Imperial Hotel and Suites 5851 Victoria Ave. Niagara Falls ON Tel: 905-356-2648 Toll Free: 1-800-263-2553 Fax: 905-356-4068 Web site: www.imperialniagara.com
	Lovely entrance	Designated parking in back

Number of rooms in hotel: 110 – number of accessible rooms: 4 (partially)

This hotel is 10 storeys tall and all four accessible rooms are located on the second floor. The room numbers are 203, 204, 209 and 210, the latter being the only accessible room designated for smoking. The rooms are identical in layout with the exception of 209, which has a bathroom door that opens into the bathroom unlike the other three where the bathroom door opens out.

What makes this hotel only partially accessible is the fact that there are no grab bars around the moulded bathtub, other than a built-in vertical Plexiglas bar, and there is no handheld showerhead. We will, however, update this information if changes are made.

Guests can request a bath bench, bath seat or a toilet raiser, all of which the hotel has on hand.

The Imperial Hotel is ideally situated in the heart of the Niagara Falls tourist district minutes from the U.S. border and surrounded by shopping, entertainment and amusement attractions all within walking distance. The majestic falls and the popular Casino Niagara are just one block or a 10-minute walk away. There are two on-site restaurants: the hotel Terrace Bistro and the Loveboat Steak and Seafood House next door. Your stay includes a complimentary full cooked-to-order breakfast daily in the hotel restaurant.

PARKING: There is lots of parking available at the rear of the hotel and one designated spot next to the rear entrance will accommodate a side-loading vehicle. When you first arrive, however, you could park at the front entrance in order to register then drive around to the rear. If you park in the designated spot upon arrival, you will not be able to access the hotel through this rear door as you need a room key to enter; you will have to wheel around to the main entrance to register.

ENTRANCE & DOORS: The entrance to the hotel is large and is partially covered. It is newly paved and has a glass automatic sliding double door system opening into a tiled lobby with carpet runners on the floor.

LOBBY: The lobby features a high speed Internet access kiosk and an ATM.

The front desk is directly in front of you and is 41” high. Above the desk are clocks, which give you the time in Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles and Niagara Falls. On your left is a sightseeing tour desk staffed by an on-site tour co-ordinator. The lobby is attractively furnished with leather couches and wrought iron and glass tables. Floral displays and greenery in urns add to the ambience. There are two gift shops off the lobby, but the smaller one is only open if the larger one is closed or by request at the front desk. The large gift/souvenir/convenience store is actually located off the restaurant and stocks just about everything you might need while on vacation, from forgotten toiletries and over-the-counter medication to snacks and souvenirs. There is also an entrance off the Victoria Avenue sidewalk but it is not accessible as there are steps. The front and rear entrances of the hotel are opposite each other with the front desk and lobby separating the two

The front desk is centred in the lobby and you can move around the desk either left or right to the elevators, accessible lobby washroom and low pay phones close to the rear entrance. There is also a huge games room/video arcade off the lobby, featuring pinball, air hockey and pool tables and pop and candy machines.

ELEVATORS, HOTEL HALLS & ROOM ENTRANCES: As mentioned above, you can reach the elevators by going around the front desk to the left or right. There are two elevators with low buttons.

The accessible rooms on the second floor are in close proximity to the elevators. The hotels halls are 63” wide and carpeted.

Ice machines are located on the 3rd and 7th floors.

We audited Room 203, which also has Braille on the door. The door is 31” wide with a small marble fire lip ¼” high and 6” wide. The door has a lever handle and a safety lock 56” high but no lower peephole.

Immediately inside the door there is a double light switch on the left that operates a ceiling pot light in the hall and a bedside table lamp.

Open closet area with minifridge	Open vanity

OUTER BATHROOM: To your left, off the hallway, is an open clothes closet in an outer area to the bathroom. There is no lower clothes rack but there is a mini fridge on the floor of the closet. Opposite the closet is a 42” long vanity with an oval sink and a push/pull/twist faucet. The vanity is open 29 ½” below allowing for legroom. There is a four-light fixture over the vanity and a large wall-to-wall mirror. A tilting extension mirror is affixed to the wall on the left, but at 56” high it may be too high for someone in a seated position. There is a hair dryer 45” high on the right with a double plug outlet and double switch 49” high that operates the four-light fixture and the bathroom fluorescent ceiling light and fan.

