Radisson Hotel & Suites Fallsview 6733 Fallsview Blvd. Niagara Falls ON Tel: 905-356-1944 Toll Free: 1-877-325-5784 Fax: 905-374-2555 Web site: www.niagarafallsview.com
	Lobby of hotel	Lowered area tucked away

Number of rooms in the hotel: 232 – number of accessible rooms 2. The numbers of the accessible rooms are 106 and 233. Room 106 is the most accessible.

This new hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the resort area overlooking the breathtaking panorama of the falls and surrounded by an abundance of shops, restaurants and some of Niagara’s major attractions. Children under 16 stay free. Prices quoted are for double occupancy with an additional charge for triple or quad occupancy. Seasonal packages are available; just check their Web site for complete information. Guests get free admission to the adjacent Minolta Tower Observation Deck as a bonus. Both the Observation Deck and Pinnacle Restaurant in the tower are accessible. Accessible rooms do not overlook the falls.

PARKING: There are three dedicated parking spots to the right of the main entrance that can easily accommodate side-loading vans.

ENTRANCE & DOORS: The main entrance to the hotel is flat, with a huge automatic sliding double door system opening to the tiled flooring in the lobby. Once you’ve registered at the hotel you can use your key card to access the hotel through a side door ramped from the parking lot. You will enter into a wide tiled area with a door on the left leading to the pool and a fire door straight ahead, which opens into the lobby.

LOBBY: The attractive lobby extends to the left and right of the front desk. On your right there is a lovely lounge area with fireplace. As you continue through the lobby, a lovely pool area is on your right and a large arcade on your left, complete with pop and snack machines. There are two low level pay phones and a house phone located in the lobby just outside the arcade. A turn to your left from the main entrance will take you to the elevators as well as the gift shop, Timothy’s World Coffee shop and a Pizza Hut, all of which are open based on hotel occupancy, and the on-site Tony Roma’s Restaurant which is open seven days a week. (More on the restaurant later.) The front desk is not lowered for registration but there is a low section at the end of the desk tucked in behind the bellman desk, which could be used for someone seated in a wheelchair or scooter. The lobby tour desk is staffed from May to October.

LOBBY WASHROOM: There is an accessible washroom in the lobby with a single door entry, which you just push to enter. It has an easy-to-grab D-type handle to exit. The roomy, accessible stall is at the far end. The toilet is 16” high and has a horizontal grab bar on the wall above the toilet paper dispenser. There is one accessible sink in the three-sink vanity, which has a 28” opening below. Faucets are sensor operated. The paper towel holder could be difficult to reach, depending on a person’s height. A nice feature in the hotel lobby, which we haven’t found in many of the hotels we’ve audited, is the low water fountain located outside the washroom.

HOTEL HALLS & ROOM ENTRANCES: To reach Room 106, which as the number implies, is on the ground floor, we had to go through a set of heavy fire doors to the right of the lobby, which you push to enter and pull to exit. Someone in a wheelchair or scooter would probably need help with these doors. The halls are 75” wide and very well lighted. We passed the ice and pop machines on the right as we approached the accessible room. Room 106 is a no-smoking room and has Braille below the room number on the door. Entry is with a plastic key card; there is no lip into the room and the door has a lever handle and both low and high peepholes. A light switch near the door operates three pot lights in the hall ceiling. The tiled hallway is 66” wide narrowing to a 42” wide entrance into the bedroom. There are two raised open plugs at the entrance to the bedroom.

Bed on platform in Room 106	Opposite bed

BEDROOM: This room has one queen bed on a platform base and a night table on either side of the bed. A small table, flanked by two tub chairs, is situated under the window, which doesn’t open and has a view of the parking lot. There is an excellent Radisson Guest Directory on the table. Another table sits in the corner of the room with a telephone, lamp and coffee/tea fixings. There is a dresser opposite the foot of the bed with a TV, Game Boy and attached keyboard. Internet access is through the TV. The bedside tables hold lamps, a telephone and radio. There is a lamp over the TV and two on the wall beside the bed. A switch on the wall in the hallway, opposite the closet, operates one of the bedside lamps. All lamps have small twist knobs.

A full-length mirror is on the wall on the left as you enter the room. Another mirror is placed over the dresser. The closet is between the bathroom and bedroom in the hallway. It has an iron, ironing board, and a luggage rack but no lowered clothes rack.

Overall, this is a nice room and large enough to accommodate a guest with a wheelchair or scooter. There is 64” from the side of the bed to the interior wall (closet wall) and 41” from the other side of the bed to the table under the window. If need be, the table and two tub chairs could be removed to give 62” on the exterior wall side of the room. There is a space of 44” from the foot of the bed to the dresser.

The air conditioning/heating unit is under the window at 23” from the floor and has explicit operating instructions and push and slide levers to operate.

A crib/rollaway could be brought in but it wouldn’t leave much room for a wheelchair or scooter. Also, although there is no safe in the room there is a safety deposit box at the front desk at no charge but you would have to leave a $25 deposit.

