to all guests.’