Hotel Brooklyn, Manchester UK.
In its 1st full trading year Hotel Brooklyn's accessible facilities delivered an additional £217,000
Project background.
Bringing unmistakeable New York flair to Manchester, Hotel Brooklyn has 189 boutique rooms set across 10 storeys, plus conference rooms, a restaurant, bar, and mini cinema.
The hotel features 18 wheelchair and ambulant accessible rooms, including two with ceiling track hoists. The aim was to embed accessibility across all elements of the hotel to ensure that guests with a range of physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments can enjoy everything the hotel has to offer.
Find out how Hotel Brooklyn made over £200,000 additional revenue from accessible suites and events in first full trading year.
Project scope.
Bespoke Hotels (opens in a new tab) engaged Motionspot as access designers for their Hotel Brooklyn (opens in a new tab) in Manchester. We advised on every aspect of the hotel’s accessibility credentials and, working alongside Squid Inc (opens in a new tab), we fulfilled the vision of a beautiful and accessible hotel.
Drawing inspiration from the lively New York borough, the hotel has an industrial aesthetic, full of exposed brickwork and polished concrete creating an airy, Big Apple apartment feel. Motionspot specified and supplied accessible products that perfectly blended into this design scheme.
Ceiling track hoists
This hotel features first-of-their-kind accessibility features. Most notable are the ceiling track hoists installed in two of their ‘Liberty Suites’. These devices are cleverly concealed within a lighting feature and are stored inside a specially designed compartment in the wardrobe when not in use.
Motionspot helped Hotel Brooklyn become the first hotel anywhere in the world to integrate a hoist of this kind. By considering accessibility as an integral part of the design scheme new standards were set and the project stands as an industry leading example of what can be achieved.
The innovative ceiling track hoist concealed in a recessed lighting feature.
Bedrooms
Creating an enjoyable and comfortable environment often comes down to the small, but often overlooked, details. This was the case at Hotel Brooklyn where considerable care was taken to create a welcoming and accessible experience for all guests. Elements of the design included:
- Optimising location and height of the safe, hooks, spyholes and positioning the mini bar so that wheelchair users, guests shorter in stature and those who have difficulty bending down can reach them easily.
- Fully adjustable wardrobe and clothes rail, and desks designed to be accessible for all guests.
- Curtains that can be controlled from a panel by the bed which also included a sleek, brass emergency call button. These call alarm buttons were also built into the en-suite replacing the often misused and unsightly red cords more commonly associated with accessible toilets.
£217,000
additional revenue from accessible suites and events
En-suite bathrooms
The bathrooms featured fold-up shower seats and matt black removable support rails which allow a room to be adapted to each guest’s individual requirements. Also installed were easy to operate lever tap and shower controls, accessible flush buttons and carefully selected floor and wall tiles that minimised glare and provided fully slip-resistant surfaces.
Communal spaces
A level access entranceway and lowered reception desk provided access to wheelchair users or for any guests wishing to take a seat at check in.
Throughout the public areas several design choices were made to help support guests including providing accessible furniture and creating beautifully designed wheelchair accessible public toilets.
Finally, a thorough training programme was implemented for the staff at the hotel to introduce them to the physical modifications made in the hotel. This ensured they understood what the different access features were and how they might benefit guests during their stay. Motionspot also supported Hotel Brooklyn’s Access Champions and the creation of an Access Charter (opens in a new tab) for their website.
Awards
Since opening, Hotel Brooklyn has many plaudits, including Winner of the Accessibility Innovator award announced at the Boutique Hotelier Awards 2022; Winner of the Accessibility award at The Caterer, Cateys Awards 2021; Winner of the Best of the Best award at the World Traveller Awards 2021; and voted top 1% of hotels worldwide by TripAdvisor 2021.
“Hotel Brooklyn has demonstrated how accessibility can be incorporated into a luxury hotel. We hope the success of Hotel Brooklyn inspires others in the industry to look at how they can improve their accessible facilities to help make UK hospitality more accessible for all.”
Robin Sheppard, chairman of Bespoke Hotels
Gallery.
Hotel Brooklyn reception with accessible lower height check-in desk with knee-clearance for wheelchair users
Dining area with wood panelling and ceiling hung biophilia
Accessible bedroom with two single zip together beds and bedside control panels
Accessible bedroom with accessible wardrobe and two single zip together beds
Accessible bedroom with bedside control panel featuring brass switches and sockets
Accessible shower, toilet and basin featuring matt black finishes throughout contrasting with white metro tiles
Acessible basin and toilet featuring matt black finishes throughout contrasting with white metro tiles
Accessible shower area featuring matt black Doc M pack, folded shower seat and shower screen
Accessible bathroom details showcasing integrated hand grip basin, matt black brassware and brass accessories
Accessible bathroom, showcasing wall hung toilet with matt black back rest
Accessible wetroom area showcasing a sleek shower bench and glass shower door
Hotel Brooklyn restaurant with exposed ceiling and slatted wooden divider
Hotel Brooklyn reception with accessible lower height check-in desk with knee-clearance for wheelchair users
“Thank you, Brooklyn! The ceiling hoist made it so easy to transfer my son in a comfortable manner and the toilet and shower facilities were out of this world! A pleasure to use with plenty of room for his wheelchair, ample turning space, an accessible shower at an adjustable height, and a fold down chair. It deserves 10 stars!”
Mother of a disabled young adult and Hotel Brooklyn guest via Trip Advisor
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