Sink but no vanity in room 106	Total roll-in shower	no lip	no hand-held showerhead

BATHROOM: Entrance to the bathroom is totally flat through a 35” wide door that opens out into the hall and stays open flat against the wall. The bathroom door has a lever handle. You have a 66” turning ratio from the hall into the bathroom -- the widest we’ve seen so far.

The best thing in this entire bathroom is the fully accessible, lipless, roll-in shower. It has a gentle slope up into the shower area and a slight slop down toward the shower drain. Unlike the usual moulded shower units, this one is fully tiled and has a ceiling light.. There is a bath seat in the shower. Although there was no hand-held showerhead, management was receptive to our recommendations that one be installed. A big unilever push/pull/twist faucet operates the shower, which has one diagonal 32” grab bar on the back wall. The soap is on an 18” x 5” stainless steel shelf on the back wall of the shower where you could also place your shampoo etc.

The square sink is 31” high, has a unilever faucet and is open below. There was no counter at the time of our audit, but management will install a shelf and remove the table that is currently there, allowing for more room. The mirror above the sink is low enough for someone seated to use.

Access from front and right in Room 106 bathroom

The toilet is 17” high with a 32” diagonal grab bar on wall beside toilet. There is a 38” space on the right of the toilet so transfer could be either from the front or the right side. The double roll toilet tissue is within reach. There is a space of 48” from the door to the sink and 100” from the toilet to the shower entrance.

Lighting is excellent in the bathroom and the switch is 45” from the floor. Plugs are on the wall to the left of the sink. Bath towels are on a low rack 42” high beside the shower; hand towels are on a bar 40” high beside the sink. A hair dryer is to the left of the sink 40” from the floor, along with a plug for an electric shaver.

ROOM 233

far end of narrow room	pullout couch	narrow space between bed and armoire

narrow spaces and tricky angle into bathroom	bathroom door opens into shower area and very narrow shower	high microwave, coffee area and small fridge

After auditing this accessible room, located on the second floor and a fair distance from the elevator, we determined that this room would best suit a wheelchair user rather than a scooter user, as it is a long, narrow corner room with too many angles.

It has no lowered peephole. You enter into a square, tiled hall with a small lower fridge below a counter on the left. A microwave sits on a shelf above the counter and would be unreachable for someone in a seated position. There is also a bench in the hall where you could deposit a suitcase. A nice low mirror is over the bench.

BEDROOM: The bedroom has one king bed with bedside tables on either side. There are extension lamps over the night tables with twist knobs. A phone and clock radio sit on the bedside tables. The room also has a double pullout couch and a coffee table, which would have to be moved to give sufficient turnaround room for a scooter or wheelchair. There is also an end table by the couch with a floor lamp in the corner. A desk and chair with reading lamp and phone and Internet connection are next to an armoire that has a remote TV and Game Boy. Because this room is located in the corner of the hotel, there are windows on two walls. The closet is opposite the bed and has a luggage rack but no lower clothes rack.

This room has a space of 24” from the bed to the interior wall; 34” from the foot of the bed to the closet and armoire; 76” from the couch to the desk with the coffee table removed; and 112” from the bed to the exterior wall.

Narrow entrance to roll-in shower- Room 233	No hand-held showerhead	Bathseat in shower area

BATHROOM: The door is 35” wide and opens into the bathroom with a lever handle. The door stays open but covers part of the entrance to the roll-in shower. There is no hand-held showerhead. Two 3’ grab bars are on the walls around the portable bath seat. The entrance to the shower is very narrow and the showerhead on the wall tucked in the back. The configuration of this shower is unusual and dark.

Vanity area in room 233	Toilet area in Room 233

The toilet is 16” high with a diagonal 3’ grab bar on the wall beside the toilet. The vanity is 57” long, 32” high, and is open 22” below for legroom. It has an oval sink with unilever faucet. A hair dryer is 15” above the vanity. Towels are on a shelf 54” high.

There is a space of 6’ from the vanity to the edge of the roll-in shower; 53” from the front of the toilet to the wall when the door is closed; and 44” from the toilet to the vanity.

A scooter user could not enter the bathroom unless turning around in the bedroom because of the angle of the bathroom door.

Relax in the pool area	High, bright area over pool	Wide steps with rail into pool

POOL: As mentioned, the pool is located off the lobby and is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The uniquely shaped pool has six steps with a bar down the centre. You can easily access the pool on your bottom. There is also a children’s pool and whirlpool. The shower has a lip to it and would not be accessible; you would be advised to shower in your room beforehand. There is a large 87” x 72” accessible washroom in the pool area, but it has no grab bars. The sink is open below. There are low paper towels and the toilet is 15” high.

RESTAURANTS: The on-site Tony Roma’s Restaurant, famous for its ribs, also offers a variety of fine foods. The restaurant is open seven days a week: Sunday to Thursday 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7 a.m.-midnight. The restaurant seats 300 and offers a buffet breakfast on weekends from 7-11 a.m. A plated breakfast is served Monday to Friday. Patrons of Tony Roma’s use the accessible washroom in the hotel lobby.

You also have the option of dining at the renowned Outback Steakhouse, located next door. In fact there’s no shortage of dining establishments within walking/rolling distance of the hotel.

Audited March/04