Victorian Suites Inn 1391 Niagara Stone Rd. Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON Tel: 905-468-8777 Reservations: 1-888-717-6600 Fax: 905-468-4781 Web site: www.victoriansuitesinn.com
	Victorian Inn Suites	greets you	with a beautiful room

Number of rooms: 6 – number of accessible rooms: 1

Now entering its fourth season, the intimate and charming Victorian Suites Inn is located in the heart of Niagara’s wine country. It is a short drive to picturesque Niagara-On-The Lake where you could visit the historic Fort George, attend a performance at the ever-popular Shaw Festival and take in numerous places of interest including a number of local wineries.

Each of the six well-appointed and non-smoking guest suites is individually decorated with furnishings and accessories from The Bombay Company, fully air-conditioned and with a seasonal gas fireplace, giving you a feeling of being in a comfortable family home. At the time of audit there were a few additions needed to make Suite 101 fully accessible but our recommendations were well-received and we will update our information as needed. There are, however, many pluses to the inn’s accommodations that you don’t find in a large hotel, such as a daily continental breakfast that includes pastries home-baked by local Mennonite women, homemade preserves, fresh fruit and cheese brought on a tray to your suite each morning that you can enjoy on your own private patio if you so desire, not to mention fresh cream in your mini-fridge.

PARKING: There are eight parking spots at the front of the inn and three more at the side, but none of them are designated as disabled parking.

ENTRANCE & DOORS: There is a ramp to the front entrance and a button to activate an automatic door opening but it was so new that hadn’t been hooked up at the time of our audit.

FOYER: You enter into a small, carpeted foyer with the registration desk 46” high, too high to be comfortable at if you are sitting. There is also a nice display of assorted body products including bath salts, soaps, body creams, oils for the in-suite Jacuzzi and foot soaks. It should also be mentioned that you could also book the services of a registered massage therapist who will bring his table into your room. If you cannot get up on a massage table and a massage sounds great, talk to the person masseuse or masseur. Often something can be worked out.

From the foyer you enter into a carpeted hallway 46” wide and turn to your left for the accessible suite.

Comfortable bed on legs	Desk blocks turning space to bathroom	Space enough for manual wheelchair

Entrance into room	Table, two chairs, sofa and ottoman could be	removed to provide more space

	Small refrigerator with freezer section

BED/SITTING ROOM: The door to Suite 101 is 32” wide with a knob handle. A light switch 48” high on the wall on the left just inside the room operates a lamp on one of the bedside tables.

Once inside, you notice how nice and bright the room is with three windows and a patio door, all of which open to allow for good ventilation. Windows are dressed with blinds and room darkening drapes that can be drawn to block out any light. The use of plants, pictures and other decorative touches lends an inviting ambience to the room.

Furniture consists of a queen-size sleigh bed on a wooden bed frame (legs) that is 7” from the floor. At the foot of the bed, and facing the fireplace, is a sofa and large ottoman; the latter could be removed to allow for more room to manoeuvre. In a corner of the room is a round wrought iron and glass table with two upholstered chairs. Behind the table sits a floor lamp with a twist knob. Just above the fireplace are switches 48” high that operate the fireplace and outside light.

There are night tables either side of the bed with lamps that have pull chains. A clock radio/compact disc player sits on one table. A hall table sits between the windows, and on the opposite wall there is a wrought iron and glass desk with upholstered chair and a phone on a long retractable cord that will reach the bed. The desk was in the way when a scooter was introduced into the room. It stopped the scooter from pulling out to make the turn into the bathroom. If the desk is pulled down as far as it can go towarrs the chest with the TV on it, a scooter can access the washroom. The desk and accompanying chair could be removed from the room altogether to give additional turning space fot anyone on a scooter or using an electric wheelchair. On that same wall and closer to the patio door is a dresser and another table with a TV on a swivel base and VHS player. A closet in the room contains a luggage rack, iron and ironing board but no lowered clothes rack.

Tucked in behind the door to the room is a recessed alcove with a mini fridge (with freezer box) and a coffee/tea centre. There are several plug outlets in the room that could be used for charging batteries but none within easy reach.

From the wall at the head of the bed to the patio door on the opposite wall is a space of 16’8”and from the window wall to the TV table on the opposite wall is a space of 13’6”. There is a space of 5’4” from the side of the bed to the desk and dresser and 57½” is the distance between the wall at the head of the bed and the entranceway.

A cot can be brought into the room if needed.

It should be mentioned that if you use a wheelchair or scooter and wish to enjoy the patio, then you would need to exit the inn and go around to the side door to the patio, as there are steps from the room down to the patio. You would also need to obtain a key to the patio door from staff.

Patio accessed by going around inn/ steps from room

Toilet area needs grab bars	good lever handles on sink	plenty of room near tub but no grab bars

BATHROOM: The door to the bathroom is opposite the room entrance door. It has a knob handle. It is a lovely, modern ceramic bathroom but at the time of audit is without any grab bars.

A robe hook on the wall behind the door and 5’8’ high would be unreachable from a seated position; likewise a hair dryer at 5’ high. There is a double plug outlet 42” high by the hair dryer. Switches that are 47” high on the left and just above the toilet operate the light and fan. From the door to the Jacuzzi tub is a space of 6’6” and from the window wall to the opposite vanity is 4’10”. From the front of the toilet to the tub is a space of 4’7”. With the bathroom door closed, there is a space of 4’6” from the side of the toilet to the wall, which means that you could transfer from either the side or the front.

The toilet is 16” high; the vanity is 32 ½” high open below 25” for legroom. The sink has a lovely modern faucet with lever handles, all done in chrome and brass. A large mirror with a three-light bar sits over the vanity.

The whirlpool tub is 20” high and 17” deep, with a 5 ½” outer lip that includes the control panel, and a 2 ½” inner lip. The shower control has a lever handle to match the sink. You couldn't sit on the edge of the tub to transfer in becausue of the controls. You could use a tub bench that goes into the tub and extends out onto the floor. Towels are placed on a floor rack and within easy reach. More towels and toiletries are on a rack behind the toilet from 56-67” high. There is no hand-held shower head.

The bathroom is lovely and bright with a nice window that overlooks the landscaping and pond at the front of the inn, but privacy is ensured with window blinds.

There is no turnaround room in the bathroom for someone using a scooter but you could reverse into the hall and then go forward into the bedroom.

RESTAURANT: Although there is no restaurant at the inn, you could enjoy a full breakfast/lunch/dinner menu at nearby Silks Restaurant, or if you wish something a bit more lavish, there are many fine dining rooms at neighbouring wineries, and staff at the inn would be happy to make reservations for you.

This inn has beautifully appointed rooms but some of the important necessities to make it accessible are missing such as grab bars, a hand-held shower, plugs easily accessible for recharging mobility devices and true turnaround and manoeuvering space in the room. You have to decide what you can do without. We'll let you know when the owners tell us things have improved as none of the missing features are difficult to add.

May 2004