Marsham Court invests £170k to become a ‘truly accessible destination’

Marsham Court Hotel in Bournemouth has invested upwards of £170k and counting to become a “truly accessible destination” after the owners were inspired by their own experience with a loved one.

It comes after the owners nursed their mother through the later stages of her battle with cancer and “saw first-hand the true impact of limited mobility” and so embarked on a transformation project to make their hotel accessible.

The changes include installing a wheelchair lift and creating level access across the ground floor, the creation of four accessible rooms – including two of which have profiling beds and removable ceiling hoists, and one which has a connecting room for a carer or family members.

Marsham Court is also the first hotel in the UK to have installed a ‘Changing Places’ toilet and shower, which is part of a national network of registered facilities with enough space and the right equipment to allow people who are limited in their mobility to use the toilet in safety and comfort.

The hotel’s facility is a large ground floor room equipped with a toilet and privacy screen, a ceiling hoist and height adjustable changing bench with shower, and a height adjustable sink. It’s not only open to hotel guests but also bookable for external visitors.

Another new addition is a sensory room with soft furnishings, an illuminated bubble tube, colour changing lights, and music, providing a safe, calm space where people with a wide variety of different requirements, including neurodiverse individuals and those with mental health needs, can relax and wind down.

In addition, the hotel has added a ramp down to the swimming pool and a new i-swim pool hoist and transfer board make this area fully accessible, and work is also ongoing to continue level access across the final section of the broad sea-facing terraces.

Rosie Radwell, whose family have owned the Marsham Court Hotel for over 30 years, said: “This has been a passion project for our family. After decades welcoming guests and always trying to meet the needs of people with disabilities, it was only when we saw first hand just how challenging life can be when you have limited mobility that we recognised how much more we could do to improve accessibility and open up the possibility of a seaside holiday to many more families.

“We are incredibly proud of our new facilities which are already making a difference to guests and the many local people who visit the hotel for work. We have actually been quite overwhelmed by the interest and the high demand, which goes to show just how vital these changes are and the level of unmet need out there.”