Best Western Rose City Suites 300 Prince Charles Drive Welland ON L3C 7B3 Tel: (905) 732-0922 Fax: (905) 732-0644 Reservations: 1-800-387-8186 Web site: www.bestwesternniagara.com
click on photos to enlarge	Rose City Suites Entrance	Entrance parking	Rear entrance

The City of Welland is located south-west of Niagara Falls and approximately a 20-minute drive away. The Best Western Rose City Suites is situated in the south end of the city near the part of the Welland Canal that is now a
recreational waterway. As the name implies, the hotel is comprised of 70 apartment style suites on three floors with each one featuring a kitchen, living room, four-piece bathroom and separate bedroom.
Two of the suites, namely 101 and 105 are accessible and located on the ground floor. Both are identically equipped and Suite 101 is designated smoking while Suite 105 is non-smoking.

PARKING - There is one designated parking spot to the right of the front entrance marked with a symbol on the asphalt. This would suit a wheelchair user or a van with a back ramp. It would be difficult for a side ramp as one
side of the parking spot is for regular vehicles and the other side is a curb edging a garden. However, the lobby of the hotel runs from front to back of the building and there is another parking lot at the back lobby
entrance with one accessible parking spot. This would better accommodate a side-loading van as the driver could back into the spot and lower the ramp onto the sidewalk leading to the lobby entrance.

ENTRANCE AND LOBBY - An open ramp leads to the main entrance. Two sets of double doors open out towards you and are manually operated. There is a 1 ½" lip up to the first set of doors. A Welcome mat covers the floor between the two sets of doors. There is no doorman and luggage carts are available in the lobby.

Lip at front door	Lip at back door

Rear entrance - The sidewalk to the back entrance is accessible from the parking lot with a very slight bump. There is 6" wide metal strip rising to approximately 2" at the back door. The 36" wide door opens out toward you
with an easy grab bar, but the door is quite heavy. It opens onto a Welcome mat covering the 63" that takes you to a second door leading into the lobby hallway. This second door also opens toward you with a grab bar. The rear
door is locked between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. and you would use your room key for entrance.
 
To your left of the main entrance is the front desk with a height of 44". Staff will provide you with a clipboard for signing. The front desk personnel also serve as concierge and will assist you with any special
needs. The lobby has a tiled floor while the lounge area is carpeted and furnished with sofas, chairs, tables, plants etc. Although the hotel has no TTY, two phones are located on side tables 24" high in the lounge. One phone
is for free local calls while the other one takes a phone card.

Lobby Restaurant - The Café de Soleil is open for breakfasts only from 6:30-10 a.m. Monday to Friday, 7-11 a.m. on Saturdays and 7:30-11:30 a.m. on Sundays. The menu features everything from fresh fruit, cereal and pancakes
to the eggs, home fries, bacon/sausage/ham, toast and coffee breakfast.

Lobby Washroom - An accessible washroom is located in the 70" wide tiled hallway to the right of the back lobby entrance. The washroom door is 35" wide and is very heavy with a round knob handle. The door opens inward and
closes automatically. The light switch is on the left wall just inside the door and is 52" high. You may need help entering the washroom but once inside there is plenty of room: a 50" wide entranceway and 8' to the far wall. You turn left into a 48" wide hall and the accessible stall is at the end of the hall with the doorway facing you. The door is 36" wide and opens into the stall with a lever handle. The door stays open flat against the wall as you enter.
The stall is 7'8" x 58". There is a 29" space to left of toilet as you're facing it and 14" to the wall on the right. The toilet is 17" high and has a toilet tank. A double toilet roll is reachable on the wall. There is a horizontal 2' grab bar above the toilet tank and a reverse L-shaped grab bar on the wall beside the toilet. A coat hook on the wall is too high at 58". There is one sink set in a 42" long and 31" high vanity with a 29" opening for legroom. The sink has lever faucet handles. The sink is 4" from the edge of the vanity and the taps 18". The soap dispenser is on the wall to the left of the sink and is high at 53". There is no air dryer and the paper towel dispenser is 50" high. The washroom is clean, roomy and bright.

