Access Statements

Introduction

Stoke by Nayland Resort is situated in the countryside, with the hotel positioned at the bottom of a dip after taking a long, windy and hilly approach to reach the hotel. We have 80 hotel bedrooms with 26 of those being situated on the ground floor, some of those bedrooms and bathrooms have twin sinks that are particularly useful for disabled guests.

Pre-Arrival

The nearest train stations from the hotel are Sudbury (6 miles away) and Colchester (10 miles away). There is easy access for taxis to and from the hotel, however, we would advise that it can often take at least 30 minutes for a taxi to reach us.

Car Parking and Arrival

Car parking is available directly in front of the hotel and is free of charge. Disabled parking spaces are available. The car park is tarmacked with gravelled spaces. The car park is also on a downward slope toward the hotel and is well-lit from the front of the hotel. There are also markers around the car park. There is a drop-off point directly outside the front of the hotel, there is no intercom or call button to gain access to the hotel. There are no steps/ramps needed to gain access to the hotel with all doors being automatic.

Main Entrance/Reception/Welcome Area

The Hotel Reception is located directly at the front of the hotel at the main entrance. There are no steps or ramps as the ground is flat. The layout of the reception and main entrance is level throughout, with room around all furniture in the welcome area for wheelchair access. The front desk is wheelchair accessible also. Seating is available with lots of furniture and tables in the welcome area, the flooring at reception is tiled and the welcome area is carpeted. The reception is very well lit by lots of natural light and lighting from ceiling and wall lights. Guests can only be checked in at reception. There is no hearing loop system available at the hotel.

Bedrooms

The hotel has 26 ground-floor bedrooms and it offers twin, doubles, singles and triple occupancy rooms. Each room has its room number on a plaque on the door. Ground floor rooms are wheelchair accessible but four rooms in the hotel are disabled-friendly. Rooms are very well lit by wall and ceiling lighting as well as natural light. Fire alarm devices for deaf occupants are available from Reception on request. All bedrooms are carpeted. The televisions in all rooms can be adjusted so that they show subtitles if required.

Bathrooms, Shower-rooms and Toilets

Bathrooms in bedrooms are level access and feature tiled flooring. They all have mirrors within. Two rooms have wetrooms. Two ground-floor bathrooms contain twin sinks, one at wheelchair height and one that stands at an average height, and grab rails.

Public Areas – Halls, Stairs, Landings Corridors

Corridors are well-lit throughout by wall and ceiling lights with some areas being extremely well-lit by natural light, particularly the reception/welcome area. The hotel is carpeted throughout, including stairways. Floor numbers are marked and signed clearly. Handrails are provided on all stairwells. Corridors and stairs are approx. 1.5-2 metres wide.

Public Areas – Lounges, Lobbies

Lounge/Lobby rooms are all level access with no stairs or ramp required. There is ample room around furniture to allow wheelchair access. Tables and chairs in these areas are at an average height and size, and there are sofas available for seating more than one person or a group of people. The lounges and lobby areas are well-lit with wall and ceiling lights and some areas allow lots of natural light. Flooring is carpeted in all areas except the reception which has some tiled flooring. Food and drink can be served in all of these areas.

Restaurant/Dining Room, Bar & Bar Area 

Inside the Sports Bar, there are 2-3 steps leading down into the bar. These are within the bar as opposed to being entrance steps. Most restaurants and dining areas are level with no ramp or steps needed to gain access, apart from the Gallery, which can be accessed via a lift, and the Lakes Restaurant, which has a single step to the central part of the room. These areas allow plenty of room for wheelchairs and pushchairs and all are carpeted, well-lit throughout with wall and ceiling lighting and some rooms very well-lit by natural light. All chefs are made aware of dietary requirements and are happy to cater for them. Food is available via table and self-service at certain times. WCs are available throughout the hotel on the ground floor and Spa areas only.

Leisure Facilities

Gym, pool, sauna and studio are all available to guests. There are steps down to these facilities (approx. 25) and lift access is also available. Once down into the gym and spa, the access is level throughout with no ramp needed, apart from the fitness studio which has steps. Changing rooms are accessible for wheelchair users. The area is very well-lit by wall and ceiling lights, with the gym and poolside well-lit by natural light. The flooring in these areas is tiled throughout. There are WCs in changing rooms and these facilities are open from 6:30am - 10pm. The spa and fitness managers/team can be contacted at any time via phone to book appointments or to discuss anything.

Grounds and Gardens

The surrounding areas include lots of woodland and terrace areas that overlook the two golf courses. The grounds are very hilly with lots of undulation and there are buggy paths all through the grounds that are clearly marked and visible, as well as some being lit at night. These buggy paths are approximately 2 metres wide and many are paved or covered with tarmac. The terraces also include ample seating with food and drink being served to these areas throughout the day.

Treatment Rooms

Treatment rooms are located in the spa and therefore are accessible via steps and a lift if required. Again, these areas are level throughout and are all tiled flooring. The areas are well-lit by wall and ceiling lights. WCs are situated in the changing rooms, and the spa is open from 6:30am - 10pm. Appointments and enquiries can be made online, or by contacting Spa Reception via phone or email.

Conference and Meeting Rooms

All conference and meeting rooms are level access, apart from the Gallery, which can be accessed via a lift. All meeting and conference rooms are very well lit by wall and ceiling lights, alongside natural lighting. All rooms are carpeted. Furniture can be moved however required, as long as this is made aware to the hotel prior. Contact the Sales Team to book or make any enquiries regarding conference/meeting rooms. WCs are located throughout the hotel on the ground floor, a short distance from any of the meeting/conference rooms. There is no hearing loop system in place currently.

Additional Information

The nearest hospitals are Colchester General Hospital being approx. 8 miles away and West Suffolk Hospital at approx. 20 miles. The nearest doctor’s surgery is Nayland Surgery which is only 3 miles away. Free high-speed WiFi is available throughout the premises. Room service is available to all rooms in the hotel and details of this can be found in the rooms. Energy-efficient lighting is used throughout the hotel.

Stoke by Nayland Resort welcomes all disabled people to our properties, regardless of age, physical, intellectual, or sensory ability. We strive to provide the best possible experience for all our guests and visitors through a policy of continuous monitoring and improvement of our facilities and
training for our staff.

We endeavour to improve all forms of access to our properties through audits and a programme of capital investment across our properties. We work to identify areas where improvements are required and implement reasonable solutions wherever possible.

As a service provider, the Stoke by Nayland Resort is always conscious of its legal obligations under equality legislation. We aim not to just be compliant with our legal obligations, but to be able to deliver an outstanding experience which meets and, where possible, exceeds the statutory requirements placed on us.

As part of that commitment we seek to ensure that:

• Disabled people are treated no less favourably than others
• Reasonable adjustments are made where appropriate and possible, by way of sensitive and creative solutions that address barriers to access

Stoke by Nayland Resort encourages our guests and visitors, whether disabled or otherwise, to bring any accessibility issues to our attention. We will always welcome their input and will work to address their concerns, for their benefit and for the benefit of all our future guests and visitors.