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STILETTO – a high pointed HEEL on a woman’s shoe or a small dagger. WHEELS – a medieval instrument of torture or a vehicle for personal mobility. |
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Seaham Hall and Serenity Spa www.seaham-hall.com DESCRIPTION A small luxury hotel twenty minutes from Newcastle...the leading luxury hotel and spa destination resort in Northern England. AA Hotel of the Year 2004, this is a place to indulge yourself where service is founded on instinctive hospitality, where the food is pure delight and where quality and attention to detail keep us awake at night, not you. SPECIAL NEEDS We have a lift and a room specially designed for guests with limited mobility. The bathroom has a large shower flush to the floor, as well as a specially designed toilet. The Serenity Spa is fully equipped to deal with special needs and help is available for getting in and out of the swimming pool. |
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My (limited) experience of Seaham Hall: Buoyed by the success of last years quick break – to the St Davids Hotel and Spa in Cardiff – EaZyD and me thought we might go for another short trip, up towards Newcastle. I had been looking at a small hotel on the internet which sounded great – I include extracts from the website above. I called and explained that I am a wheelchair user, would like to book a few nights but needed to ask a couple of questions before booking. I was transferred to a woman in reservations. What did I need? I explained that I needed a genuine flush to the floor walk in shower. ‘No, we don’t have any of those. All of our showers have steps and lips. You need a wet room.’ Yes, that would be great, do you have any of these? ‘No.’ My stomach flipped over – here we go! It’s an attitude thing. You can tell pretty quickly if someone wants to help you and this lady did not give a good vibe. So, why does it say on your website ‘a large shower flush to the floor’? ‘No, no, that’s not right. I am sure there is a lip. I will have to find out’. Fine, I say, but before you go, may I also ask if you have any beds with a four-inch gap underneath? ‘No, all our beds are divans, none have space underneath.’ I ask why, in that case, am I looking at a couple of pictures on the website with four posters that have just the space I need underneath? ‘We do have nineteen rooms. You cannot expect me to know what is in each one.’ Does that sound aggressive to you? It did to me. |
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