Hallway to suites	Doors to suites

SUITE - We visited Suite 101 and didn't notice any smoky odor. This suite is through the lobby and to the right. We passed through 55" wide double doors with grab bar handles that open out towards you. These fire doors were
opened flat against the walls and we were told they are usually kept open unless there's an emergency. We went from the tiled floor to a smooth carpeted hallway 81" wide. This area to the right of the lobby only houses Suites 101, 102, 103 and 104. The door to 101 is 36" wide with lever handle and entrance is with a plastic key card. There is a minimal 1/8" lip into the room. The door has high and low peepholes and does not stay open for entry or exit.

There is a nice low light switch 35" from the floor immediately upon entry, which illuminates the hall and open kitchen area to the left of the entrance. Just inside the entrance on the wall to the left there is also a circuit breaker box for the suite 48" high. The kitchen and adjoining open living room have a combined area of 20' x 11' 8". The kitchen floor is tiled while the living room is carpeted.

Kitchen area	details of kitchen	stove top	easy to reach plugs

Stove area	Sink area

Kitchen - The kitchen features a fridge, stove, microwave, coffee maker and even a fire extinguisher. The countertop is 36 ½" high and 23 ½" deep with a built-in cooktop range. There is a 30" cutout under the sink for legroom.
The sink is square with hot and cold lever faucets. The fridge is to the left of sink and set under the countertop. It is opened easily by putting your fingers in the grooves on the door and pulling it open. There is a microwave on the counter as well as a coffee maker with supplies. The fire extinguisher is 48" high and located on the wall above the fridge. Of special interest are the two sets of double plugs affixed to the front edge of the counter. Double storage cupboards are located under the stovetop and four drawers to the left of the sink. There is a hood over the range with
cupboards above it that would not be reachable. Operational switches on the hood are 60" high and 15" from the edge of the counter. The kitchen is equipped with dishes and flatware for four but cookware such as pots and
pans are distributed on request and as available.

Living room adjacent to kitchen - sofa bed	TV and small dining table - most people would likely eat infront of the TV	Living room

Raised plugs are everywhere

Living Room - The living room features a sofa-bed and matching chair, coffee table, two end tables, a small table, which serves as a desk with phone and data port, two chairs, armoire with remote control TV, one floor lamp by the
desk and two table lamps on the end tables. The lamps all operate with small twist knobs. The furniture could bemoved for extra room. For example, there is 35" between one of the end tables and the wall. If the armchair were moved, this area would be perfect for charging a scooter battery. There are ample plugs in the room and all are 36" from the floor and easily visible. One is on the sofa wall, one on the window wall and one either side of the armoire. The window slides open with an easy-to-grab handle. It is 42" high and set back 18" just above the heater/air conditioner. The latter is 17" high and operates with push buttons and knobs. The view from Suite 101 is the front parking lot and main entrance.

Bedroom -note raised plugs	End of room	Space between bed and dresser

Bedroom - It is easy manoeuvring into the bedroom from the living room, as it is flat and carpeted throughout. The 34" doorway opens into the bedroom with a lever handle. The bedroom is 13½' x 11½' and features one queen size
bed on a base, one 6' long dresser x 2' high x 21" deep, a wardrobe 36" wide x 60" high, two night tables, a remote control TV on a stand 27" from the floor and a luggage rack. There is a mirror above the dresser 29" from the
floor and 27" wide x 45" high. The wardrobe has double pull open doors and a clothes rack 53" from the floor with wooden hangers and pant hangers. On one night table there is a clock radio and lamp and a phone and lamp on the
other. There is also a lamp on the dresser. All lamps operate with small twist knobs. Plugs are 36" high and easily visible. The window is 41" high and slides open with a grab handle. As in the living room, the view is the
front parking lot and entrance.

There is a space of 37" between the dresser and foot of the bed and a nice open 48" between the bed and the window wall providing ample manoeuvrability. On the wardrobe wall there is very little space as there is only 22" between the bed and the wardrobe. The TV is located in the corner next to the dresser and opposite the bed.