There is a space of 48” from the closet to the opposite vanity and 42” from the hallway to the bathroom door.

High towels and T-paper	Shower area	No grab bars on tub

BATHROOM: The door into the bathroom is 30” wide and opens out against the closet with a knob handle. There is a robe hook on the outside of the door 68” high and a nice full-length mirror on the inside of the door. The dimensions of the bathroom are 5’ x 5’.

The toilet is 15” high with a 2’ angled grab bar on the side and a 32” horizontal grab bar above the toilet tank. A double toilet tissue holder is 2’ high and affixed just below the angled grab bar.

A moulded tub-shower unit is 19” high and 16” deep. It has a 5” wide outer edge and a 4” inner edge with a very slight slope. The only grab bar in the tub area is a 22” vertical Plexiglas bar built into the unit on the inside wall. As previously mentioned there is no handheld showerhead. The temperature control is a push/pull/twist style. Towels are on a rack on the wall behind the toilet and range from 4’ to 6’ high. There is an iron on the wall opposite the toilet, but would be unreachable from a seated position as it is 64” high. A new ironing board was on order for this room.

Plenty of turnaround room	and space between bed and dresser	Across from pull-out

Double pullout sofa	Turning room into bathroom from hall better than most	Two doubles on platforms

BEDROOM: The hallway from the room door into the bedroom is 37” wide and 7’3” long. The bedroom has two double beds on platform bases. There is a night table between the beds with a clock radio and a lamp with a push knob. On the wall opposite the beds is a nice low dresser 2’ high with a remote TV, phone and lamp. A large vertical mirror sits above the dresser and is low enough to suit someone in a seated position. The phone has a long cord that will reach the night table.

A partial wall separates the sitting area from the bedroom. There is a double pullout sofa, desk and chair with a coffee/tea centre and a floor lamp with a push knob. A light switch 49” high operates a wall light beside the sofa. There are also three open plugs that would be ideal for charging a battery.

The room environment unit is below the window and operates with push buttons and twist knobs. The window gives a view of Victoria Avenue but does not open.

There is good turnaround room in the suite for a scooter or large wheelchair. Between the beds is a space of 30”. From the foot of the beds to the opposite wall is a space of 5’6” narrowing to 4’2” from the bed to the dresser and from the side of the bed to the window wall is 8’2”. In the sitting area there is a space of 7’4” from the sofa to the desk.

POOL/FITNESS CENTRE: The fitness centre and heated indoor pool are located in the hotel basement. Access is with your room key and the door has a knob handle. The door opens into the fitness centre, which is accessible, but the pool area is not accessible, as you have to climb steep steps from the fitness centre up to the pool.

RESTAURANT: The hotel restaurant off the lobby is open Monday to Friday from 8-10 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8-11 a.m. and serves a full complimentary American-style breakfast. And you don’t have to travel far to enjoy relaxing dining at the Loveboat Steak and Seafood House, which is right next door. There is an abundance of eateries on Victoria Avenue and you’re sure to find what you’re looking for whether it’s a quick takeout or something more lavish.

Accessible lobby stall lacks grab bars	Open vanity in lobby washroom

LOBBY WASHROOM: The hotel has an accessible washroom close to the rear entrance to the hotel. The accessible stall has a nice wide door and a low purse hook but there are no grab bars around the toilet. There are twin sinks in the vanity and operate with automatic sensor faucets. The vanity is open below for legroom.

If you are looking for a hotel room that will sleep six and has turnaround room if you use a scooter or electric wheelchair this fits the bill but you'll have to decide if you can live without a hand held showerhead and grab bars. This hotel also offers a number of special package deals throughout the year and more information is available on their Web site listed above.

May 2004