26 May 2007

Copyright Michael Coatesworth.

Last revised: May 26, 2007

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My "First Hand" experiences with Disabled Access

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Wheelchair Access Sol Piramide

Salou

Costa Dorada

The Sol Piramide is wheelchair friendly

I had already checked out this hotel on the Internet before I booked it, and it appeared to be an excellent hotel, so I decided to personally check it out to see if it was truly what it claimed to be in the hotel details.

As I entered the main gates I was greeted with a slight incline to the front door, but nothing that I couldn’t handle. Going through the automatic front doors I went over to the reception desk where I was informed by the receptionist that a wheelchair friendly room had been booked for me.

I went over to the three lifts and found that they were all wheelchair friendly and wide enough for my chair.

On the third floor I entered my room with no problem and the bathroom was immediately on my right and the door was wide enough for my chair. The bathroom room was fitted with adaptations and a roll in shower, but there was no seat attached to the wall or shower chair available and I found out later that I would need to hire a shower chair separately. The toilet bowl was low and I had a little difficulty transferring back to my chair, but with assistance I made it. The main bedroom had plenty of room for my wheelchair, but the bed was a little low and I would need to contact reception to have another mattress sent up to put on top of the one already there. I was able to get out onto the wide balcony no problem.

Later I explored the rest of the hotel and found that is was completely wheelchair friendly and there was a slightly steep but manageable ramp at the back door leading to the swimming pool area. In the pool there was a hydraulic hoist for wheelchair users to use to get into the pool.

In the reception area there is a wheelchair friendly toilet, but the toilet bowl is a little low, and there was a slightly too high wash basin.

The dining area on the first floor was completely wheelchair friendly also, no problem.

The main entertainment room was also completely accessible.

I visited the gymnasium on the lower ground floor and found it accessible by a long ramp, but no one to supervise the guests using any of the equipment available. Two steps prevented me going into the spa Jacuzzi area.

Overall the hotel Sol Piramide is completely wheelchair friendly and for this I give the hotel “four stars” four being wheelchair friendly.

In Salou itself the resort is in majority wheelchair friendly and is fairly flat. There are a lot of ramps on the edges of the kerbs and the palm tree promenade is excellent for a leisurely stroll.

Having said this, personally I would not return to the hotel Sol Piramide as I found the food not to my liking. There was very little English food served for the evening meals, as it was mostly Spanish or French, and when I complained, nothing was done about it, so for most of my two week stay I lived on salads or ate at a local restaurant. The breakfast was scrambled eggs that did not resemble scrambled eggs at all, and there were Brussels sprouts, mixed vegetables, and peas served for breakfast, so I mostly ate the toast, bacon or pork sausages. Overall, the salads were great, but there was very little choice of other foods, just either take it or leave it. I truly tried to eat the local food and the French food, but I couldn’t get it past my taste buds.

Another reason that I wouldn’t return to this particular hotel is due to the lack of day time activities and entertainment at night. During the day there was rifle or pistol shooting at eleven o’clock for an hour, and then there was darts or shuffle board for half an hour. At three o’clock there was darts or shuffle board for half an hour or so and that was the daily routine. When I first got there, the entertainer stated that Saturday was his day off, and then it was changed to Sunday, and finally it was changed to Monday, so everyone got the impression that the entertainments rep took time off when it suited him and not the guests. It was only when guests complained that a programme was produced and some semblance of order took place, but the timing and lack of activities was still the same.

At night there was Bingo on Sunday night with about six guests in attendance and the main prize was a jug of Sangria, on Monday night was Bingo again, same prize, On Tuesday night there was a quiz with a prize of a cocktail drink. There was no other entertainment for these nights. On Wednesday there was a country and Western couple, which wasn’t bad and lasted over two hours and the entertainment room was packed, on Thursday night there was a Spanish group with some great singers, and Friday night and Saturday night there was either Flamenco dancers or a singing duet, and this was repeated for the second week.

Over all, the hotel was completely wheelchair friendly, but the food and day and night time entertainment left quite a lot to be desired.

I could not go back to the hotel until the following recommendations were made to the hotel and to be honest they should be made in all the “Sol Melia” hotels.

Recommendations

Raise the toilet bowls in the bathrooms

Lower the wash basins in the bathrooms

My Rating for Hotel Sol Piramade

Independent wheelchair access on ground level: 8/10

Assisted wheelchair access on ground level: 10/10

Wheelchair Access in Accommodation (Bedroom): 9/10

Wheelchair Access in Bathroom / Toilet facilities in accommodation: 9/10

Bathroom / Toilet facilities on ground level: 9/10

Food: 3/10

Customer service: 8/10

Hospitality: 8/10