Bathroom and Hall Closet - As you enter the suite the hall closet is to the right facing you with the bathroom to your right. The closet has a lever handle and opens into the hallway. The clothes rack is 59" high with wooden
hangers. Extra pillows and blankets are on the shelf above the clothes rack. There is also an iron and ironing board in the closet.

The hallway into the bathroom is 44" wide.

Open sink area	Area at end of tub	Idea of space in bathroom

Toilet area	Hand-held shower head tucked into grab-bar	Edge of tub could take bathboard

The bathroom door is 35" wide with a minimal ¼" lip onto the tiled floor. The door opens into the bathroom and stays open. The light switch is on your left as you enter and is 36" high. The bathroom is well lighted. Just above the light switch is a 30-minute timer 43" high that operates the bathroom fan.
The dimensions of the bathroom are 80" x 68".
The vanity is 30" high with 23½" opening for legroom. There is one sink with hot/cold lever handles. The sink is 2½" from the edge of the vanity and taps are 17" from the edge. A hair dryer with a pinch-type release is 40" high on
the wall to left of the sink and beside the timer. The plug is 36" high and beside the dryer. There is a 3' x 3' mirror above the sink and a basket of facecloths, soaps and shampoo beside the sink.

The toilet seat is 16" from the floor and there is a back on it. The counter continues from the vanity across the back of the toilet and is 30" long and 6" wide. The toilet paper is within easy reach beside the toilet and an
extra roll is on the counter above the toilet. There is a 2' vertical grab bar on the wall between the toilet and the tub. There is only 12" between the toilet and the side of the vanity and 10" between the toilet and the
tub, so transfer would have to be from the front only. However, there is a space of 53" from the front of the toilet to the wall. Lots of towels are placed on a rack 45" high on the wall opposite the toilet.

The bathtub is 16" high with a 1¾" lip on the far wall and a 3½" lip on the near side. We were told that the hotel does not have a bath board as they are concerned about health problems and their experience is that people
usually bring their own. However, they would be happy to assist with whatever special needs a guest may have. There is a 2' angled grab bar on the far wall. The faucet is a lever type twist-turn. The hand-held showerhead can be taken down and rested on the grab bar. Opposite the shower/faucet there is what could best be described as a tiled seated area 29 ½" wide x 20" deep, 24" from the floor and 8" above the top of the bathtub.

Suite 105 - This suite was occupied when we visited, but we're told it is identical to Suite 101 except it is a non-smoking suite. This suite is located down a 69" wide hallway to the left of the lobby. Again, you go through a set of double doors which open out into the lobby with grab bar type handles, and which are usually kept open unless there's an emergency.

ELEVATOR - There is one elevator in the lobby servicing the three floors. The elevator door is 36" wide and buttons are within reach with Braille.
Persons occupying the accessible suites would only need to use the elevator to get ice from the second floor ice machine, which is located quite a distance down the hall to the right of the elevator. It is 38" to the
push/pull knobs of the ice machine. Soft drink vending machines are located on the second and third floors, again quite a distance from the elevator.
Persons in a wheelchair or on a scooter would have difficulty using those pop machines as the coin slots are 50" high.

OTHER AMENITIES - The hotel also has a sauna, shower and washroom on the second floor but these facilities are not accessible. The exercise room on the third floor close to the elevator is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is
accessible with your room key. However, we had no guide when visiting this hotel and consequently couldn't check the exercise room. The hallways are not particularly well lighted.

OVERALL IMPRESSION - The Best Western Rose City Suites offers alternative accommodations to visitors wishing something more than just a hotel room.
Suites are roomy, bright and clean and the accessible ones are located close to the lobby for easy access. Although the hotel does not have a dining room, you can cook and serve meals right in your suite. There is an accessible sidewalk from the parking lot that will take you a short roll to a strip plaza housing an accessible Tim Horton's donut/coffee shop, an accessible Newfoundland's Own Fish and Chips shop and other assorted
businesses. There is a designated parking spot next to the main entrance to Tim Horton's and a curb cut. The fish and chip shop is for take-out only but if you wanted your order delivered to the hotel, just call the EMS delivery
service at 905-734-9162 and for a $3.75 fee they will pick up your order and deliver it to you.

Visited EZ, April 10/03